6th photo in the 6th folder - a tag

I’ve been tagged by Karen of Border Town Notes to locate the 6th photo in my 6th folder and talk about it. I'm guessing we're talking about my photographic folders here - which are many!


The photo above was taken a year or two ago in the arboretum just up the road from where I live. The arboretum was created in the 1886 by J Storr-Lister, the planter of the first commercial forests in South Africa. It covers an area of approximately 28ha, contains over 600 species of trees, several of which are over 100 years old, and it is a declared Provincial Heritage Site. The arboretum abuts an old manor house which dates back to 1795 and rise up the slopes of the Constantiaberg Mountain. The arboretum was originally created to test the adaptation of species from countries with a similar climate to South Africa, which means there are plenty of Australian specimens in the arboretum.

This shot is of one of the many eucalypts in the arboretum – there is something about these silvery-brown trunks which soar into the sky which makes them very photogenic. Limited as I am by the terms of the tag, I have to point out that this is not one of my better shots of these lovely trees. (Lovely trees, I should point out, which have a nasty habit of dropping heavy branches without warning!)


I first became well acquainted with the arboretum when, together with several eminent academics, I started and ran a small NGO - the aim of which was to try and prevent, amongst many other things, the South African National Parks (SANParks) from felling all the pines and eucalypts in the Table Mountain National Park. Although not indigenous (and thus out of line with botanical biodiversity objectives in an area described as a biodiversity “hotspot”) the plantations provide an invaluable shaded recreation area for the people of Cape Town – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. For many, the plantations have become a fundamental part of their cultural heritage. In fact, recognizing the significance of these shaded areas, the government had promised just a few years earlier, after having consulted with the people of Cape Town and several scientists, that these plantations would remain in perpetuity for the benefit of the people of Cape Town. It should be borne in mind that the plantations only make up about two percent of the entire Park and are effectively managed by a local forestry company. As such, their impact on matters “biodiversical” is minimal and, one would think their value in a hot and generally treeless environment, is significant.


Sadly, politics being what it is, the zeal for alien eradication (fauna and flora, and some would say human…) in the new South Africa being what it is and mad botanists being, well, myopic and mad, most of, if not all, the pines and eucalypts will be gone by 2020. Even the eucalypts in the arboretum are potentially under threat, including the one in the photograph.

Enjoy admiring this tree while it still stands and remember that few grasp the concept of balance and fewer still are able to accept that change and evolution are inevitable.


In time honoured tradition, I'm supposed to pass this tag on - but I know many of you have already done this one - if you haven't and would like to, consider yourself tagged.

An awful lot of stuff in one post

See, this is what happens when I get tardy - I end up having to post a mountain of stuff in one go.

So... today we are doing: awards, a meme/wordgame-thingy and what you could do to help Angela.

Let's start with Angela's problem with the exploitative job situation. I am already on the trail of several courses of action, which I'll tell you about another time. But for those who have expressed a wish to help in some way, the best thing you could possibly do for now is to write to the International Labour Organization.

You might say something like this: "I am aware that while much has been done to uplift the lot of workers in South Africa, one group remains underrepresented and prejudiced - and that is domestic workers. It has come to my attention that there are several companies in South Africa which openly exploit domestic workers by using their labour to provide char or "maid services". In doing so many of them pay below the minimum wage and none pay a decent living wage. Some delay payments to their staff, others make unwarranted salary deductions. A few cause workers to live in appalling conditions. Most threaten their staff. This untenable situation will regrettably continue until such time as the South African Department of Labour changes the policies which regulate the so-called "labour broker" services offered by these domestic services agencies. At present these agencies are only required to procure a license and provide a list of the employees in their service. This lack of regulation means that domestic workers, many of them refugees or people from rural areas who are in desperate need of employment, are preyed upon while the owners and managers of the agencies ride roughshod over the South African Labour Relations Act. I would appreciate it if you would be kind enough to investigate this matter and bring pressure to bear upon the South African Department of Labour so that situation might be changed for the benefit of all domestic and allied workers."

You can send your email to: ilo@ilo.org

If you do choose to take this action, let me know so that I can in turn advise the trade union which whom I've been in contact. You will find my email address on my profile page, or let me know in the comments.

And moving on.

It's been a bit like the Oscars around here recently and I've been blessed with two awards.

From the wonderfully creative Tessa at An Aerial Armadillo and also from word weaver extraordinaire Val at Monkeys on the Roof comes the Lus en el alma Premio award (Light in the Soul). Thank you so much, Tessa and Val! The award goes to all those who have light in their souls. That's a tough call because of course all of you have light in your souls. If you didn't, you'd be dead! The soul after all, is pure light. (Well that's my take and I'm sticking to it.) Now I know many of you have already received this award and so I need to find some new people on whom to bestow this - if somehow you're not on the list below and have not yet received this award - please consider it yours! (The one thing I truly hate about these awards is having to single out people - it strikes me as being totally unreasonable!)

Light in the Soul

Debi Alper
Janey at Wittering On
Saaleha at Afrocentric Muslimah
Storm at A Beautiful Girl Inside
Canterbury Soul
Vesper at Chick with a Quill
Aerin at In Search of Giants
Lettuce at Lettuce-Eating
Princess Haiku
Wanderlust Scarlett
Gaye at Gaudiumdegaea
Bart at Daze of our Lives
Lane at Lane's Write
Renee at Graulhet Bonjour
Baino at Baino's Banter
Gail at Gail at the Farm
Rambler at Virtual Ramblings
Steph at The Biopsy Report

The second award comes from Mouse over at Mouse Medicine and is for Superior Scribblers. You notice that I seem to be paying no attention to how many people these awards should go to... Ja, well, no fine, as we say here... As if I ever gave a fig about rules. Again, I know many of you have already received this award and if you're getting it twice I think you can safely assume that you're a superior Superior Scribbler!


Tessa at An Aerial Armadillo
Val at Monkeys on the Roof
Karen at Border Town Notes
Angela at Letters from Usedom
Lori at Lori Times Five
Sue Guiney
FireByrd at Bird on Fire
Red at Red Dirt Mule
Vesper at Chick with a Quill
Oh and everyone else!

And finally, a meme-word-game thingy from Val. Pant, whew, puff, gasp. I need a cuppa tea, I don't know about you. Yeah, well, we'll just call this a marathon blog post, shall we - teach me to get all slack. Though frankly, I don't know what any of you did to deserve this monster post...

I have to choose ten words beginning with L that are important to me. Val had the letter R, Firebyrd from whom she took over the game had the letter B. If you want to play, let me know in the comments and I will assign you a letter. Okay, last leg of blog post. Wheeze, gasp, puff, pant... And in no particular order...

LOVE - without it we are nothing, it is the very energy from which we spring, in which we exist and to which we return. Let me share something: "Love is all that exists. Love is the universal communication. It is the energy that has created the universe and is keeping it going." (from Emmanuel's Book compiled by Pat Rodegast).

LAUGHTER - it makes the world go round. Laugh and the world laughs with you. I love larfing, laffin', laughing and I love to make others laugh. It is a wonderfully healing tonic and they say that a laugh a day may keep a heart attack at bay. Right, all together now - LAUGH - ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa!

LIGHT - it brightens our world. Like love, light is part of the essence of who we are, that from which we spring and to which we return. Moreover, light creates rainbows - and can you think of anything as beautiful as a rainbow? Lenses, lasers, mirrors, colour, reflections and solar power are all dependent on light. Without light we would not exist.

LENSES - this is the photographer speaking... I am completely potty about my big 300mm lens. It allows me to take really close up shots without necessarily getting trampled by an elephant or bitten by a puffadder. Lenses enable me to take the kind of photos I want to create and from behind the lens of a camera I am able to see an entirely different world - a world in which the beauty of this thing we call life, is brought into sharp and focused magnificence.

LETTUCE - okay, so this may sound a little odd but I love lettuce and I particularly love lettuce sprinkled with a little sea salt and dribbled with walnut oil. Yummeeeeeee! Moreover, lettuce contains lactucarium, a chemical which aids sleep. Who needs sleeping pills when there's lettuce!

LITERATURE - where would we be without it. It reflects the world we live in, it shapes our thinking. I love reading and I love writing. I tend not, despite a degree in English literature, to think of it as "literature" but as stories. And as Terry Pratchett puts it so beautifully in Witches Abroad - "People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it's the other way around."

LULLABIES - they are so magnificently soothing. As a child I used to love the pink poodle music box which lay on my grandmother's bed and when wound up, played Brahms' lullaby. Even today, when I'm feeling really stressed and can't sleep, I hum this little tune to myself.

LILLIES - I love lillies, there is something so evocative and mysterious about them. They can be pure simplicity, they can be magnificent, flamboyant beauty. My favourite flowers are St Joseph's and Stargazer Lillies.

LEOPARDS - when I went to the Kruger National Park last year, all I wanted to see was a spotty lying in a tree - I think they are the most beautiful creatures. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. I've had two close encounters with leopards out in the bush - in one instance I had one sitting politely behind me in a bush while I lounged on a river bank - I say politely because it wanted to get to the water and I was in its way but it just waited until my husband, who'd spotted it, came and rushed me away, saying, "Just don't look back!" In the other instance, I startled a spotty who growled most ferociously and sent me hurtling down the hill into a field of wild pigs!

LAZING - I'm all for lazing, especially on a tropical beach while hot and cold running waiters bring me iced mango juice. In fact, talking of lazing, after this very lengthy post, I think I'm going to do some of that!

And I'm very sorry but I have to add one more... LINDT - dark chocolate - mostly because I have just discovered "A touch of sea salt". Finally, I have met the chocolate of my dreams, the chocolate I want to marry. Thank you, LINDT!

Memememememememe – and YOU!

I’ve recently been tagged for a few memes – but in time honoured, goal-directed tradition of a writer on a mission, I completely forgot who’d tagged me. It’s taken a few days of headscratching, whilst pondering what to blog about, for me to remember. I apologise profusely to both Val and Susan for having a sieve for a brain.

So Val’s meme first. I’m going to have ask Val to excuse me for not doing the first part of the meme but figuring out how to choose someone from my address book to tell the world about left me completely baffled - maybe I've just got the wrong kind of address book!

But here’s the second meme that Val tagged me with. It is a series of questions that must be answered in eight words;

WHERE WERE YOU TEN YEARS AGO? Dealing with my father’s death, preparing to get divorced. (oops, nine words there…)

WHATS ON YOUR TO DO LIST TODAY? Manuscript rewrite, grocery shopping, blog, email, water garden.

WHAT IF YOU WERE A BILLIONAIRE? Right now? I’d be stressing about the markets, looking to buy property and gold, and looking to pick up stocks when the market bottoms out.

FIVE PLACES YOU HAVE LIVED: Cape Town, Durban, London, Dublin, Guernsey.

THREE BAD HABITS Procrastinating, slobbing, not dejunking often enough

SNACKS YOU LIKE Chips/crisps, fruit, Lindt 70% dark chocolate

WHO AM I TAGGING?
Janey, Baino, Ropi, Mellifluous Dark, Lane, Susan


And now for Susan’s meme.

*Tagged bloggers post answers on their blogs & replace questions as they wish.
*Tagged bloggers state who they were tagged by & cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by.

1. What do you do before bedtime? Blog, watch TV or read

2. What is your favorite sound? Waves crashing on the beach, wind in the trees

3. What were your childhood fears? Being abandoned, finding thief under my bed

4. What place have you visited that you can't forget and want to go back? Tuscany

5. What has made you unhappy these days? The rank greed in the world – and thereby the state of the markets.

6. What websites do you visit daily? Facebook, online dictionary and thesaurus, Google search

7. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is? I think Susan is energetic, fun, focussed and determined. She’s also a great interviewer and is passionate about what she does.

8. What’s the last song that got stuck in your head? Puff the Magic Dragon…

9. What’s your favorite item of clothing? Jeans

10. What is your dream for the future? To get a lucrative publishing deal and be living in a place where I feel safe and secure.

Right, and now to the tagging:
Janey, Val, Aerin, Storm, Bonnie

Sneaky, eh? You notice I managed to tag both Val and Susan right back! Muahahahahahaaaaa!

Another Meme - about Books

Just some of the books...

Wilf has passed on some homework for me to do... in the form of yet another meme. Shame on you, Wilf! (I tell you, I'm getting all memed out here.)

Total number of books owned
Erm, too many. They lie around in piles and breed, I'm sure of it. I tried using Library Thing to catalogue them all but ran out of steam. There are children's and Young Adult books, cookery books, gardening books, travelogues, places, esoteric, interior design, dogs, classics, fantasy, crime, literary, poetry, plays, marketing and business, reference. I had to try to do a valuation once for insurance purposes. An awful lot of money has been spent on books. It should stop. But it won't.

Last book bought
I never buy one book at a time. I'm an addict - fortunately it's the only addiction I have. The last books ordered from Amazon UK include The Monkey Wrench Gang, Emmanuel's Book, French Food at Home - they've not arrived yet - which is just as well since I haven't finished wading through the last pile that arrived.

Last book read
Coven of One by a certain Minx

Five books which mean a lot to you
Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge
I was given the book as a 10th birthday present by a classmate and I've read it so many times that the pages have turned to velvet. My mother had kept me supplied with Enid Blyton but this book opened a whole new world to me and gave me the opportunity to dream... to love magic... and respect bees... This was the book that set me on my reading journey.

The Little White Horse also by Elizabeth Goudge
My best friend lent this to me when I was 11. I fell in love. It inspired me and made my heart sing. As the years went by though I forgot the title and the author. But I never forgot the story. I hunted for it constantly, never quite sure what I was looking for but knowing I'd recognise it when I saw it. Then about three years ago, I was browsing the shelves of the children's' section of the bookstore and this little book caught my eye... Could it be... Could it? It was. The name didn't ring much of a bell but the author's name did. After being out of print for years it had finally been reprinted - and why? Because JK Rowling had said it was the book that most inspired her...

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Because after reading it for the first time when I was in my mid-twenties, I finally knew what I wanted to do - I wanted to write - for children.

The Tao Te Ching - because it in I find meaning.

Roget's Thesaurus - because as a writer I'd be lost without it.


Now, I'm tagging Wanderlust Scarlett, Vesper, Bonnie, Colleen and Verilion. I would tag that Minx person too, but I know she hates memes... And Debi's just too busy. Sigh. Besides, I suppose I'd better leave some for the rest of you to tag...

Book Character Meme

(Multiple images nicked off the interet, collage created by yours truly.)

Found this over at Marie's recently... A book character meme.

Name up to 3 characters:

1. You wish were real so you could meet them.

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter series)
Granny Weatherwax (Discworld series)
Gandalf (Hobbit and Lord of the Rings)


2. You would like to be.

Terry Pratchett's Luggage from the Discworld series, with its hundreds of dear little legs and the capacity to see off (usually by eating) all sorts of nasty people...
Granny Weatherwax - also from the Discworld - because she's one smart Wyrd Sister.
Eion Colfer's Artemis Fowl or Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider - 'cos they just get to have so much darned fun!


3. That scare you.

Granny Weatherwax
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Lord Voldemort

Erm... you can tell I far prefer fantasy to real life, can't you...

Blogging Tips Meme

(Image courtesy of the internet with its medley of multiple of multiple images!)

Bonnie over at Bonnie's Books has tagged me for a Blogging Tips meme. Hmmm, memes.... hummmm, memes.... Hmph...
Let me say upfront that I'm not going to tag anyone because too many of the people I know hate being tagged for memes. So, if you want to do this, do it.
See, no pressure! (And I'll keep sitting on Atyllah and muzzling her just in case she has other views.... Ouch!)

-Start Copy-

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general.

After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!

Just think - if 10 people start this and the 10 people pass it on to another 10 people, you have 100 links already!

1. Look, read, and learn. **** http://www.neonscent.com

2. Be EXCELLENT to each other. ** http://www.bushmackel.com

3. Don’t let money change ya! ** http://www.therandomforest.info

4. Always reply to your comments. ***** Http://chattiekat.com

5. Link liberally — it keeps you and your friends afloat in the Sea of Technorati. * http://chipsquips.com

6. Don’t give up - persistence is fertile. ** http://www.velcro-city.co.uk

7. Give link credit where credit is due. **** http://www.sfsignal.com

8. Pictures say a thousand words and can usually add to any post. *** http://scifichick.com

9. Visit all the bloggers that leave comments for you - it's nice to know who is reading! * http://stephaniesbooks.blogspot.com

10. Thrown in something humorous occasionally, to keep things fun. * http://bonniesbooks.blogspot.com

11. Blog for yourself and your own pleasure, because you want to - if it stops being fun, stop blogging. http://absolutevanilla.blogspot.com

-End Copy-


And I'm going to add to more, just because I can!

12. Blogging is a multimedia environment, use the media to enliven your blog - words, images, video, music but...

13 ... stick to good design rules and remember that less is more.

And now I'm going to quiety and unobtrusively try and get away from Atyllah...

Ba-kaaaaaaaaak!

Oops!