What might have been
The Mystery of the Missing Chromosome (1)

I am fascinated by this photo taken by Kevin Pashuk at the Toronto Zoo and posted on Luminar. This Gorilla has such a pensive look as he wiles away the hours behind bars. I’m not sure what he did to get a life sentence (2), but it must have been something bad, otherwise, why would we lock him up?

What must he think as he looks out and considers those looking back as being only one chromosome short of being himself? What made them the way they are? What made them so insensitive and careless of others who inhabit the earth?

Perhaps, he thinks, if they don’t mend their ways, they will one day be gone, and he or his soul mates living in some remote, deep, dark, jungle may survive and again be free from an invasive species that once contaminated the earth.

How wasteful were that gifted species who, for some unknown reason, believed they had the right to dominate all other species simply because they were short-changed by one chromosome?

Harold

(1) Discover:  There’s something fascinating about our chromosomes. We have 23 pairs. Chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest living relatives, have 24. If you come to these facts cold, you might think this represented an existential crisis for evolutionary biologists. If we do indeed descend from a common ancestor with great apes, then our ancestors must have lost a pair after our lineage branched off, some six million years ago. How on Earth could we just give up an entire chromosome?

(2)  As for this comment about a life sentence, over a thirty-year career, I managed to help lock away a number of people a few of which are still serving life sentences. Their release will likely come to an end only when they die. That is the same fate that will likely face that poor chap in the Toronto Zoo.

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Access Acres, 1720 McTavish Road
North Saanich, BC

Photo: Four, forty-foot rows of salad greens (Spinach, Arugula, Mizuna, Tatsoi) are now ready for market, and one row of rapidly growing radishes about two weeks away.

Andrew Dunn, a long time friend of the family, has undertaken a major vegetable growing operation on the lower acreage at the McTavish Academy of Art, 1720 McTavish Road.  The first crop is being cut, washed and bagged as a ready to use salad mix. Much more on the way as summer progresses.

Photo:  Andrew preparing five more rows of carrots and other veggies. In the background, another plot is in progress.

Much of the product will be sold daily at the Academy, to family, friends, and visitors.  The fresh produce will be on display at the front entrance, and in the near future, a stand will be built at the edge of the front parking lot where customers can drive in and purchase at their convenience.

For immediate neighbours of the McNeill family in Royal Oak (Leney/Viaduct East), we will bring batches home for drop off if you are interested.  Contact me on my cell 250-889-1033.   I will be dropping off samples for a taste test and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Each sale helps as this young entrepreneur, an avid gardener, works to develop a sustainable business.  Drop by anytime and have a look at his operation and chat about his plans for the future. You will be impressed.

Regards,

Harold (250-889-1033)

Like Andrews FB Page for Access Acres

Fresh Veggies grown, selected and prepared for
the market with loving care.

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The MacCready Explosion

Each day as I read, write, and listen to podcasts and debates, I came across this idea on Ted Talks, The MacCready Explosion. It came up when researching a Green Party article, and it struck me as having considerable potential when assessing what is happening on our planet.

Many have heard the dire reports about species extinction and of the perma-frost being in serious decay, but have you thought about livestock and how that species affects global warming?  The idea, of course, relates to the title of this post and is embedded in the following short introduction.

Culture as a Major Transition in Evolution
D.C. Dennett
Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155

Excerpt:

According to calculations by Paul MacCready (1999), at the dawn of human agriculture 10,000 years ago, the worldwide human population plus their livestock and pets was ~0.1% of the terrestrial vertebrate biomass. Today, he calculates, it is 98%! (Most of that is cattle.) His reflections on this amazing development are worth quoting:

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Uber has the above Molecular Transporter located in the Best Western in Richmond.  A neat machine that not only transports but can also do DNA sequencing as well as give you a complete medical assessment while en route. You simply fill out a checklist.  Photos in FB Post

Heading to South America

This is the first time we have traveled using a Molecular Transporter, a system developed by UBER with one unit situated just outside the Vancouver Aiport. The neat thing about this type of transportation is the ability to experience all the real-time activities you might see and feel when travelling in one of those outdated stretch bodied commercial jets. I have highlighted a few of our experiences while en route to Buenos Aires via Houston and Miami.

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For Lynn, Esther and Garth, this was not exactly Abby Road, but they tried. One thing for certain, the Falkland Islands are British to the core.
(Check out the Slideshow (2.41 minutes) in the footer)

Links to other Posts
A South American Adventure The introductory Post
Peru, A Different Perspective: Includes Slideshow
Peru and the Inca: Back to the Future Inca Agricultural Research
A Long Day, A Hard Life: Comparisons between Peru and Canada

This post developed from an earlier Facebook entry.

While in the Falklands I met a few people in the local Constabulary (The Royal Falklands Police) some of whom were retired police members from other Commonwealth countries (mainly Britain). A few traveled to the Falklands in order to take on a two-year assignment. While a few will likely return, others are there to stay.  I was fascinated by the mix of old and new in the department HQ, as it was much like the department where I spent my thirty-year career.

Lynn encouraged me to consider applying as she stated she would be more than happy to move to the Falklands for a couple of years. Given the friendly people and a climate not all that different from our home here in Victoria, it seems certain we would love the place and its people. If I was a decade younger, and without as many irons in the fire as here in Victoria, it is something I would consider. Oh, and it felt good to be back in the harness. Of the many things I loved about being in the service, was walking the street in uniform and greeting people.  Ah, perhaps in the next life the opportunity will arise.

What it means to be a Falklander

Even though the permanent resident population is small (3400) it operates as a Parliamentary Dependency under a Constitutional Monarchy. The people I spoke to (police, fire, ambulance) left me with the impression the Falklands War helped the Islanders to coalesce as a country with purpose. I was told that prior to the war, they pretty much existed without seeing themselves with a collective purpose and a vision for the future, other than being British.

One of the downsides in the aftermath of the war is the acrimony that continues with Argentina. The result, most trade, and essential needs are met by traveling to Chili, or Uruguay, their nearest friendly neighbors, and, if necessary, to Britain, which, for a return trip, is over well over half a world away (26,000 km).

With only one flight in (and out) each week, the country remains relatively isolated. Even though the permanent population is small, they have excellent public facilities, with schools, recreation, businesses, etc. being as good or, in many cases, better than you might find in many small towns in Canada. I suppose that’s why temporary workers coming to the country qualify for many perks (vehicle, housing assistance, etc.) as that helps to make their journey doubly worthwhile.

While specialized hospital care and advanced treatment facilities are limited, the government provides free transport and pays all the costs of those who must travel out of the country for treatment. We heard of one resident who has been confined to a hospital in England for over a year.

Tourism and Employment

With over 55,000 cruise tourists each year and a further 1,400 land-based travellers, the Islands are always in desperate need of full and part-time employees, across the spectrum, from labour to professional. If I was a young person (professional or otherwise) and wanted a change, I would certainly look at the Falklands as a place to do something very different, particularly if they wished to get away from the rat race of a big city.

The young man in this photo (our tour guide) came to the Falklands with his bride and they now have their first child (born on the Islands).  They intend on returning to England in a couple of years, but I wonder if they will.

I think she is employed as a teacher and he as a tour guide during the season and in other jobs in the offseason. I sense they both love life on the Islands and may well decide to stay.

What caught Lynn and Esther’s attention was the number of craft shops.  I rather expect the two of them, the crafters they are could make a reasonably good living by creating in the winter and selling to the tourists during the short tourist season.

Now, a bit more about the weather.  First, we are told the wind never stops and, in addition, it is likely always a bit chilly. If you are a sun and sand lover, the Falklands is probably not a good choice. While, as mentioned, the range in weather is much like Victoria, in that part of the Atlantic (12oo kilometers from the Antarctic Peninsula), and a stone’s throw from the tip of South America, you are close to a stretch of water that goes down in the books as one of the most dangerous on the planet.

As large cruise ships cannot dock, passengers must travel to the Island by tender and while the weather was moderately good on our trip, our tender was still handily tossed about as evidenced by at least a couple of folks becoming rather seasick. In the footer, I have added a bit more information about the Falklands from my friend Wiki.

Following is a short slideshow of our ever so short visit.

Song: Welcome to my Little Corner of the World
by Connie Smith (a 1960 Country Hit)

A bit more background from Wiki:

The Falkland Islands (/ˈfɔːlklənd/; Spanish: Islas Malvinas, pronounced [ˈislas malˈβinas]) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about 300 miles (483 kilometres) east of South America‘s southern Patagonian coast, and about 752 miles (1,210 kilometres) from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, at a latitude of about 52°S.

The archipelago, with an area of 4,700 square miles (12,000 square kilometres), comprises East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 smaller islands. As a British overseas territory, the Falklands have internal self-governance, and the United Kingdom takes responsibility for their defence and foreign affairs. The Falkland Islands’ capital is Stanley on East Falkland.

Controversy exists over the Falklands’ discovery and subsequent colonization by Europeans. At various times, the islands have had French, British, Spanish, and Argentine settlements. Britain reasserted its rule in 1833, although Argentina maintains its claim to the islands.

In April 1982, Argentine forces temporarily occupied the islands. British administration was restored two months later at the end of the Falklands War. Most Falklanders favour the archipelago remaining a UK overseas territory, but its sovereignty status is part of an ongoing dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The population (3,398 inhabitants in 2016)^[7] primarily consists of native-born Falkland Islanders, the majority of British descent. Other ethnicities include French, Gibraltarian and Scandinavian. Immigration from the United Kingdom, the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena, and Chile has reversed a population decline. The predominant (and official) language is English. Under the British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983, Falkland Islanders are British citizens.

The islands lie on the boundary of the subantarctic oceanic and tundra climate zones, and both major islands have mountain ranges reaching 2,300 feet (700 m). They are home to large bird populations, although many no longer breed on the main islands because of competition from introduced species. Major economic activities include fishing, tourism and sheep farming, with an emphasis on high-quality wool exports. Oil exploration, licensed by the Falkland Islands Government, remains controversial as a result of maritime disputes with Argentina.

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South America: From the Pampas of Argentina to the Peruvian Andes and
Machu Picchu: A tour of south central, South America
For a representative series of photos,  Link Here)
(Note: The Falklands Islands is included on the tour, but was not included in the above map – reference the photo series for a second map)   

Update:   February 25, 2019.  We are now back in Canada and the process of writing several short posts about our experience is underway.  The post will not be written in chronological order.  A list of links will be added here:

Peru, A Different Perspective: Includes 12-minute slideshow of photos taken through the windows of planes, trains, and automobiles.
Peru and the Inca: Back to the Future: Compares the science of the Inca to that taking place in the University of Victoria today.
South America: A Long Day, a Hard Life:  Comparisons between South America and Canada
The Falkland Islands: Our Perceptions of the Islands.

Original 

Looking for something exciting to kick off the New Year in 2019? Yes? Well, we invite you to join Garth and Esther Dunn, Lynn and Harold McNeill and a host of like-minded adventurers on a 3-4 week air, sea, coach, and rail tour of south-central South America and the Falklands. Highlight – Machu Picchu!

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A long day, a hard life.

A South American Adventure The introductory Post
Peru, A Different Perspective: Includes Slideshow
Peru and the Inca: Back to the Future Inca Agricultural Research
The Falkland Islands: Our Perceptions of the Islands.

This post seeks to compare everyday life in rural and small-town Peru to our lives in Canada. While I think people in Peru are generally happy with their lives (in terms of family, friends, and neighbours), life does look to be far more difficult than in Canada. It makes me wonder why, in Canada, we seem to complain about the least little thing when our standard of living and level of privilege appears to be considerably higher than in Peru.

1. To what extent does luck play a role in our lives?

A man about my age (late 70s), pushed what looked to be a backbreaking load along a street in Aguas Calientes (I), the last small town before Machu Picchu. He stopped and leaned over breathing hard. After resting a few moments, he straightened, stretched, and with gritty determination grabbed the handles of his wheelbarrow and continued.

As we passed, our eyes met, he nodded and we smiled. While he was obviously weary, the smile and sparkling eyes suggested a happy man. As he continued along his uphill path, I continued down taking more photos of life in small-town Peru.  A few minutes later, I met another man pushing a similar barrow full of goods (photo in the footer), and he too wore a happy smile accented with sparkling eyes. We also exchanged smiles and passing nods. It looked to be a tough life for the two men their later years.

Later that day, while passing through another small town, a group of townspeople (photo taken from our bus as we drove through) was cleaning (or rebuilding) a drainage ditch. We are told by our guide that everyone in small towns sprinkled across rural Peru, have a standing obligation to help build, then keep public works systems clean and functioning.  It looked to be a tough way to spend the weekend, but there is also the aspect of a community working together to make life better for everyone.

This photo shows only one part of a large group of people spread over two or three blocks on the edge of their village. They were working to build or repair a drainage system, an essential part of these high mountain communities (we were outside Cuzco at about 12,500 feet at the time). 

The photo below, along with a slideshow) provides a glimpse of a group of women, ancestors of the Inca, who, with the help of a National Geographic grant, started a weaving business a few years back. They now have a thriving operation that caters to an increasing number of tourists passing through their village of Chinchero, a community of about 20,000 Quechua (catch ur ah) speakers, located on a 12,500 foot plateau a few miles northeast of Cuzco.

While they work exceptionally hard (by our standards at least), their efforts provide only a modest living for their families. A full outline of their business venture is described in a National Geographic article of some years back. Such is the working life for many ordinary men and women in Peru and other South American countries.

These women may work several weeks creating one table cloth or a day creating three or four little belts that are sold for $2.00 each.. They may sell one or two belts per day and a table runner every week or so. It may be weeks before they sell one of their intricately woven table cloths. Every part of the weaving process uses natural products of Peru including the dyes which are handmade on site. (Chinchero Cultural Centre)

WEAVERS SLIDESHOW

Think about this. If we were dealt different cards in life, we could be any one of these men or women, and they could be us.  Whether we carry a heavy load in the third world, or we lay back watching a big screen TV in Canada (a smartphone tucked by our side) a good part of the reason we are where we are, is based on the luck of our birth.

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Moray Archeological Site: These concentric rings, each raised by a height of four feet, reach a depth of 100 feet. The rings and partial rings create twenty-five distinct climatic conditions. This arrangement allowed the Inca, using scientific methods, to develop seed crops best suited to many different climatic conditions across the nation. (1)(2)

South America Post Links (these South America posts are not written in the order of travel)

A South American Adventure The introductory Post
Peru, A Different Perspective: Includes Slideshow
Peru and the Inca: Back to the Future Inca Agricultural Research
The Falkland Islands: Our Perceptions of the Islands.

Back to the Future:  How the Inca Nation Lead the Way

There are many things to be learned by visiting civilizations past and it’s doubly so with the Inca Nation.  Although we only had seven days in Peru, it did not take long to realize just how influential the Inca people were, both in history and in the Peru of today.

In history, the Inca left behind cultural, religious and scientific legacies that continue to astound scientists, historians, and visitors to this very day. In the present day, and since the near-destruction of the nation in the 16th Century, ancestors of the Inca continue to rebuild the historical sights, traditions and religious practices which served their ancestors so well. It is a history about which our world can learn much.

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