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 3 Sep 2007 @ 14:25
I was raised on vegetables and fruit grown mainly on mountain humus. This was collected from the Mountain rising steeply about 100 yards away behind the new house. The humus was fresh leaf mould, black powdery and cool, and apparently bursting with natures’ goodness. Lettuce, cucumber, beans, beetroot, potatoes, carrots, leeks, celery, gluts of strawberries, mulberries, asparagus, parsley, and gluts of tomatoes were all grown copiously from this admixture of soils. I am quite sure though that this was insufficient protection from any blight or pests because all this rich produce would also be copiously sprayed with the latest scientific or even the oldest, being darkest afrique, deadly concoction against blight or pest. Once in the kitchen sink, further scientific sprinklings of potassium permanganate for the eggs of pests would take place which may have attached themselves to these lovely eminently edible fruits of the earth.
The Mountain provided all our water too with fresh spring water all year round except in times of drought. The same spring water was used for everything including washing the car with the exception of the swimming pool which was filled from a borehole. Even the lawn received its sprinkling with the spring water! The water destined for drinking had to be “treated”, boiled for hours and put in a large china storage jar with two compartments through which the pure mountain fresh water was filtered and dripped. A tap at the lowest end brought forth the final source of this drinking water. More >
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 5 Jun 2006 @ 09:47
Another take on "Time" from the world of astronomy. One of the daily newspapers publishes a map of the visible heavens at a certain latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. Where or where can one find the same for the Southern Hemisphere view. My own astronomy was learnt in the Southern Hemisphere as a child and it is quite uninspiring to be always confronted with the Northern one. Is this an opening for an aspiring web magnate? To publish maps of the heavens from one own's vantage point, at the push of a button. Wonderful when going on holiday, get in from the view of one's familiarity and move over to the latitude / longtitude of one's visit and get into Sidereal Time.
[link] More >
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