Sculpting our Culture

    Wherever we live in the world, the natural landscape that surrounds us very much dictates as to how our individual cultures have developed over the years.

    The indigenous population have settled where they can grow their crops, be near a source of drinking water and keep their animals. But to do so, mankind has also had to work hand in hand with the terrain that surrounds him.

    To sustain human life we know we will have to continue to do so and help others who struggle to work within their landscape, that's if we want to continue to remain residents and the custodians of this planet.

   
    There are times I take a sharp intake of breath when I look around the two places I spend most of my time, Scotland and the Canaries,  and if I could thank my fellow human beings who have helped carve these parts of the world I most certainly would. But, that's impossible so I just want to thank them  here and now. Thank you .

A Feathered Tribute

   There are so many beautiful creatures in our world and  one species are our feathered friends. On April 8th it's, Draw a Picture of a Bird Day, and as I'm a little better at writing with a pen, or pencil I'll stick to taking photographs.    

   

    So, here are a few tributes of my own.

Apologies

    I've spent the last few weeks in the Canary Islands and up until ten days ago, I managed to regularly update my blog. I have no idea why I consistently have technical hitches here; but I do have and it sucks.

    Luckily the glitches just seem to effect my blog, and twitter. The upside of the gremlin in the works is that I was able to give the final edits on my new book my full attention.

    Moan over, well maybe not quite, I was unable to drag the photograph to the beginning of this piece, so that's why I've finished the post with a solitary picture. I had hoped to write about, Semana Santa, which started yesterday, yeah, that's why the picture is of a church.However I think I'll just apologise and close off. Hey, and have a great Holy Week.

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off

 

    You like to-may-toes and I like to-mah-toes, go the words of the song by George and Ira Gershwin. But not only does the English language differ in pronunciation in the UK and the USA, our spellings and meanings cause more than a little confusion.

    Normally when writing day to day, I use USA English because I have now gotten into this way of writing and using Americanisms. However, my work in progress is based in Glasgow, so spell-check and grammar has been working overtime.

    But, unlike Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the film, Shall we Dance, I'm not about to call the whole thing off.

In Very Few Words

    

Kelpies, Helix Park

     Storytelling is something to laud and we know that a story can be told in very few words, if the words are chosen carefully.

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park

   With the view to attract more Chinese visitors to our country, the UK tourist board is telling the story of some of our famous Scottish landmarks in Mandarin  and I thought I would share a few of the translations with you. 

Kelpie

    Kai Poju ma: 

    Glorious armoured giant horses - Kelpies.

    Shan Hu Huai Bao Zui meng Xiang:

    Mountains, lakes get you drunk on dreams - Loch

    Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

    Others:

    Monument to Brave Heart - The Wallace Monument.

    Strong-man skirt party - Highland Games.

    Haggis - Baa - baa pudding.

    Yes, the words do say it all.

Mariposa

From Nectar's cup you sip,

as you flit from buddleja to cowslip.

The vibrant colors that you wear, 

cause us to stop and stare.

In paintings, pictures and in books,

oh, little butterfly we cannot but admire,

your wonderous looks.

Romancing the Stone

La Gomera

        There are so many inspirational women that have encouraged women to stand up and be counted throughout the years and that's what, International Women's Day, is all about. Today, I want to celebrate a woman that I just found out about recently and her name is Olivia Stone.

Tenerife

    Olivia Stone, like me visited the Canary islands and very much fell in love with them. The only difference being, that when Olivia made her trip from the UK, there were no aeroplanes and travel for women was difficult and dangerous, the year being 1883.

Tenerife

    She, along with her husband travelled by steamship, the Parana, from France and although she wasn't the first to travel to these shores, unlike a fellow environmentalist Charles Darwin she was able to come ashore. 

    Charles Darwin, unfortunately had been prevented from visiting the island of his dreams, Tenerife, because the authorities wouldn't allow him to disembark because of a cholera outbreak in England. They required the crew and passengers to spend an incubation period aboard the ship, before allowing them to alight and it seems the Captain of the ship was unwilling to oblige.

La Gomera

    Olivia had planned to travel a couple of weeks around the islands, but the flora, fauna, wildlife and the hospitality of the locals seduced her into staying on for 5 months. She was the first traveller to visit the rural areas in Victorian times and her book, Tenerife and Its Six Satellites, has been hailed by some as a classic piece of travel literature. It's full of illustrations by Olivia's husband and she recounts a fascinating look at life on these islands in 1883, even including recipes. 

    Earlier this year the, University of La Laguna, Tenerife celebrated her work by hosting an exhibition in her honour and without their recognition of her, I most certainly wouldn't have heard about this inspirational woman.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenerife-Satellites-Canary-Islands-Present/dp/140214511X