It looks like we are having a week of hot weather, with
temperatures up in the late 20s Celsius.
It is perfect weather for eating watermelon!
I’m really fussy about pips and I remove each one before I eat. Hubby used to stand out on the lawn and spit
his pips over into the paddock, and I have a friend who crunches away on every
seed (which annoys me no end!).
Tonight I watched my currently favourite TV programme again –
Modern Dinosaurs. This week they were
looking at gigantism (with a lot of talk about evolution, which I don’t really
believe in).
On Little Barrier Island we saw snails as big as a man’s
fist – cruel creatures which devour live earthworms by grinding them down as
they slowly swallow them whole.
We also looked at giant wetas known as wetapunga by Maori,
meaning God Of The Ugly Ones. This huge
insect (a female can weigh more than a sparrow) may look fierce but it is
actually very gentle.
Originally, they were widespread throughout the mainland,
but man’s arrival 800 years ago introduced rats and now they are only found on protected
islands.
Throughout New Zealand’s waterways are found long-fin freshwater
eels. These nocturnal-feeding fish are
believed to be the largest fresh water fish in the world and have been known to
grow to over 2 metres long (which takes about 200 years!).
When the time is right these fish will swim off for the tropics to breed, after which they will die.
I may not ever see any of these creatures in real life, but I
do enjoy watching documentaries about them.
Nature is certainly wonderful in all its aspects 😊
Margaret.
(Apart from the watermelon, photos were taken from the television programme mentioned above).
You haven't seen eels? Have you tasted eels? Smoked they are delicious. Aged 16 I started work in the Forest Service and some of the blokes I worked with were seriously into their 'wild' foods. It was not uncommon to be greeted on Monday morning with the food challenge of the week: 'here - eat this!' Paua was OK, cold roast pork was great, but the best thing of all was greasy smoked eel, wrapped up in newspaper, skin still on one side of each fillet. I thought I loved eel until I encountered English jellied eels... Danes and Dutch smoke their eels but it is a delicacy, damned expensive and served in tiny slices. Oh for the days of smoked eel for lunch in a logging gang caravan. (F)
ReplyDeleteI've seen lots of eels (even caught some!) but I think they were all short-fin ones. I didn't like the smoked eel I tried, perhaps it was the way it had been smoked because I generally like home-smoked seafood. Wild pork is delicious, paua I found a bit tough. It is on my wish list to try freshly caught kina on the beach - that should be an experience!
DeleteIt is interesting that you profess not to believe in Darwinian evolution which is established fact based on so many proofs, yet presumably you have blind faith in one god or another written about in some allegedly sacred text which is accepted as absolutely true, immutable and cannot be questioned. Is your god Zeus, or Buddha, or Christ, or Mohammed, or none of them and a different god entirely, one who designed and created snails as a big as a fist that grind down earthworms, and sleeping sickness, and mosquitos that carry malaria and dengue fever, and spiders that liquify their prey and suck out their insides? Designed them deliberately mind you, they didn't evolve. It is man who created God according to his own wishes and design, not the other way around. But this is a rabbit hole we should not be going down, I suppose. Have a nice day spent reading Christopher Hitchins and Richard Dawkins....just for starters.
ReplyDeleteBit of sarcasm going on there David? However this world came into existence, I believe we are all entitled to have our own opinion about it.
DeleteWe used to catch huge eels in the creek below our house in Te Puke and then never knew what to do with them. I doubt the creek is there anymore.
ReplyDeleteIn the northern Greek town of Yianina eels are a speciality. We've eaten them a few times. I agree with Tigger. Delicious . Fresh fried from the lake.
Come here and you eat fresh kina on our beach! With an ouzo
I would love to :))
DeleteThere is a eel fishery here but the product is exported mostly. I haven’t eaten eel though. Enjoy the weather! We have a snow storm today.
ReplyDeleteI love watermelons but de-seed them before eating. We can buy seedless ones but the ones I've had were rather tasteless. I'love Weta although not sitting above my head when I'm in bed (as has happened).
ReplyDeleteLOL I had a huhu bug land on my nose once - that wasn't that nice either :))
DeleteI think that would certainly freak me out.
DeleteBefore I forget, I love the header photo. I cannot imagine the snails that big, but I know Roger has seen really big ones when he was in the marines. Cannot imagine holding that insect!
ReplyDeleteThey didn't seem to mind it crawling all over them. I would rather just look :)
DeleteI think I would be very interested in that TV programme. I don't think I want to encounter any of those snails or the giant weta. But they would be OK through the TV screen.
ReplyDeleteI prefer watching weird insects and such on TV. Not in person. Creepy crawlies don't appeal much to me but there sure are lots of oddities in our world.
ReplyDeleteWatermelon is very refreshing, perfect for warmer months.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Parece un programa interesante. La sandia me gusta mucho y también le quito las pepitas. Un beso.
ReplyDeleteNature is indeed majestic. I am often amazed at the beauty of this country and all of it's original animal, bird, fish and insect inhabitants.
ReplyDeleteThat looks a nice watermelon. Definitely watermelon weather today here.
ReplyDeleteI meant to say yesterday, watermelon sounds so good right now...I think I coukdcestvhalf of one by myself. And that is only a slight exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteLove watermelon, but it does not love me... unfortunately no melons agree with me these days :(. I had a weta on a wall on my house one night, not long before I moved, and it was quite a big one... Those snail sound rather yuk!!
ReplyDeleteStay safe
Blesings
Maxine
In France we eat snails ( not me I found this horrible) but those big ones would be a perfect meal for some people!
ReplyDelete