Jeswanth, my newfound delight

The Covid seems took a back seat in our state (wishfully slip to a nil stage soon), and we switched into a night lockdown mood since almost all activities are allowed in the state up to 7 pm; we happily continue to downgrade in numbers. Among a lot of negative things crunching us for more than a year and a half, and though we have practiced living among them, there's always a longing for a positive effect. And one significant effect that caused a lot of cheer was my newborn nephew Jeswanth.

My sister (cousin) delivered a baby boy last month, and he instantly took all our attention towards him, and passing a day without seeing him was like something. He's cute, just like every other newborn baby, but he looks special to me in all ways. It's been a long time I felt a baby, and now he has given me that chance with soft touches and gentle strokes on him. I loved the way it feels though I don't know how to define it, it feels nostalgic, reminding me of the distinct essence of my cousins (as babies) who clung to my heart.

I was amused to think that his mother is one of the cousins who I remember carried in my hand, and now I bear another coming out of her. The little boy just started to look at us, and staring into his eyes is magical and mystical as we never know what goes into his mind or is he really staring at us. He's precious and mind-blowing to keep away anything that bothers us in his presence and enclosed by his tiny fingers for grasp feels awesome.

I'm just looking out for words to define his presence. I'm glad we live next door, so it was easy to watch him and bring him home to play. She's my father's brother's daughter, and being her first delivery, she was looked after by us according to the custom; she will be staying with us for about five months. It excites me as I could see him growing sometimes. The last time I came close with a kid was my other nephew, Barath, who doesn't even care to meet me later, but my love for him will remain the same. Then came my former neighbor's kid Achu, who visit us daily since we lived in the same compound before they went on transfer.

The little boy sleeping on dad's lap

Jeswanth is my newfound delight, though I don't believe he will be different from others; I decided not to think anything further rather enjoy his presence and gain cheerful memories to cherish forever.

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Dear friends, this is a post to inform you that I have shifted to a new email subscription platform "follow.it", following the Google-based Feedburner (an RSS web feed that allows users to receive emails of post updates in blogs and websites), announced the discontinuation of the email subscription service in July 2021.

I have imported the active email subscribers from the former web feed (Feedburner) to follow.it, so I thought to inform you about this shift in the subscription tool to avoid confusion in receiving emails from "follow.it". If I left any of you and if you read this post, please subscribe to the blog again (from the subscribe bar on the right-side column of the blog) and I invite the new followers and visitors to subscribe to the blog for constant updates.

"Follow.it" has many features, including filters to choose from on your interested topics/label and keywords and tags. And it has options to add on feeds for reading all blogs at a place and to receive updates from other news channels as individual emails or one email per day. I find the follow.it was simple, and that was the reason for me to go with their email inviting me to follow.it and I got good responses and guided replays via email to complete the progress of transferring subscribers' emails. 

I hope you continue to give me your support. BTW. I completed 16 years of blogging, and I thank you all for your visits and comments that encouraged me up-to-day and keeps me active in contrast to my immobile lifestyle. It's because of you I was able to come this far, and it was like a dream that I continue to blog, as many dropped out earlier. And blogging is the basis of my many activities online, and many of my friends still are bloggers despite connected through various social media.

Thank you

Kodaikanal Lake and Travel

Kodaikanal has been one of my favorite places ever since I visited in 1999. I had no idea how the place would look like other than learning it was a hill station like Ooty, the only other place I have visited then - two years earlier before visiting Kodaikanal. Since 2012 I have been visiting the Princess of Hill station yearly except in 2014, and my last trip was in 2019 so, it's obvious I haven't been there in the last two years.

Kodaikanal lake on a cold evening.

I really miss the place. Thanks to covid 19. Either we go to other places or not, we don't miss going to Kodaikanal, especially after my uncle established his Woodhouse and cottages in the lower hills of Kodaikanal. And needless to say, Kodaikanal has become like a second home for us, since next to our home, the longer we stay outside was only at Kodaikanal. The weather there has become familiar or adapted to us to visit any time of the year except the monsoon time where we could not explore any places due to rain and cold. 

A beautiful private boathouse along the Kodaikanal Lake.

A couple enjoying their boat ride in the lake. Glad motorboats are not allowed in the lake to keep it clean.

I have driven to many parts of the Kodaikanal, but yet there are many places to explore, and some are road-less traveled. I'm so curious to visit Kodaikanal, and other places too, and some never traveled before, when the situation becomes favorable. But the thought of Kodaikanal and travel, in general, keeps haunting me and inspires me to write more about them.

The road that goes around the Kodaikanal Lake for about 6kms

Cycling is one of the favorite activities for anyone who visits the Kodai lake, and you see some guys enjoying their ride around the lake. This is a candid shot I captured from inside the car.

There wasn't a trip to Kodaikanal complete without coming around the Kodaikanal Lake - the most favorite place in Kodaikanal. Taking a drive around the lake is a favorite pastime for me whenever I visit   Kodaikanal, and I also love spending time on the lake sipping on hot tea. The star-shaped lake is one of a beautiful artificial lake converted from a natural marshland, and it still retains its original despite the lack of cleanliness. Hope you like the lake photos I posted here.

Lake in thick mist and rain during a monsoon day in July

Btw. I have moved to 'Follow it' from 'FeedBurner' since they announced the discontinuation of the email subscription service in July 2021. Those who follow me through email, please subscribe again from the "Follow Me New column" in the sidebar, above the old email feed.

Covid’s Decline and Govt.’s Leniency

Guys, I’m frustrated by people's response to lockdown 2.0, and they don’t seem to care about the situation unless exposed to the virus or someone from their family or friends circle suffered to death.  The government, too, carries an indifferent attitude in handling the situation despite the lockdown and decline of covid cases; the surveillance of the people's mobility becomes an eyewash.

The covid in India has been a decline despite its continuous threat. Our state Tamil Nadu is still under lockdown, but you won't believe it if you visited because people continue to defy from wandering the streets unnecessarily; the government showing leniency in implementing the restrictions with a chaotic state of what is to be relaxed.

The newly formed state government is happier that the covid is declining and lift their collars as an achievement of their governance. But I don't understand what kind of achievement was this could be when taking no action (as an opposition then without raising a voice or giving pressure on the former government to implement the lockdown, while waiting for election results) when the covid infection rising to a peak and reduces later. If they had taken action earlier (including the former government), we hadn't need to go this far to grab a deal of reducing 1000 cases per day and miserable of losing thousands of lives.

The government is also making a great mistake by removing the officers in the covid experience who have a better knowledge of dealing with the covid issue than the newly appointed officers. Will the government realize this and keep away the prestige of relying on officers appointed by the previous government? 

I could only feel glad that they haven't changed the health secretary to have a base knowledge of the issue. Lockdown had already unlocked; however, they say it was only a relaxation, the people weren't sensible to follow the restrictions, but at least they wear the mask at mass except a few who deny it.

The government reports weren’t reliable, but we have no other way than to accept what they say; now the opening of the liquor shops against everyone’s desire in the state had exhibited their senselessness toward society. I know I bored you all by writing on covid, but I couldn't stop writing, seeing how things work senselessly around me. So here I leave a couple of rain shots (for a change) contrary to the hot summer days, but some evenings cool down by the storm clouds and occasional rains. These cool umbrellas were shot from the balcony, and as I took it through the rail's gap, I cropped these to keep away the steel bars.

A Wild Experience and Bloom

 

Captured this cute little blossom from the wilderness mixed with fear and excitement! It seems like a kind of wild daisy flower was bloomed a lot alongside the headwaters of the Bhavani River in Nilgiris, and these flowers were tiny and less than an inch in size bloomed in white as well.

The headwater of the Bhavani River is one of the wildest places I have visited (in 2011) and, it still excites me to think back. There was no one at the place when we visited as 7, not because it was a weekday or off-seasoned, but it's a restricted place and needs permission from the forest department. It's not an easy task unless a few years ago, before the forest department make revenue by turning it into an ecotourism spot.

Once entered, we are cut off from the outside world, though it was 10 years before - even now too; if trapped, we would be left to a standstill until the forest officers come to rescue. Photography was prohibited inside the forest, but we had no option, and it's impossible to resist taking photos as what we see was pristine in its beauty to the senses. Despite the warning, the officer in charge tested our truthfulness by enquiring we have a camera; later encouraged us that going inside the forest without a camera is worthless and said it's ok to carry a camera and make sure to keep it out of their officials' sight.

I never shared any photos shot from my visit to this place, not that it was prohibited but to protect nature in my personal interest. Today many photos are upload from this place, and perhaps to say after it was open to the tourist in the name of ecotourism.  This part of the western catchment area contributes a tremendous amount of water - for hydroelectric, irrigation, and drinking, which needs to be preserved from any action against its ecosystem.

There are a few more lists of places I visited that I have no idea of sharing in the future too. But I wish I could write my experience here and there.

Hibiscus from Neighbor’s Garden

Life is so exhausted and disastrous what perhaps everyone knows what it was. I have been writing a lot these days related to covid and decided to change topics to what l like most. Nature is the best medicine for all, and let us take the nectar out of flowers to add some sweetness to the heart that filled the sour of tears. So was the post today.

The neighbor's garden opposite to us is not flourishing as before, and the neighbor hasn't spent much time gardening, but how can we anticipate a son, who lost his father less than 2 months ago, to do active gardening? But the weather wasn't that kind enough for plants to flourish or flowers to bloom.

The flowering pot plants have changed positions where I couldn't take photos of the few bloomed hibiscus despite the interrupt in wires and grown branches of trees. I see the red and yellow hibiscus bloomed more among the fewer blossoms of hibiscus, and all are replaced as facing the neighbor's house, perhaps because watching flowers can give some solace to the hearts and forget someone who lived for 94 years is not easy.

I didn't take any photos of the neighbor's garden in the last two months, or I need to check the camera to see if I have missed downloading any photos into the laptop; anyhow, I like to share some photos of the hibiscus I shot in March. So here it goes…

Btw. The lockdown and the situation with covid keep promising as cases of covid continue to reduce across the country, as well as in our state; the lockdown may last few more weeks with slight relaxation, but perhaps a week later.