This passage about fighting in NZ in the early decades of the 1800s struck me:
Those encounters showed that, while possession of a few muskets could create community fear in areas that had little access to them, it seldom deterred opposing warriors. In fact, counter-tactics were soon devised. Murupaenga, the Ngāti Whātua leader at Moremonui, and ‘a man of very quick perceptions’, saw that the slow-burning powder used in trade muskets caused a delay between trigger and discharge, during which the target could move; he calmly ordered his men to fall to the ground as Ngāpuhi muskets were levelled and fired, and to leap up again and charge before the muskets could be reloaded.
Smart!
From Tangata Whenua: A History (Kindle Locations 3540-3544).
Also explained: the flintlock muskets that were traded to Māori were less reliable, less accurate and less powerful than the military muskets.
This pied shag was swimming beneath the footbridge this afternoon. I was struck by its fanned out tail, perhaps providing stability.
This morning I attended a neighbour’s mother’s funeral. The mother was a much-loved elder of her church and the congregation laid on delicious finger food for lunch. My neighbour’s brother, a butcher, supplied a delicious ham, and sausages for BBQ.
We only did a tiny bike ride: 3 Km, but it was a start. It’s more than a year since Deb has been on her bike and she needs to ease in. I may go out again later.
I’m not an author but am an avid reader of fiction by Kristine Kathryn Rusch who also blogs about the Business of writing. Her post The Future of Audio 2019 would be a must-read for actual authors. Check the snippet about how software can read a book with the author’s own voice.
We watched the British comedy Swimming with Men. It was odd, but after a bit became funny in a strange kind of way.
When accountant Eric [has a midlife crisis] he [joins] a male synchronised swimming team [and] finds brotherhood …as they train for the world championships.
I found a Huhu Beetle down by the garage. They’re big.
If a huhu beetle lands on the hair of a person … scissors must be used for extraction. The beetles are most active at night, are attracted by the lights of the dwelling and only live for about two weeks. They do not feed
This morning at the beach I liked these clouds. Looking pretty much due West. (Hello Australia! 👋🏼)
In mid-winter at Waikawa Beach we have 8 hours of daylight and I don’t fare so well. I need my daylight and sunshine to thrive. So Murmansk at mid-winter would be pretty much bottom of my list of potential places to be. Beautiful photos though. iPhone night-mode.
Secret Santa went down well. A present for everyone, including the dogs. Christmas with Kiwis.
A bountiful dessert. Christmas with Kiwis. Cheesecake, fruit salad, semifreddo, chocolate spheres.
Wine and a board game before dessert. Christmas with Kiwis.
Christmas with Kiwis. Dinner with friends. Everyone brought delicious food to share.
Deb’s been cooking Slow Roasted Pork Belly as our contribution to a shared lunch with 4 friends. She’s also made Chocolate mousse domes with raspberry coulis centre. My job is cleanup. We’ll start eating around noon and laze the afternoon away on the deck with various courses.
I was surprised to see someone out ‘surfing’ the 30 cm ‘waves’ at 6.30 this morning. Christmas with Kiwis.
Strawberries fresh from the tunnel house make a fine addition to breakfast. Christmas with Kiwis.
Fellow Kiwis, Aussies and other southern hemispherians: let’s show our fellow northern Microbloggers what our Christmas is like. Blog your day. Christmas with Kiwis.
Dog walk at 6 am as it’ll get too hot later. It’s only 10C at this time of day though so merino cardigan, merino jersey and possum merino hat are a must. Christmas with Kiwis.
And just for kicks, this was 10 minutes later and includes a distant rooster.
Dawn at 5 am on Christmas Day at Waikawa Beach in Aotearoa New Zealand. For those missing bird song.