Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Blue Moon
Well, I obviously don't have as much free time as I thought I did. But its a suitably rainy day and displacement activity is called for, so time for an update.
Browsing from my provider's home page I found this article on blue moons, which might be of interest:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/07jul_bluemoon.html
Have just been out for a walk with the dog on the Westwood, and saw so many types of funghi - none of which look edible, but some of which might be magic! I can't remember ever seeing so many of them at the same time - bright red, bright orange, pearly white and boring grey. Must get a reliable field guide - I'm sure you can eat some of them, but wouldn't want to risk it.
Got my mind wandering to living from the land and all the countless generations of skills that have been lost - only 400 years ago we would have known what was good and useful. Now, most of us are totally divorced from our surroundings. Given a Triffid situation, we would surely be back in the dark ages - if not further. In one of Ray Mears recent programs, he was teaching an Amazonian tribe how to start fire with the friction method - they had lost that skill in the recent past and now relied upon cheap lighters which they had to get from a village about 2 weeks journey away. The men he taught it to then spent the next few days passing it on to all the others in the community, kids and all.
And finally, look here to see the winning pics in the Country File photograph competition - including my favourite (as seen in yesterday's Guardian) the three sleeping dormice! Cute eh?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/environment/programmes/countryfile/photocomp_2004.shtml
Browsing from my provider's home page I found this article on blue moons, which might be of interest:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/watchtheskies/07jul_bluemoon.html
Have just been out for a walk with the dog on the Westwood, and saw so many types of funghi - none of which look edible, but some of which might be magic! I can't remember ever seeing so many of them at the same time - bright red, bright orange, pearly white and boring grey. Must get a reliable field guide - I'm sure you can eat some of them, but wouldn't want to risk it.
Got my mind wandering to living from the land and all the countless generations of skills that have been lost - only 400 years ago we would have known what was good and useful. Now, most of us are totally divorced from our surroundings. Given a Triffid situation, we would surely be back in the dark ages - if not further. In one of Ray Mears recent programs, he was teaching an Amazonian tribe how to start fire with the friction method - they had lost that skill in the recent past and now relied upon cheap lighters which they had to get from a village about 2 weeks journey away. The men he taught it to then spent the next few days passing it on to all the others in the community, kids and all.
And finally, look here to see the winning pics in the Country File photograph competition - including my favourite (as seen in yesterday's Guardian) the three sleeping dormice! Cute eh?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/environment/programmes/countryfile/photocomp_2004.shtml
