Yes, parenting has changed maybe for the better. At least the younger generations initiative, self confidence and self respect is intact but sadly deficient in moral values.
Today's world cannot digest truthful, honest appraisal. Diplomacy and the Cobra's forked tongue are more in vogue. Ambiguity(at which I am getting quite good) is the only way forward through the shoals of life .
Regards,
Arif.

Hunzajats, Have you ever done a search and looked up "Hunza"? Try Flora of Hunza. Adjoining areas are Gilgit, Baltistan, Chitral, Kohistan. Look up the flora of these places.
Now peppers. These chilli peppers came from I think Mexico and were brought over by the colonials. 270 years rule plus seventy equals 340 years ago they came to this part of the world. Well not exactly, I do not think they brought it over when they first arrived. These chilli peppers landed at the ports and came under widespread use in the South. In the North they do eat peppers but not like the South. It is more boiled food with salt and black pepper. Maybe Tumeric and herbs but Cayenne That variety is in the South, one morsel and with it a bite of either green or red pepper.
Now look at the terrain and the flora of Hunza. Do keep in mind that these Hunzajats(mountain goats) live in isolated hamlets on isolated mountain tops. For them to carry 100Kgs sack of flour on their back up the mountain is just fun. That is why they make good porters for mountain expeditions that try to conquer the Nangha Parbat K2. Maybe the mountain terrain keeps them healthy and gives them long lives. If we want to go where they live, then we have to take a month long break at 10000 feet to get our lungs into shape for the rarer atmosphere up higher .
Also there is a modifying factor involved. Alexander when he invaded this part of the world, there were soldiers getting maimed or retiring and settled here. What we have is a hybrid variety in the north. Oh, well not just Alexander there was also Tamerlane (Taimur the Lame) grandson of Gangez Khan or Chengiz Khan, the Mongol Hoards. Four brothers, one went to the gates of Warsaw. One to Baghdad. One came here and one went to the Far East, Kublai Khan. Very hybrid variety indeed.
Regards,
Arif.

You know your history well, Arif.
On my way to look up Flora of Hunza. No doubt I'll learn a lot.

. You honor me out of proportion. There was another invasion in antiquity. When the Aryans or the Barbarians were running havoc in Europe, they were quite busy over here to. The original inhabitants were Darvidians, short, dark they were driven to South, South Asia and East, South Asia. The Aryans were tall and fair, the present day inhabitants of North West, South Asia to Central are the offspring of the Aryans. Another ingredient in the pot.
Hunza wont let you down. The flora, fantastic. The beauty, out of this world. K2 is Mount Goodwin Austin, second highest peak and famous as "Killer Mountain" and a red rag for climbers.
Regards,
Arif.

The photos of Hunza that I found were breathtaking!! Stunning.

We are, after all, people. People who see and hear and think and reason and speak and feel. No matter size or color or location.

I was talking about genetics and DNA. The eyes can be triangular, rectangular or square, the colour can be pink, purple or red, makes no difference to me. If I like the person I will still be head over heals. Honestly Sharon I am talking history only and not politics. You think I can get along with mountain people(same world over) and roam their area with any attitude, then take photographs? You have to efface yourself to get along with this very private, isolated variety of humanity. They are quite amused to see an eccentric plant enthusiast.
It has been bright and sunny since yesterday, gardening day .
Regards,
Arif.

I understand, and know how mountain people are, yes. Same if a stranger roams around in the mountains where I grew up. They have to accept you and you them. So I know.

Regards,
Arif.

And the best to you, Arif!

Sharon,
Once again a fantastic article, thank you.
While I admit to being a whimp when it comes to eating peppers - anything hotter than a Cubanelle and I chicken out - I do love to grow them. Your stories of your Aunt Bette continue to fascinate, entertain and enlighten so many of us.

How I wish I could sit down with Aunt Bett and share some tea (or some shine!) and show her this link which my daughter shared with me the other day. Talk about magic in peppers! They can create yogurt:

http://www.wildfermentation.co...

Thank you Sharon - and please keep reminding us of your Aunt Bett's great legacy. So many have a lot to learn and there are too few true teachers.

Greene!!! Thank you so much, lovely words.

Pepper yogurt. I would never have thought of that, and I'll bet Aunt Bett would not have thought of it either. Of course I doubt Aunt Bett would have known a thing about yogurt in the first place.

But I was just thinking about your words, and though she always had a teakettle on the stove, and though the water was always warm if not hot, if you sat down with her during summer, she would have offered you buttermilk and cornbread, I kid you not. That's probably about as close to yogurt as she ever got! On Sundays it would have been iced sweet tea with a sprig of mint from her garden.

You keep on reading and I'll keep on writing, how's that?
Thank you again. So glad to see you on ATP.

It's a deal ...now where are my reading glasses?

Thank you, Sweet Lady!

I think buttermilk and cornbread sound wonderful. So would iced tea and mint - YUM!

Sweet tea, Vic. Iced sweet tea. But unless you were sick, the tea was reserved for Sunday. Buttermilk was the weekday drink.

Sometimes, though, if I coughed loud enough, she'd fix me a cup of sassafras tea on a weekday - if I managed enough coughs for her to notice.

I'm still fascinated with the pepper/yogurt.

Why may I ask?
Regards,
Arif.

Because honestly, Arif, I never thought of the process of yogurt-ing before now. It's one of the few things I never tried to make.

Sharon it has a lot of wonderful properties and nothing much gets cooked without it. You can use it in place of tomatoes and get away with it. Also an easily digestible food given to sick and children. After drugs when all intestinal flora is dead then much use of yoghourt is made to reseed the gut wall. Boiled rice, yoghourt and sugar mixed together is given as food for diarrhea and dysentery patients to tie up their stomachs. You are missing something is all I can say.
Regards,
Arif.

I eat a lot of yogurt, Arif, but I buy it already prepared; it just isn't something I've ever made.
Good information you've given. Thank you.