Hibiscus Saga

HIBISCUS SAGA

My Balcony Became a Summer Garden

When moving to this Seniors' residence, several years ago, end of October,

I brought with me two Hibiscus plants: one would bloom with single-petalled yellow flowers ~

the other, produced double-petalled colourful coral blooms.

When the temperatures were about the same (inside and out),

I brought them inside, placing them near windows.

In Spring, I pruned their branches before movng them to the balcony again for their 'summer retreat'.

Previously, I've written about the dilemmas I faced, when Blackie and Grey (two squirrels)

who frequently visited, insisted on demolishing these 2 plants by chewing their leaves.

After 2 summers, my gorgeous hibiscuses died.

Not to be undone, Blackie and Grey, returned again to attack

my flowering hanging baskets and a couple long flower-filled planter boxes on my railing.

The following summer, I resorted to colourful, artificial flowers.

Bundling and covering them well, I winter-stored them beneath my balcony table.

Yes! You guessed ~ they simply chewed through the plastic coverings to satisfy their quest.

Winter came...occasionally I saw them scampering to locate hidden nuts.

Hungrily, these 'cute little buggers' climbed the brick wall with their sharp little claws, searching for food and when none was found on my 3^rd balcony floor, they decided to 'break and enter' my apartment. Shocked I was!!! to see both of them, trembling on my living room carpet (obviously looking for their 'food fix'). Trying to shoo them away, I opened the balcony and screen doors...but to no avail ~ they dashed to the hallway and bedroom to escape...shooing them away, they then rushed back to the living room...dashed out to the balcony... and there they madly scaled down the brick wall...hustling to the trees along the 'hydro-right-of-way...and retreating into their winter nests.

It was only after they escaped, that I noticed a huge torn hole in my bedroom window!

Pesky little creatures, a few days later, while sitting at my computer, I noticed Blackie and Grey sitting on the window ledge where they'd already made a hole in the screen beside me while I was computer typing...with plans, I assume to again' break and enter' through this window to gain access to my apartment...no doubt again on their food quest. With flat hands along the screen, I pushed them out through the broken screen hole...and again, they scrambled down the brick wall to the level ground.

.

In the summer of '15, I hung 2 flowering baskets on my wall;

I couldn't believe it when Grey consistently, insisted on visiting my far basket.

Good Grief! I thought, as with broom bristles,

I constantly chased him (her?)...until, SHE left the basket... carrying her nude baby in mouth...but dropping it on the balcony floor before my feet...hurrriedly, picked it up again...and dashed off,,,rushing down the brick wall 3 floors to the tarmac below...dashing off to a few woodland trees along the bike trail. Never saw either Grey or Blackie again ~  hoping this was 'good riddance!!!

Following a sojourn, when in '16 and'17, I saw neither of these squirrels ~ at end of August that year, visiting Holland Park Garden Center, I enquired about purchasing a Hibiscus plant...the plants were gone, said an employee, “We do have Hibiscus Bushes”. Bushes? Yes, they had 5 remaining along the eastern fence....four in full bloom...the 5^th one with undetermined colour blooms...with a $20 deduction, this one I purchased...being a 'bush', it was much bigger and bushier than the hibiscus plants. An employee carried it to my car...squeezing its leafy limbs into my back seat area. Arriving at my residence, the 'super on duty' retrieved it....placed it in a 'grocery cart'...and in my apartment, he placed it on the balcony. Graciously, I thanked him, promising to give him the first colour bloom it produced!

Loving its northwest environment, it soon started to bloom: a single-petalled flower in gorgeous coral...and continued last summer, to bloom and bloom and bloom with many, many buds before autumn's cool days arrived. The beauty of hibiscus, whether plant or bush, is that the blooms come and go, throughout the season...forming a bud first...preparing to open in a day or two...then in full bloom for 2 full days before closing of petals and dropping to the floor or ground. For the full season of blossoming, there was a continual offering of over 70 blooms. Hibiscus is so delightful!

As per instruction, I moved it indoors when temperatures are about the same inside and out. In the spring of this year, 2018, I pruned its branches, moved it to my balcony end of April..and over these several months, produced 57 magnificent blooms...and now inside near my balcony door (end of October), another 17 buds have bloomed. This bush I have, regiments its behaviour ~ in that, from advice from the botanist at Holland Park, the Hibiscus may lose its foliage in autumn, when cool weather arrives....many leaves have turned yellow, dropping off ~ and when, as all blooming has ceased, I shall prune its branches low to a green notch allowing the 'bush' to rest over winter in preparation for spring's new growth. Today, one bud has opened to a 5-inch beauty...with 2 or 3 other buds awaiting to fully bloom. What an amazing 'plant' or 'bush' the Hibiscus is!!!

To me, this bush is akin to a child:

whose growth we observe ~ awaiting development!

Wise Words from the Wise

Flowers are Love's truest language. (Soren Kierkegaard)

Be honest, be nice, be a flower ~ not a weed. (Aaron Neville)

There are always flowers for those who want to see them. (Henri Matisse)

I wanted it said of me by those who know me best

that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower

when I thought a flower would grow. (Abraham Lincoln's belief)

Unknown Prophesy:

Welcome to the “Karma Cafe”

There are no menus.

You will get served what you deserve.

Author: Merle Baird-Kerr...written November 13, 2018

To comment: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com

Earth Day's History

According to my calendar, Earth Day is celebrated on April 21 (Sunday).

Each year, Earth Day marks the anniversry of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970 ~ although, Americans claim Earth Day to be April 22 (a Monday this year).

Setting the Stage for the First Earth Day: At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Environment was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news.

Although America largely remained oblivious to environment concerns,

the stage had been set for change by the publication

of Rachel Carson's New York Times' best seller Silent Spring in 1962.

Selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries ~ it raised public awareness and concern for living organisms...the environment...and links between pollution and public health.

Earth Day 1970 gave voice to that emerging consciousness...

channelling the energy of the anti-war protest movement...

and putting environmental concerns on the front page.

The Idea for theFirst Earth Day: Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California ~ and inspired by the student anti-war-movement, he realized that if he could infuse that energy with an emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution, it would force environmental protection onto the annual political agenda. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment.

Groups that had been fighting against oil spills...polluting factories and power plants...

raw sewage...toxic dumps...pesticides...freeways...the loss of wildernesss...

and the extinction of wildlife: suddenly realized they shared common values.

Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats.

In 1990, Earth Day went global:

mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries

and lifting environmental issues to the world stage.

Earth Day had reached into its current status as the largest secular observance in the world ~

celebrated by more than a billion people every year ~ including Canada

and a day of action that changes human behaviour and provokes policy changes.

'Earth Day' Tips

(published inThe Hamilton Spectator today from www.earthday.org.

Although over 40 published, here are a few tips:

Join Earth Day Network's campaign to 'Protect Our Species'.

Join Earth Day Network's campaign to 'End Plastic Pollution'.

Reduce your carbon footprint and take our 'Carbon Footprint' Quiz.

Plant a tree or donate a tree through our Canopy Project.

A few years ago when a friend's son suddenly died,

she bought a tree in memory of him ~ planting it in Burlington's Spencer Smith Park.

.

Join a local park, river or beach clean-up.

Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products.

Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with efficient CFLs or LEDs.Reduce your carbon footprint by 450 pounds a year. (This I did a few years ago.)

Keep your tires properly inflated and get better gas mileage. Reduce your carbon footprint 20 pounds for each gallon of gas saved.

Carpool: Ride your bike; use pubic transportation...or drive an electric or hybrid car~ reducing your

carbon footprint by one pound for every mile you do not drive.

Teleconference instead of travelling. If you fly 5 times per year, those trips are likely to account for 75% of your personal carbon footprint.

Change your car's air filter regularly.

Stop using disposable plastics, especially single-use plastics like bottles, bags and straws.

Recycle paper....plastic...and glass. Reduce your garbage by10% and your carbon footpriint by 1,200 pounds a year.

Change your paper bills to online billing. You'll be saving trees and the fuel it takes to deliver bills

Read documents online instead of printing them.

Set your office printer to print two-sided.

Collect used printer, fax and copier cartridges to recycle.

Use reusable bottles for water and reusable mugs for coffee.

Bring reusable bags when you shop.

Pack your lunch in a reusable bag.

Buy local food to reduce the distance from farm to fork. Buy straight from the farm; frequent your local 'farmers market' or join a local food co-op.

Buy organic food to keep your body and the environment free of toxic pesticides. Support farmers and companies who use organic ingredients.

Reduce your meat consumption to curb carbon emissions from the livestock industry.

Compost kitchen scraps for use in your garden ~ turning waste into fertilizer.

Take a shorter shower and use a water-saving shower head.

Fix leaky faucets and shower heads.

Run your dishwasher only when it's full to save water and energy.

Conserve water outdoors by only watering your lawn in the early morning or late at night.

Use drought-resistant plants in dry areas.

Pull out invasive plants in your yard or garden and replace them with native ones.

Turn off and unplug electronics you're not using ~ including your computer at night.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator to save energy and get exercise.

So True! A business-man I met on the ski-slopes, told me

that when on appointments, he always parked at least 2 blocks away.

This, his daily exercise, kept him in shape for schussing and summer sports.

Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...scripted April 22, 2019

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Heavenly Bread

This, being Easter weekend,

in Christian recognition of Jesus' death and resurrection,

I send to you this New International Version (NIV)

of the Bible's Old Testament re Moses and his multitude

of Israelites during their travel in the desert through a 40-year period.

As you partake of Easter family dinners, consider the plight of the Israelites

with limited food supply travelling through desert and wilderness.

Manna and Quail ~ Exodus, Chapter 16

“The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sania, on the 15^th day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert, the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down rain from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the 6^th day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.

“So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt ~ and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord ~ because He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”

Moses also said, You will know that it was the Lord when He gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.

Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community

'Come before the Lord, for He has heard your grumbling.'

While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert,

and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

“The Lord said to Moses: I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.

Tell them, “At twilight, you will eat meat and in the morning you will be fed with bread.

Then you will know that I am the Lord, your God.

“That evening, quail came and covered the camp ~ and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp, When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.

When the Israelites saw it, they said to ech other, “What is this? For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.

This is what the Lord has commanded: Everyone is to gather as much as they need.

Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.

The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much ~ some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much, did not have too much ~ and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

However, some of them paid no attention to Moses.

They kept part of it until morning ~ but it was full of maggots and began to smell.

So, Moses was angry with them.

“Each morning, everyone gathered as much as they needed ~ and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much ~ two omers for each person ~ and the leaders of the community came and reported to Moses. He said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Tommorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So, bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.

“So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded ~ and it did not stink or get maggots in it. “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. Six days, you are to gather it, but on the 7^th day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”

“Neverth less, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath: that is why on the sixth day, He gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.”

So the people rested on the seventh day.

“The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded; Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come ~ so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.”

So, Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it.

Then place it before the Lord to be kept for generations to come.”

“As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled.

They ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.”

* * * * * * *

Manna is an edible substance, which according to the Bible and the Quaran, God provided Israelites during their travel in the desert during the 40-year period ~ following their 'Exodus' and prior to the conquest of Canaan.

Some scholars proposed that

'manna' derived from the Egyptian term 'mennu' meaning 'food'.

And at the time of the 20^th century, Arabs of the Sinai Peninsula

were selling 'resin' from the tamarisk tree, roughly meaning heavenly manna.

Their 'resin' similar to wax ~ melts in the sun ~ is sweet and aromatic (like honey)

and has a dirty yellow colour.

Often researchers believed 'manna' to be a form of lichen ~

a plant colony grown in some parts of Asia.

Scripted by Merle Baird-Kerr...April 20, 2019

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net

GRIZZ and LY

(by ANI...on assignment from 'Wild Writings Press ~ Planet Earth')

I”ve never seen a grizzly ~ and hope not to meet one.

But LY, I hear is caringly kind ~ believe I”ll go visit

to tell me of her life.

She told me of her hidden den ~ so into the craggy mountains

I intend to go ~ for near a small cave in the pine-tree grove,

I'm certain to see her at play with her 3 or 4 cubs.

Her home is near the coast of B.C's Rocky Mountains

where food year-round is plentiful (less time spent in dens).

Reporter-like, I muse re questions to ask:

her ancient homeland...her breed's immigration...

how she met GRIZZ... neighbours they have...

food they eat...enemies who attack...

and survival in Canada thro' long harsh winters.

I trekked through foothills, rivers and streams,

snow-capped mountains and forested vales;

saw antelope and deer and a few black bears.

Grizzlies, to me seem Kings of the Land!

Historically, I read about Lewis and Clark when exploring,

described Grizzlies as 'fear inspiring and gruesome'.

Descendants of Europe's brown bears,

in Canada and U.S. ~ Grizzlies' they are called!

Inhabiting Canada from Hudson Bay to B.C.

and Northwest United States including all Alaska,

they're the biggest and strongest of all bear species.

En route, I wondered: are they flocks ~ are they herds?

Are they swarms, like the bees?

News to me: each is called a sloth or a sleuth

(akin to modern words of slowness and slowing,

whereas, in Old English, means sluggish, tardy or inert.

Approaching the west coast (in fear and trepidation), I saw HIM!

Standing 9 or 10 feet tall on his hind legs

and about 5 feet at the shoulders,

he was menacingly threatening ~ protecting his home?

Standing like a 'sentinel' he asked where I was going.

Trembling in boots, I said,

“I'm writing a novel about Bears, Bears, Bears

and Ly, I'm requested to interview.”

Big GRIZZLY scowled,

“I”ll escort you to her! She's training her cubs through play

how to fight for food...how to 'family share' ...and how to trick prey

and how to disguise from foes when young.

Signalling acceptance, he rose on his hind legs.

She was beautifully coffee-brown with blonde and white tipping

on her flank and leg fur.

And each front claw, like those of GRIZZ, was about 3 inches.

(So, for me, I must be brave and must behave.)

In Response to my Question about Population:

Brown bears are found in Asia, Europe and North America but in the latter country, they're called GRIZZLY BEARS and having the widest range of all bear species.

In Canada, 25,000 GRIZZLIES occupy British Columbia, Alberta,

Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Northern Manitoba.

However, population in B.C. has significantly decreased due to hunting and habitation loss. Alaska's population of 30,000 is the densest along the coast where food supplies, such as salmon are more abundant.

About Hibernation, she said,

In preparation for winter, we can gain 400 pounds

(unable to eat through Hibernation time of 5 to7 months each year.)

Where food is plentiful year round, we may even skip 'hibernation' .

Every other year, we females (sows) produce 1 to 4 young ~

usually 2 cubs who feed on mother's milk.

It's at least 5 years for females to reach sexual maturity.

We, sows, protective of offspring, will attack if our cubs are threatened.

Tell me, LY about your Lifestyle

Except for females with cubs, Grizzlies are solitary, active animals.

In the coastal areas, we convene around streams, lakes, rivers and ponds

during the season of 'salmon spawning.'

I tell you now of a tragedy ~ so scaring:

Not paying attention to intruders ~ a raging hyena attacked our sleuth,

catching a young Grizzly by the throat...

and shaking it unconsciously to drag it away..

Upon calling GRIZZ, he stomped into action to save the young cub.

AT each annual gathering along our coastal waters,

we vigorously 'yarn' about heritage and sources of food.

Says GRIZZ, “The oldest Grizzly in Alaska was 34 years ~ and the oldest coastal Grizzly was 34 years. Most Grizzlies die in early years from predation and hunting.”

Finally, LY, “Of What is Your Diet Composed?

We eat both plants and animals. We prey on large mammals such as moose, caribou, white-tailed deer, big-horn sheep and even black bears. We readily scavenge food or carrion, other animals left behind. We also eat birds and their eggs and gather many fish from spawning areas.

 If lucky, we raid the nests of raptors and bald eagles.

 Along the Alaskan coast, Grizzlies scavenge on dead or washed-up whales.

And berries, berries and more berries ~ as many as we can find.

For comments to ANI MAL,

email to: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 29, 2018

Burlington and Itabashi Twinning

BURLINGTON and ITABASHI TWINNING

Nearly 25 years ago, the City of Burlington, Ontario

signed a twinning agreement with the City of Itabashi, Japan.

It was the start of a friendship that has carried on over the years, with a goal of fostering an understanding of the different cultures of the people who call the two cities, situated more than 10,000 kilometres apart 'home'. (The following are excerpts published by Burlington Post.)

According to the archives of Burlington Post,
 Itabashi mayor, Keizo Kurihara and Mayor, Roly Bird,
 signed the document on May 12, 1989 at Burlington City Hall. 
 Kurihara is reported to have said he hoped his city and Burlington

would learn more about each other through the twinning.

“Between our cities, are thousands of miles of distance geographically ,but also
  culturally and socially. Because of such differences, I hope our friendship
                                     will lead to enhancing world peace.”

The City of Itabashi presented Burlington with a replica

of a peace memorial statue by the late Japanese artist,

Seibo Kitamura which was unveiled after the signing ceremony

in the lower garden level of Burlington City Hall. The same statue is in Itabashi. 

The City of Burlington paid tribute to the Japanese city in 1997

by changing the name of Blanchard Street to Itabashi Way.

The City of Itabashi thanked Burlington for this kindness
 by denoting a wooden bridge, which crosses a stream
 near Tansely Woods Community Centre at the same time.

Volunteers on the Itabashi sub-committee
 of the Burlington Mundialization Committee

have spent the last 2 years planning 12 months of activities

to mark the Silver Anniversary of the twinning agreement.

One of the highlights is the Burlington Friendship Tour
 to Itabashi on May 14-25  which includes a small group of city councillors
 and staff, including Mayor Goldring and Council liasonWard 6, BlairLancaster ~
whom includes Mayor Goldring and Council liason Ward 6, Blair Lancaster ~
 plus other members and interested residents.
The cost is $4,996 per person based on double occupancy, including airfare and taxes.

Itabashi, Japan

The cherry blossom (sakura) is the unofficial flower of Japan

and one of the most popular flowers of Japan

and one of the most popular flowers and trees in Japan.

Itabisha lies on the Kamo plain and is one of Tokyo's 23 special wards.

The Arakawa River, a major river forms part of the boundary
 with Saitama Prefecture.

Itabashi is a ward in Tokyo with a population of more than 500,000.

The name means wooden bridge and derives from a wooden bridge
 that was constructed some 800 years ago over the Shakujii River.

Such a bridge was remarkable at the time ~ and has lasted since.

Because of the bridge, Itabashi became strategic to the area 

and this has had a major influence on its future.

On October 1, 1932, nine towns and villages of Kita-Toshima District merged ~

becoming part of Tokyo City~ as Itabashi Ward.

 

 During World War 11, Itabashi suffered significant destruction. It rebuilt in the decades after the war ~ transitioning from 'rural designation' to a high-density residential centre.

Writer: Merle Baird-Kerr...April 6, 2019

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Pioneering Women Who Protect Wildlife

If having a soul means being able

to feel love and loyalty and gratitude,

then animals are better off than a lot of humans.

(James Herriot)

Zoologist, Author to Attend Hamilton Film Screenings

Published recently in The Hamilton Spectator

is pioneering zoologist and author

Anne Innis Dagg, a Waterloo resident and subject of the acclaimed documentary,

The Woman Who Loves Giraffes

will attend screenings of the film at the Playhouse Cinema on April 5, 7 and 8.

She will join the movie's producer Paul Zimic on all 3 nights for question and answer sessions following the film's 7 pm screenings at the newly renovated Playhouse, 177 Sherman Avenue North.

The movie chronicles the life of Dagg, who at the age of 23,

travelled to Africa in 1956 to study giraffes in the wild.

The film also focuses on the numerous barriers Dagg faced as a female scientist and academic.

(The colour photo of smiling Dagg permitting a giraffe to eat from her hand

captured my attention.)

Diane Fossey's Gorillas

She told the world how mountain gorillas live~ and fought tooth and nail

to save them. Her obsession may have led to her mysterious death.

On December 26, 2015, Melissa Hogenborn wrote:

“It is now 30 years to the day since the mysterious death of Diane Fossey ~ the primatolagist who transferred the way to see gorillas. Before Fossey's work, gorillas had an appalling reputation as violent brutes that would kill a human on sight. Fossey diminished this myth. Living alongside a group of mountain gorillas of Rwanda, she showed that these huge apes are actually 'gentle giants' with individual personalities and rich social lives. In many ways, they are like us.

The 1988 film, Gorillas in the Mist presented a fictionalized version of Fossey's story.

Fossey did not set out to become a primatolagist ~ she simply loved African nature and was inspired to travel there in 1963. In September, 1967 Fossey set up a small research outpost in Rwanda:

Karisoke Research Center.

This consisted of a few cabins high in the volcanic Virunga.

The area was and is home to the Virunga group of mountain gorillas.

This is one of only two populations in the world ~

the other being in Uganda.

Jane Goodall Heads Into the Wild in the Stunning New Doc JANE

Sitting in the Sono House Hotel in New York City

after a screening of her new documentary, Jane' ~ she's just walked offstage after a Q-and A with the documentary's director, Brett Morgan ~ and from here, it's off to London, then Japan, then Argentina, and then Mexico. She spends about 300 days a year on the road ~ speaking about her pioneering research in chimpanzee behaviour or calling for action to combat 'climate change'.

At 83, Goodall is a household name, not only as a pioneer for women in the sciences, but as one of the most influential conservationists of all time. She's still as dedicated today and enthusiastic as she was when she first set out for Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania at age 26 ~ with the goal of observing and interacting with chimpanzees in the wild

.

In the early 1960's she worked as the secretary to anthropologist Louis Leakey, who asked her to travel to Gombe to observe chimpanzee behaviour. She didn't have so much as an undergraduate degree ~ and to gain access to the park, she had to travel with a chaperone ~ so she brought along her mother for the first few weeks. After spending months quietly following and watching the chimps, she eventually began interacting with them ~ and soon she witnessed one of the chimps making and using tools ~ the first proof that humans are not the only creatures to do so.

Her solitude was interrupted when National Geographic sent photographer, Hugo van Lawick to Gombe to capture footage of the strange young British woman living with the apes. Morgen constructed his doc from more than 100 hours of van Lawick's early footage ~ footage that was forgotten for decades until it was discovered in National Geographic's archives in 2014.

Widely considered one of the best wildlife photographers of all time,

Van Lawick followed Goodall as she climbed trees barefoot...

washed her hair in streams...and befriended the chimps.

The result is a stunningly cinematic and intimate documentary that serves as a testament to young Goodall's curiosity and tenacity. The documentary also chronicles Goodall and van Lawick's romance from birth of their son in 1967 to their eventual divorce in 1974, but ultimately, Morgen says,

“It's a love story between a woman and her work.”

Interview Questions and Answers:

Entertainment Weekly: What is it about this documentary that makes it so special?

Jane: It immerses me in the best part of my life in a way that none other documentaries have.

Much of the film focuses on the fact that you went to Africa as a 26-year-old woman. Did you have any anxiety bout that?

Jane: No! Not at all. I never wanted to be a scientist. Leaky wanted me to learn about the chimps. He deliberately selected me because because he said, “I want somebody with a mind uncluttered. He didn't think much of the modern people studying behavour, mostly in zoos.

What was your mindset like on your first trip to Gombe?

Jane: Excitement! It was an amazing journey in an overloaded Land Rover. As I went along the lake, I looked up at all these series of valleys and very dense forests. I remember thinking, How am I going to find the chimps?

Watching the film, I was struck by your patience in waiting for the chimps to acclimate to your presence. Were you frustrated?

Jane: I studied animals all my life and I knew you needed patience. Will I succeed before the money runs out? There was money for only six months. That was the problem.

In what ways did your mother impact your life and the path that you took?

Jane: She supported this crazy idea of going off to Africa and living with wild animals. Everybody else laughed. But she just said, You're going to have to work hard and take advantage of the opportunity and don't give up.

Writer: Merle Baird-Kerr...April 4, 2019

To respond: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Blonde Men Have Finally Arrived!

Tim Robbin's Obsession

The harsh truth is: Most red-haired men look like blondes who've spoiled  from lack of refrigeration. They look the brown-haired-men who've been comported out behind the barn. Yet, that same pigmentation, that on a man can resemble a 'leaf mold or junkyard rust' ~ a woman wears, like a tiara of rubies!

Fred Willard commented: I think my wife saw a picture

of the rock group 'Journey' ~ they're kind of aging (and they are gray),

they had dyed blonde hair with black roots.

And...my idea was to get a little earring ~

(I wanted to have a dangly earring!)

Caution by Raymond Chandler

I do a great deal of research ~ particularly

in all the apartments of tall blondes!

Varg Vikernes may be ever so correct when stating: “The ancient Greek philosophers were blonde and blue-eyed and even then, talked about how their race was mixed with others ~ and how this affected their socially negativity. When there were no more natural blondes and no more blue eyes in Greece, they incidentally stopped producing great philosophers.”

Hugh Hefner acknowledged

that now he is in his blonde years.. “because, since the end of my marriage,

all of my girlfriends are blonde.

Picasso had his pink period and his blue period.

Now, I am in my blonde period!”

Raymond Chandler recalled: “It was a blonde!

A blonde to making the bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window.”

Readers: You may question why I'm writing this topic.

With thanks to Tom who sent me the following ~ putting me on a tangent

to enlarge on the topic ~ and forward it with interest to you. Enjoy! Smile!

A blind man is in the washroom and his wife shouts:

Did you find the shampoo? He answers: Yes! But I'm not sure what to do.

Says it's for dry hair ~ and I've just wet mine!”

A blonde man goes to the vet with his goldfish.

I think it's got epilepsy, he tells the vet.

The vet takes a look and says: It seems calm enough to me.

The blonde man replies: Wait, I haven't taken it out of the bowl yet!

A blonde man spies a letter lying on his door mat.

It says on the envelope: Do Not Bend!

He spends the next 2 hours trying to figure out how to pick it up!

A blonde man shouts frantically into the phone:

My wife is pregnant and her contractions are are only 2 minutes apart.

The doctor asks: Is this her first child? NO! He shouts! This is her husband!

A blonde man was driving home, drunk as a skunk!

Suddenly he has to swerve to avoid a tree....then another...then another.

A cop car pulls him over ~ so he tells the cop about all the trees on the road.

The cop says: That's your air freshener swinging about!

A blonde man's dog is missing and he is frantic!

His wife says: Why don't you put an ad in the paper?

He does, but 2 weeks later, the dog is still missing.

What did you put in the paper? His wife asks.

Here Boy! He replies.

A blonde man is in jail.

The guard looks into his cell, seeing him hanging by his feet.

Just what are you doing? The guard asks him.

Hanging myself: the blonde replies.

The guard states: The rope should be around your neck!

The blonde answered: I tried that, but then I could not breathe!

An Italian tourist asks a blonde man: Why do scuba divers

always fall backwards off their boats?

To which the blonde replies: If they fell forward, they'd still be in the boat.

A woman phoned her blonde neighbour man and said:

Close your curtains next time you and your wife are having sex.

The whole street was watching and laughing at you yesterday!

To which the blonde neighbour man replied:

Well ~ the joke's on you ~ because I was not even at home!

Thank you, Tom – hoping all readers fully enjoyed!

I read somewhere that “Laughter is the Best Form of Medicine!”

Writer: Merle Baird-Kerr...March 4, 2019

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com