We had to stop close to the edge of the country road this morning to let a larger vehicle pass. As I was the passenger, I had the opportunity to look at the vegetation for a few moments: fynbos, a patch of bright yellow flowers and a tangle of bush – nothing out of the ordinary. Except … I spied movement within the depth of the foliage: a Southern Boubou was skulking around in the branches.  I could hear a boubou calling on the other side of the road … this one remained silent. It scuttled around some more, going ever higher in the bush until it called in response – beautifully clear notes from deep within the bush.

What is remarkable about all this, you may ask. Perhaps nothing other than the fact that when the boubou called, I knew where it was even though I could no longer…

A poet, John Lyly, wrote, “The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.” Does this justify cheating?

April of 1755, at Lexington and Concord, has been named the start of the Revolutionary War. Were their plots and subplots behind trying to influence Great Britain and public opinion? The American way of looking at the situation, led to utilizing information against an enemy during conflict, that few may know of today. Perhaps one should, with the disinformation floating wildly around the world today to better understand that the rules of fair play do not and did not apply. In many years of studying history about conflict, this was one of the most successful information campaigns that succeeded.

“Quero” was a swift schooner. The Provincial Congress commissioned her, under command of John Derby, to with all haste, get to London, undetected. Derby was instructed to keep her cargo…