Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
December 1992
world, and they do speak English (sort of), so it’s not been as big a cultural shock
as if we had gone someplace more exotic. We are all settling into our daily
routine, and can get around without the use of a map. People don’t pause when
they hear my Canadian accent anymore, or at least I’m not as self-conscious
about it any longer. We’re adapting our vocabulary. We can drive on the left
side of the road without cause for panic. All in all, we’re a pretty happy lot, and
are looking forward to the next 2+ years.
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write and tell us what you’ve been up to...then we write back.
When James of Scotland and England was King, there was a group of Catholics
who plotted to kill him and the leading men of the country when they assembled
for the opening of Parliament. They hired an explosives expert named Guy
Fawkes, who was able to hide 36 barrels of gunpowder in a storeroom right
underneath the House of Lords. One of the plotters sent a note to his kinsman
advising him to stay away. The letter was circulated on Nov. 4 th, and the fuel was
discovered during the ensuring inspection. Guy, who was left to guard it, was
arrested and taken before the King where he declared that he intended to “blow
the Scots back to Scotland”. This was a dumb thing to say. They tortured him to
find out who the plotters were, but he didn’t fess up. So, he was put to death.
So, now on or about Nov. 5th, the people of England celebrate with fireworks and
a bonfire of quite large proportions. And on the top of the bonfire, there is a
stuffed effigy of Guy himself. There was even a contest at school for the best
“Guy”. (He is exactly like those stuffed people we put out at Halloween). We all
quite enjoyed taking part in the celebrations, but we are still trying to convince
Christopher that it wasn’t a real house they were burning, but a pile of pallets.
SHEEP (I promised). (Sheep farming began sometime between the 12th C and
14th C.)
The reason there are 43 million head of sheep and lambs in Great Britain is
because they thrive on pastures not good enough to support other types of
livestock. There are all kinds of breeds of sheep each suited to a particular
terrain. The Hill Sheep are hardier and more agile. Lowland sheep are larger
than hill sheep with shorter, thicker coats. The lambs fatten more quickly for
meat. This is their No. 1 use, with wool being secondary. Sheep are skittish, so I
haven’t been able to get close enough for a good photo of one. I think you
probably have some idea of what they look like in the “wild” anyway.
A quick explanation of sheep dipping: Once or twice a year the sheep are dipped
in a bath of insecticide to protect from diseases and parasites.
from the edge Volume 1, Number 3
Raddling: This is the process of strapping a harness into a ram with a coloured
piece of wax attached to it around the ram’s chest. When the ram does his thing,
he leaves a smear of the colour on the ewe’s rump. The farmer changes the
colour every three weeks so he can then tell roughly when a ewe will have her
lambs in the spring. (Unless of course, they are practicing safe sex without the
farmer’s knowledge).
Shearing: As the weather gets warmer, ewes naturally shed their wool. So the
farmers try to get a jump start on this process to make some extra money.
And last but not least, THE SHEEPDOG. He has the sheep’s utmost respect.
His main task is to gather the flock and drive them in the right direction. A good
dog can also divide a flock, or separate out a single sheep. The End.
Happy Christmas,
Yola