Monday 1 May 2017

We Are The World ... In Darkness, Be Light ... #2



As some of you will know the end of April Friday clashed with the 2017 A-Z Blogging Challenge that many do … and I was on the downward slope at the XYZ sundown days! 



X being the one that particularly clashed.   What to do – add in an extra post to the alphabet to make it 27 letters instead of 26 – or just quietly not worry and pick up the threads later …. here I am gathering my wits now Mayday has come around.



I have plenty of ideas for the future month end Fridays – subjects and people I wish to write about … but perhaps the best way is to tie in my A-Z theme of Aspects of Rare Breeds in the British Countryside to ‘our’ motto:  In Darkness Be Light …


Dorset hills rolling away towards the English Channel



Thankfully we have many dedicated farmers, volunteers, supporters, interested parties and organisations who care for this British landscape on our island.





So this is a shout-out to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust: the over-arching body that monitors, saves and promotes our rare and native farm breeds … I will add to this post when I do a Reflections A-Z post(s) later this week.




The Ark - part of  the
Rare Breeds Survival Trust


But thank you to all our farmers, associated organisations, volunteers, and members of the public, who are guardians of our natural history.



Rare Breeds Survival Trust – their About Us page …


Rare Breeds – What’s the Point … Indie Farmer’s article
      (surprisingly the farm is only about ten miles away)









We are the World Blogfest …

In Darkness,      Be Light … 













My R for Rare Breeds Survival Trust post where you can find further information

From a blogger who blogs positivity please join us at:


Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories


60 comments:

Sue Bursztynski said...

This sounds like a wonderful organisation! I'm glad someone has noticed that farm breeds are dying out. The huge variety you showed pictures of in your A to Z was astonishing - who would think there would be so many very different types of sheep and pigs, for example? Horses, yes. But sheep? And they need someone to make sure their breeds survive.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I think that's a perfect example of being light in the dark.

Unknown said...

Thanks for being part of the WATWB walk with us eac month, Hilary. Truly appreciate it.

Damyanti

H. R. Sinclair said...

What a fantastic organization!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Thanks for bringing our attention to this topic and to this organization, Hilary!

Jo said...

I hope the organisation realises how much you have sung their praises this month. I had never heard of them before and think it is wonderful what they do and achieve. Thanks for shedding light on them Hilary.

Bish Denham said...

It's so important to keep our antique breeds and seeds. What a great thing to be doing. Thanks for sharing, Hilary!

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

A great BIG thank-you indeed! Their work is so very important.
Have a great week,
Andrea

cleemckenzie said...

This was a great way to tie the A to Z and your We Are The World post together. Congratulations on your A to Z 2017. I'm still trying to stop in and see more of those posts.

Christine Rains said...

How neat to have tied those posts together. :) Congratulations on completing the challenge. Have a terrific week!

Joanne said...

Perfect Monday reminder and summation. Be a light and shine a light. You do both. Bravo!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Sue - they certainly are doing some amazingly good things. I'll try and give some more stats on the numbers in my Reflections x 2 post ... and also why we need to keep as many breeds as possible going ...

@ Alex - good to see you and thanks so much ...

@ Damyanti - got it up and posted eventually ... WATWB - great blogfest ...

@ Holly - yes it sure is ... RBST is the best ...

@ Elizabeth - pleasure... so glad you were able to read and enjoy ...

@ Jo - I will notify them ... the linklady I had has obviously left her post - so I'll need to check in again - thought I'd wait until I'd finished and tied the loose ends up ... just so pleased you appreciate their work ...

@ Bish - it is so important to know what is useful in the various breeds as we don't know where we're going and what type of things we're going to need ...

@ Andrea - wayhay ... thanks so much - you obviously totally understand the RBST's value ...

@ Lee - I had to do something quickly ... this worked. Lovely seeing you over at the A-Z posts and enjoying them ...

@ Christine - glad I could tie this post into last months A-Z!

@ Joanne - yes I was pleased Monday's Mayday came around ... and now even better as I can be a light and shine on these two organisations ... our We Are The World, In Darkness, Be Light blogfest ... and the RBST ...

Cheers everyone - I'll be round to visit now ... Hilary

Rhodesia said...

It is good that there are people out there that are worried about rare breeds. Now if we can get rid of the poachers as well..... have a great week Hilary. Cheers Diane

Out on the prairie said...

Here children make May Baskets ,baskets of sweets and deliver them to friends. You are to knock and run, since if they catch you, you are suppose to offer a kiss.Guess it is better than a sacrifice to get good crops.LOL

Gail M Baugniet - Author said...

Your month-long project, creating awareness of the need to preserve rare breeds, is a heartwarming example of shining a light on an important topic, Hilary.

Elephant's Child said...

Loud cheers for an organisation which I hope breeds. Worldwide. Prolifically.

dolorah said...

What a great post!! I really wanted to see what your 27th letter of the alphabet would be :)

Liz A. said...

Yeah, A to Z can clash with a few things. Now we can all get back to normal.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Diane - yes I didn't go into poaching at all ... I also didn't mention rustling here in the UK. There's a lot going on in this modern world ...

@ Steve - how lovely to have some of the rural traditions happening ... we do have proper Mayday celebrations over here I just didn't write about them this time...

@ Gail - thanks so much ... I wanted to write about Rare Breeds and the Survival Trust - then the "We Are The World Blogfest" came on the radar earlier this year - I had to tie the two in ... and am very glad as it definitely resonates.

@ EC - absolutely ... thanks for your very loud cheers and appreciation for this society and all the work it does in this country, and in helping other organisations ...

@ Donna - I'd not thought of that... one year I had an HH; this year we had the Write Edit Publish post ... so I 'hung on' til May came around ... good to see you ...

@ Liz - thanks for the visit - not sure about getting back to the normal!

Cheers and thanks for visiting everyone - now to the RBST question answering Reflections post - Hilary

baili said...

this job sounds like a part of worship ,serving the life !

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Baili - thank you for posting... your post on Pakistan will open our eyes to your wonderful country ... cheers Hilary

Paula said...

Congratulations on finishing the challenge!!

mail4rosey said...

It's amazing all the folks who made it through the A-Z, hurrah! It's nice of you to tout the RBST!

Nilanjana Bose said...

That is a great example of light. 'The one who shows kindness to a living creature, he is the one who is truly serving God' ~ Vivekananda.

Deepa said...

One more beautiful post from you.
Thanks for sharing

Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says

Deborah Weber said...

Perfect group and folks to highlight Hilary. And your A-Z challenge posts have brought even more awareness of their efforts - kudos to you as well.

Computer Tutor said...

What a worthy group, Hilary. Preserving nature and everything that means--what could be more important. I'm looking for your RT button. Hmm...

Ronel Janse van Vuuren said...

Such a worthy cause you've been blogging about all month :-) We all need to look after our planet and the creatures we share it with.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Paula - many thanks

@ Rosey - yes there's a great camaraderie in both the A-Z and IWSG groups

@ Nila - lovely quote Nila to go with the In Darkness, Be Light

@ DeeDee - many thanks - glad you enjoyed it

@ Karen - yes a very worthwhile organisation with some inspirational goals

@ Deborah - thankfully the RBST tied in with the prompt - and yes the theme for this year's A-Z certainly seemed to hit a lot of right spots - many thanks for the thumbs up ...

@ Ronel - fortunately the comments back up my decision re the theme for the A-Z 2017 ... we do most certainly need to look after all creatures great and small ...

Thanks so much for your support here and during the A-Z ... cheers Hilary

Crystal Collier said...

Yay for May! It meant finding out my baby's gender...which was a bit of a bombshell, even though it shouldn't have been. Too many X's? LOL. Here's to being a light and a fabulous May!

H.R. Bennett said...

Oh cool! I've never heard of them before. I wonder if they have a US branch.

Chrys Fey said...

Giving a shout out to RBST is great!

Mike@Bit About Britain said...

I'll drink to that. In fact, I am...

Victoria Marie Lees said...

Your blog always holds a wealth of information for your readers. Thank you for sharing this. Let's hope May is beautiful.

Lisa said...

I like that, "In Darkness, Be Light..." if more thought this way our world would be bathed in wonder. Thanks for dropping by my blog. I'm just now getting back, a bit, to my blogging/writing life after constructing a beautiful place for children to be healed...

Patsy said...

Your cheery and interesting posts light up the blogworld, Hilary,

Anonymous said...

And this is why I love coming here, Hilary. You're always true to your name. You're a positive force.

FYI, I made the big move away from Blogger and can be found at:

Elsie Amata


Denise Covey said...

Hi Hilary! It's going to be great to see more posts for In Darkness be Light now that people can catch their breath again with April madness being over! It's always so heartwarming to see people working for preservation in whatever form. Unsung heroes!

Hope all goes well with you!

Denise :-)

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Congratulations on making it to the A-Z finish line. I hope you had a lot of fun with it.

That organization is wonderful, and they definitely qualify as shining light in the darkness. (So do you!)

Cheers!

LD Masterson said...

Thank you for using the A-Z challenge to raise awareness of rare breeds and the RBST.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Crystal - too many XXXXXs - looks like what little girls are made of! Oh the coming of Spring is just wonderful ... take care in these latter months and enjoy the waiting ... she will come at her time ...

@ Robert - my A-Z was about this subject ... and I mentioned the US branch ... it is probably more specialised for each breed ...

@ Chrys - I just needed to tie the RBST in somehow ...

@ Mike - yes ... it's a worthy blog hop - am sure you enjoyed your glass ...

@ Victoria - many thanks, I do like to include information that will hopefully draw readers in ...

@ Lisa - the blog hop is great - and exactly if we can have as many participants it does spread the message of In Darkness, Be Light ... so pleased you've had a productive time away from the blog ...

@ Patsy - thanks so much ...it's one of my aims

@ Elsie - that's great to read ... I try and keep positivity to the fore. Ok I've seen the new link - well done on that ...

@ Denise - yes there will be more posts and hopefully month end ones can have the full complement of participants ... the In Darkness, Be Light momentum is picking up ... the Rare Breeds Survival Trust does such a brilliant job ... Unsung heroes all ...

@ Susan - thanks so much - I was glad when the finishing line comes around, yet then there's the 'tidying up' to be done; glad you appreciate the RBST - they are shining a light forward for our Rare Breeds

@ LD - thanks - I'm glad you enjoyed the RBST ... and now here raising awareness for Unsung heroes ...

Thanks so much for visiting ... the founders of this blog hop have picked a wonderful theme --- reminding us all that in times of darkness there is light ... cheers Hilary

SENCO Cat Herder said...

Hi Hilary - what a great way to combine the A-Z with this worthy blogfest and bring it to everyone's attention. I visited the site and can certainly see myself contributing on the last Friday in May. As for the Rare Breeds Trust, you have really shone a light on what they do and I am sure this will have a positive effect as the ripples from your posts spread out and out :)
Special Teaching at Pempi’s Palace

Trin Carl said...

Rare Breads...I'll have to check out the page and contribute to their site. I don't have any horses but I used to attend horseback camp as a kid, lots of fun!

Sylvia said...

what a wonderful organization! I need to see if the Netherlands has something similar.

Have a great day!
Sylvia

A Cuban In London said...

Great organisation. Thanks for the introduction.

Greetings from London.

DMS said...

Such an amazing organization. I learned so much about them from your posts. Thanks for enlightening me and so many others. :)

~Jess

Deniz Bevan said...

Thanks for the link, Hilary, that's a great organization to support!

Deniz Bevan said...

And a neat blogfest too!

sage said...

You had a new A-Z challenge. Congratulations.

Unknown said...

That's an excellent cause to support. Maintaining diversity not only saves the breeds themselves but has a symbolic value in opposition to the onslaught of industrial conglomerates who want to standardise us all. Congratulations on finishing the A to Z!

Lenny Lee said...

hi grandblogmom!

hooray for RBST and all who support it. and... hooray for you for, through your posts, let so many people know how important it is to support our natural resources no matter where we live. you're a light in the darkness! :)

bookworm said...

It's about time people are banding together to save the heritage breeds. It is absolutely essential to have genetic diversity. The older breeds are more self sufficient and, in general, more hardy. We must keep them going! Thank you, from someone who did her little part with chickens and ducks back 30 years ago. The Unknown Journey Ahead agingonthespectrum.blogspot.com

klahanie said...

Hi Hilary,

Oh my, I'm actually managing to string a few words together. My sincere apologies for being so absent.

Indeed, the, "Rare Breeds Survival Trust", is a most worthy mention. We all have to do our part in understanding nature's balance. Here's to this green and pleasant land and to our fragile planet.

Hilary, thank you for your kindness, your support.

Hugs and happy weekend to you.

Gary

Nick Wilford said...

What an uplifting post, I'm glad that sterling efforts are being made to protect these animals. It was nice to get to "meet" some of them through your posts!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Senco – that’s great … the more the merrier who join this blog hop – spreading light into the dark world that many exist in …

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust is a very special organisation for this country … and the information it holds for our breeds, and for others in different countries …

@ Trin – that’s good to see you’ll be visiting the site – and you obviously have very happy memories of your time with the horses …

@ Sylvia – I expect there’s a similar organisation in Holland … and I hope you find it …

@ ACIL – yes it is certainly an excellent organisation – glad you enjoyed the post …

@ Jess – that’s wonderful to know that you learnt something about all these endangered breeds here in the UK (and no doubt the USA) – me: I learnt too …

@ Deniz – yes the RBST is certainly worthwhile to support … while the blog fest is a good one to be involved with …

@ Sage – well it was a good way to combine the two blog fests … so thank you …

@ Curtis – the cause is a really good one – they work exceptionally hard to maintain and promote these breeds – we need the traits these rare breeds genetically hold … thanks re the A-Z …

@ Lenny – excellent to see you here – exactly hooray for the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and all who support it – I hope these posts get read by many others.

It is, as you so rightly say, essential that we look after our natural resources … flora and fauna and the world they live on – I know you too are a light in the darkness – thank you for your support.

@ Bookworm – you make some excellent points in your comment … saving our breeds so the genetic diversity is there … and they tend to be more self-sufficient and hardy.

Yes – well done with your chickens and ducks those decades back … I expect their progeny live on somewhere!

@ Gary – how lovely to see you … and I’m glad you feel able to be here and type a comment up – thank you.

We do need to help others understand nature’s balance … and understand the work the Rare Breeds Survival Trust is doing … our fragile planet is indeed fragile … let alone bringing light into the darkness of people’s lives … as and when we can.

@ Nick – that’s great to read – thank you. Delighted you enjoyed ‘meeting’ some of the animals the Rare Breeds Survival Trust look after via my recent posts …

Cheers to you all – and thank you so much for your visits and continued support … Hilary

Inger said...

We do need light in the world now. It's getting unbelievable in the US.

Michelle Wallace said...

Hi Hilary!
I'm still doing the rounds for the #WATWB posts.
I like the way you incorporated your post with the A to Z Challenge...a smart idea to give a shout-out to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust!
Your A to Z posts highlighted the fabulous work they do!

Theresa Milstein said...

We're lucky to have the people and organizations working on our behalf.

What a lovely picture of the countryside. Reminds me of my visits to Ireland.

Ann Bennett said...

I hope to make it to Britain one day and visit the places my ancestors left in the 1600's. It is good that these breeds be preserved for posterity. We have some hostile politics in the states about the environment; but, hopefully, that will change with the next election in 2018. After all, extinction is forever.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Inger - this blog hop was a brilliant thought by Damyanti and friends ... I hope we are spreading light out into the world ...

@ Michelle - oh gosh I'm afraid I haven't gone back to check in ... I'll have to make sure I visit everyone next time.

I was just out of ideas ... and thankfully my A-Z posts on the animals in the Rare Breeds Society Trust seemed to all fit together ... the way my mind is working now. I'm so glad you appreciated the amazing work the RBST is doing for us all.

@ Theresa - well that's wonderful you've been reminded about your visits to Ireland - it's a stunning country ... and we are lucky that there are people who care for their land and their animals ...

@ Ann - I sure hope you can get over and visit the places your ancestors left in the 1600s. It is wonderful to see these ancient breeds being conserved. Politics and Government don't always help the people or animals on the edge ... thankfully people can be kinder ... but let's hope our attitudes change ...

Thanks for visiting and joining in the WATWB bloghop ... cheers Hilary