We will see steam punk explorers above the highest trees in the jungle with their trusty companions (most of the time, you never know when it might pop!) Airships!... how else would they get up there? Winch and rope? Pfft ...scientists aren't that strong... anyhow the braniacs have invented a thing that they place on top of the canopy called the Pretzel, no not the edible kind, the big huge net with inflatable edges that make it extremely comfy. What do they do up there you may ask? Well that's a good question. I wasn't prepared for that so here's a video:this is a 40 minute show about the rainforest canopy
We have been watching heaps of documentaries about the rainforests of the world, so far we have been to the Congo (love that word) the Amazon, Madagascar, and the edges of the Rift Valley. We also watched a cool documentary about the people who live in jungles around the world. (and sometimes build treeshouses up 40m in the air)
Did you know, if rainforest gets cut down you can't just re-plant it. Because it would be impossible to grow the same plants, the tropical rainforest is made up of plants that can sprout and grow (official word germinate) in extreme shade. If you re-plant you can only get trees to grow that can handle the sunshine. You'd had to create a big biodome shade house thing to try and create the conditions. No body seems ready to do that. and in the same time the animals that live there are , ahhck , dead.
So did you like that? I bet you did. Well Im off to draw some lemurs in armour ... the connection is that this weekend is the bi-annual (that's every 2 years, and is a long time for great knights to wait) Order of the Boar Festival in Upper Hutt. Yes my chivalrous companions, it's that year when we get to see the best of jousting, hand to hand combat, longbow skills and big people playing dress ups! This is awesome! It's like being back in medieval times except you have a mobile phone and no one actually dies! But you still better have on your chain mail armour just IN CASE a knight goes ballistic. 
Have a good week and I will see you at a jousting tournament or on the canopy of a rainforest. T
ally Ho The -O
Hi Theo. Love your writing mate, such an exquisitely good vocabulary (don't ever let anyone make you feel bad just because you know a few big words)!!
ReplyDeleteHad never thought about regeneration of the rainforest before - a very sobering lesson thank you. I have learned so much from you through these blogs.
For some reason I can't place a vote on the blog poll, but I think the question is a tricky one. If chivalry is about having some manners and thinking of others then no, I don't think chivalry is dead. But if chivalry is about putting women on a shelf and pretending only men are capable of achieving things (like opening a door for instance), then I would hope chivalry is well and truly dead. I would be interested in your ponderings on that young squire.
Have a neat time at the Boar this weekend! Dad.