Thursday, 23 January 2025

Jacqui Murray's Book Blast for her new book - Endangered Species ...

Jacqui of WordDreams is writing these amazing books on the early species of us … and has asked that we contribute various articles on aspects of their life … mine is:

Jacqui - smiling happily


How did they store water?


Essentially they wouldn't have wanted to store it … as they'd have known where to find sources:

... they couldn't live without water;


... by understanding the landscape;

... noting the seasonal swings;

... watching game and birds go to drink;

... they'd have noted the seasonal fruits and herbs ready to eat

... also they'd have realised there were water storing plants which are moisture rich in their flesh or roots …



Nara Melon
For instance the !nara melon (Acanthosicyos horridus) has tap roots penetrating down to water near the water table (not obvious in the landscape).



These ancient inhabitants would have lived in and around an area where there'd have been sufficient resources to support the group, only spreading out when numbers of their group became too many, or they met others and thus Neanderthals spread …


Bushmen drinking from
the bi bulb




They'd have been constantly learning … adding to each generations' brain power as the semi-nomadic peoples lived and learnt.




They'd have lived in caves … where possibly a permanent water supply might have been found … or near a spring line …



Rivers were (and still are) both permanent - or ephemeral – would have been located and noted …

A Bushman drinking from an ostrich egg

They'd have realised that Ostrich eggs could be used for storing/carrying water … these huge very nutritious eggs … would have been invaluable to indigenous groups … they'd learn to create sip-wells ... feeding water into an ostrich egg ... 

Rocky outcrop

There were no straight lines (despite those modern day tyre tracks!) to be followed, or corners cut … they had to find their way each day, otherwise they would not have been able to survive long.


Beef tripe - prepared for filling

When they wanted to travel beyond their normal range … they'd have taken cleaned out intestines and stomachs of animals to hold enough water in case of need … but they'd not require much – those early peoples were very resilient.


Book two of the trilogy
due out in April


Jacqui's email details ... all her wonderful contributors can be found here ...

Word Dreams Book Blast for Endangered Species 


I just congratulate Jacqui - her books are fascinating ... and I so enjoy them - it's great so many of us are promoting her second book in the trilogy ... 

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Monday, 13 January 2025

17th year and counting, and remembering …

 

I'm a year behind Damyanti (Damyantiwrites .com) … she's just moved into her 18th year – where she mentions that a blog anniversary is a strange thing ...

17th and onwards


... as they (blogs) sound so ancient … but as it's my birthday – that crumbling connotation can be applied – actually I'm really lucky as generally my health is in good nick …


Anemones - my mother's
favourite Cornish flowers

However this isn't really about me … I wanted to mention Lenny, whom many of us know, but who is now having a really difficult time … he had a bad fall … and now he just needs to get past this major problem in his life …





Lenny's logo over the years
Back in June 2011 – those youthful years! about 30 of us, at Sharon's instigation, were asked to write blog posts for Lenny – as he'd just gone back into hospital … since then in his short life he's been in and out …





I chose the Hippopotamus song, by Flanders and Swann, as an amusing, happy go-lucky offering … and we all went off humming Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud … the link to my post is below.


Hippos 'basking' ... 
Lenny was amazing – for some reason he took Mum and I under his youthful wing … and sent us presents and email notes – my mother waxed lyrical about him and his thoughtfulness. He's an amazing lad … I just feel for him now – so please wish him the best …





African tea lights ... 
Re today – another year – another St Hilary!! I'm off to lunch with the family, and with some friends who've spent time in Rhodesia (before it changed to be Zimbabwe) … so we'll have some happy African tales.




Wine and cheese ... I expect we'll 
be having a roast ... 

The accompanying images … send me off to remember days gone by … as the years tick along …




The weather in 1962/63

By golly the cold eventually reached us here in the south east … but of course for us ancients this brought back memories of the 1962/63 season .. which I wrote about in January 2013 – thankfully it looks like it's warming up a little in the next few days …



I'm hoping to get myself into a more youthful gear shortly! … ever hopeful … as my brother said – well we thought we'd do lunch today – no worries re working for us elderlies … yet there's grandchildren my friends are occupied with …





Hardwick (Mum's beloved) with his pals
from Lenny - Muddy Hippo and Zdena
My goddaughter and her twin – my brother's wife's niece – who has just had a baby met up in London at the weekend – great that they're in touch again … fun pics as goddaughter met her twin's (honorary goddaughter's) first baby …




Roses with South African
fynbos
If you don't comprehend this rather odd post – apologies … the brain has been remembering, but obviously gets addled at times!!


Thanks for visiting and in particular remembering Lenny - he's one special lad ... 

Lenny Lee fest of 2011 ... 


Cheers to you all - and happy New Year to each and everyone of us, and our families and friend - 


Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Monday, 6 January 2025

Happy New Year ... 2025 here we come?!

 

HAPPY  NEW  YEAR

TO  YOU  ALL



LET'S HOPE THE WORLD MOVES TOWARDS

PEACE AND GIVES US ALL BREATHING SPACE,

without upsetting our apple carts of life.



Hi everyone … I've been having interesting techie headaches … probably me having the blanks, then the poor head being fed up with clearing the mess up …

Here's to us ... 




Next Monday will be a somewhat important post … for me, and updating you on another great blogging friend …





This week we have our first 2025 European Movement dinner – so I'm kept busy in that direction …


Heaven help me?!
I'm sure I didn't turn into this?!
I also have a talk to give on Magna Carta – which if I wasn't having techie challenges would be fine … but I really need to work something out – so I can finish it here and not have to go and ask for help …





That's it for now – I will need to catch up … sloth really has set in – let alone the wet weather (no snow here, so far) we've been having … a few chills ...

This is 'my Mummy' from about
40 years ago ... appropriate n'est pas?




Good luck to all with the weather we're having in various parts of the world …




Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories