Sunday Photos: Array of drops

 Shot during a recent showering...

Gate & Lock

Linking this post/picture for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Sunday Photo: Intimate

When I shot I focused it as a single flower but at home, later, checking the photos I find it (daises) to be conjoined and showed great intimacy towards each other. The photo was captured at Cloud Mountain and the guest house we stayed there had a long flowerbed with some colourful flowers bloomed to ornate the large courtyard. And daisy being one of my favourite flowers, which also grow in wild as well planted as ornamental flower, it was the first I went to capture among the flowers once I left out at the courtyard.

Being evening and shimmering to glorious sunset, there was a great natural exposure on the daisy to captivate.  But what I find more pretty here was the twist of the two white petals, which gives me a perspective of holding hands i.e. a thought of intimate.  

Lonely planet

A lonely planet;

where men romance

his dream girl

Imagine as hero

he prepares proposal

before playing live

Pic by Jeevan 

The only planet;

where men landed

apart ruining earth

Capture a image,

quite different perspective,

ever so spectacular. 

Bird Watching in Neighborhood : White-breasted Water Hen

The White-breasted Water Hen had been a resident of my former neighborhood in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, was stayed with its family. The open vegetation opposite to our then apartment provided shelter to the water hens along with other species of birds and reptiles, but I have seen only the adult hen (may be a female) which come flew or leap on our compound wall to feed on the gains left by us to the birds and go back quickly as possible hiding among the bushes. I was happy to capture the water hen couple of times while it came feeding on the compound wall and only my mom had seen her with juveniles since I can’t lookout the compound wall, about 5 feet height.

As we shifted houses, I don’t know what happened to the water-hens since the vegetation was cleared and an apartment on construct right now wanted me to think they immigrated somewhere. The White-breasted Water-hen is a water bird of the rail and crake family (Rallidae) that widely distributed across Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is a large and distinctive rail species with dark grey upper-parts and flanks and conspicuous white under parts, from which the species gains its common name. The beak of the bird is yellowish with a reddish base, which becomes more olive outside of the breeding season.

The water-hen has long legs, colored in yellowish with large feet and legs dangled in flight. The female birds are generally smaller than the male, with a somewhat duller beak, while juveniles have duller plumage with the white of the under parts tinged brown and a darker beak and legs. This species is described as being very noisy during the breeding season, producing a loud call consisting of various grunts, roars, quacks and chuckles, followed by a repeated kru-ak, kru-ak, kru-ak-a-wak-wak. The bird feed on the ground had varied diet including insects, worms, small fishes and grass seeds and roots and shoots of marsh plants. 

(Source of info net)

Some experiment with photography

Wonder what it is? A bamboo hollow! I tried to capture an image through the hollow (the bamboo used as handle in jute bags) but got this one J

I arranged the toothpicks in a manner within its cylindrical box, which impressed me to capture.  

Candle light shot on a powerless night, before inverter installed at home.

Here are some of my old toy cars, parked in a circle on the table for shoot. I used to play with cars long back and these are remaining from the collection of many then. Each of these cars was bought for Rs.10 and some cars which used to looks same often end up fight between us (me, bro and cousins) in guess of stealing each others cars. 

Powershot Sunday - Green Marsh Hawk

Green marsh hawk is a very common dragonfly I shot not so long ago but I thought of sharing it now. It is one of a difficult shot I shoot, while the dragonfly was hopping from stem to stem on the rose plants potted at home.  It is a yellow dragonfly with a green face and eyes mottled with black, transparent wings with tinted yellow and thorax in greenish yellow with black stripes and broad black rings on green abdomen.

Update and Rain

Rain falls among valley

The first rain is always special and the scent of soil stimulates a sense of joy. A rain amid summer (heat) is too special, whether it last for a minute or an hour the enthusiasm has nothing equal. I experienced the first rain of summer last week, and it was wonderful to see rain fall from all directions in this newly shifted house. The earth was at rapid sucking the water as quick possible to distribute to every species on earth. No doubt water is a source of energy to withstand on earth but sadly we aren't blessed with enough rain and the millimeters hardly touch the average.

Half a month past I posted here and I was indeed out of touch with blogging and the scorching summer heat put down every things inspiring to write and cousins visiting and vacation time and traveling kept me quite away from online activity. My first rain of this summer was actually when I was close to Western Ghats before climbing to our destination on Kodaikanal Hills. The rain was visible far away falling amid the valleys and while passing the ghats we find it wandering fabulously on plains like wide tornado. It was wonderful experiencing rain or monsoon on mountain sides and bearing cool breeze blow down the hills.

Kodaikanal Lake

It was a family vacation come exploring places and traveling on roads untraveled and staying in an environment so pleasant and surrounded by uniquely chirping birds and coffee estates and blanket of foliage and tall trees.  I don’t had a mind leaving the place but other plans waited ahead took me to Kodaikanal and unlike ever it was very cold and evenings are windy and raining because of the arrival of monsoon, we are forced to cancel our plan of extending. But once on plains, things are quite strange and sun baked us on fire. The obvious reason to be cold and hot is nothing, the weather always wonder with it’s distinguish feature.

Post vacation I experienced swelling feet and lately aching knee become soar and seem to intense only and also slightly unbalance at stood. We still find some inconvenient which I believe will become normal very soon with the new house and we also experience extreme summer heat here and the wind blows hot air even after the core summer season ends. Glad it rains sometime in evening as a relief for day’s fry pan!

PowerShot Sunday - Bubbles

Bubbles are fun elements blown through breathe, using a chemical liquid or soap and dipping a straw at one end and blow it through the other. I hope everyone would have enjoyed blowing bubbles in their childhood and even later at age, like I still used to rope up chances whenever to blow bubbles. We also used to look after other, who blows a big bubble and number of bubbles in a blow.

I blown bubbles lately during our vacation in Kodaikanal (a popular hill station) last year, buying bubbles containers from one of the vendors wandered around the Kodai Lake. Apart having fun blowing bubbles, I also did some photo shoot pointing on the bubbles blown by my cousin and the one posed here bear some edit focusing on the bubble.

Bubbles transport us to childhood, whether we blow or look at other were nostalgic. During my childhood days I have blown bubbles number of times and whenever visiting T. Nagar (shopping hub of Chennai) I used to get bubbles sold in front of the Kumaran Store or walk into Ranganathan Street.  I have also used hair shampoos to blow bubbles, but the number would be at least unlike bottle of bubbles brought from street vendors. 

PowerShot Sunday - Black-Rumped Flameback

This photo was shot at the current season last year and I saw this bird for first time only then in our neighborhood. The bird is a kind of woodpecker called Black-Rumped Falmeback or Lesser Goldenback, came perching the flame tree in front of our house, but on next compound. I shot the bird from inside the home and through the window’s grill, but I couldn't avoid the rods interrupted the picture since I took it in hurry, I couldn't think of anything rather not to miss the chance.

The bird seems to found widely among the Indian Subcontinent, has a typical woodpecker shape and distinctive golden yellow wing and rump in black. The under parts are while with dark chevron marks and the red crest on the fore-crown  fascinated me personally. Like any woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trucks and feet with two toes pointing forwards, and two backward.

I saw this woodpecker couple of times in neighborhood after my first time shot with the bird, I also got to capture few more pictures on the bird when it flew near last month and I will post them later. 

Common become uncommon

Only if we miss something the wanting becomes more… and it’s obvious in case of house sparrows. We lost the species almost in towns and cities and the reasons may vary from increased radiation in air to cut down of trees and shortage of grains. House sparrow is a species that survive along with human habitation lost tack while our lifestyle changes.

Today we see the sparrows only far away from cities (that too has become a rare sight) where the changes in architecture and communication laid back or less treated. There were times during childhood I tried to catch the sparrows that often visit our balconies and sometimes they built their hay nest among the sewage pipes and pillars. It was also a lovely scene to see those small sparrows perching the cable wires across the lane in a line and piercing the grains left over the balcony.

Even in late 90s, sparrows were spread across the cities and it was in very short span the sparrows went invisible almost. There are only brief memories perching upon the sparrows and their sweet chirrups were lost echo from ears, but meanwhile the mynas and cuckoo brought comfort around our homes. Sparrows usually pick their nesting places inside or at the entrance of homes, storehouse and elsewhere human reside. In villages, folks tie a bunch of paddies at their house entrance to treat the little birds with grain and help building their nests.

I can’t remember when I last saw a sparrow in our city (Chennai) but I could see them in fair numbers sometime far away from home – such as Western Ghats. Hence I couldn’t see them away from human habitation.  The pair of sparrows you see in the picture above was taken inside the Danish Fort at Tranquebar and I could find a number of house sparrows residing there, perhaps being Danish colony the colonial buildings (a combine of tiled and pillared architecture) here encourages the livelihood of sparrows to lead life at comfort.

Today being a World House Sparrow Day, the thought on sparrows intend to write on them and I feel so pity that we couldn’t provide livelihood for these small birds that share very small space in our neighborhood. I was really sad and shock to read the news in paper here today, where in Karur (a district in Tamil Nadu) number of sparrow is killed every day for meat in a TASMAC bar. Each sparrow was bought for Rs.5 and a plate of meat was sold for Rs.30.  It was totally frustrating; at time when we were looking forward how to bring back the sparrows into our neighborhood, such poaching in innumerable disturbing a lot.

Hope the govt. takes action on those poachers and I don’t know what to say when such thing happens in a government run Wine Shop. Pls stop! 

PAP – Best Water Resource Development

Water, the chief ingredient of life is reliance upon rain. We can live even without eating for few days or a week but no life is survived without drinking or sucking water fall as rain. Life becomes trouble in case we took refrain drinking water for whatever reason such as hunger strike; though however noble it might be. Today obesity has drive people to drink plenty of water – which eases digestion and helps removing toxin from body. The advance technology in desalination has made alter routes for getting drinking water from sea, but the natural rainwater still holds lot of benefit on health enhancement.

It’s apparent that no life exists in earth without water and it’s a cycling process where trees help producing rain and rain as its resource. We man disrupt either by placing our self in front row, driving others as much possible aside by building endless homes and business to extreme anti-environment and producing immense population shrinking our  sources. The water was sought not only as a life source or health benefit but also to gain trust of vote in election. The politicians bear water as a vital element to score higher in election, no matter how people suffer or fought for life.

In Tamil Nadu the best water resources developments took place during the Kamaraj’s administrative – the former chief minister of TN; who widely known as Kingmaker in Indian politics, who’s tri-tenure or the nine years administrative (1954-1963) as CM of TN were considered as golden period. During his regime witnessed number of dams built across the state and each one of them were an engineering marvel. The uneducated genius - Kamaraj - plays a pioneer on interconnecting rivers and his head of administration has dug number of tunnels diverting the water to utilize fully.

Among the many major plots he charted on irrigation front, feeding thousands of acres of lands across the state, the 'Prambikulam Aliyar Project' is notable! Carried out on the state boarders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, PAP is a multipurpose and interstate river valley project diverting and integrating the eight west flowing rivers to the east side to the then drought pone area of the Coimbatore and Erode districts of TN and Palghat of Kerala.  The irrigation network consist of seven major canals, comprising one diversion weir,  seven storage reservoirs, conveyance system and interconnecting tunnels to divert water impound to the plains of Coimbatore and Erode.

Except the three reservoirs slip into the Kerala state, I have drawn to five of the seven reservoirs lie at various elevations ranging from  +3800 feet and +1050 feet across the Anamalai Hills. Lying at difference in elevation has also made it possible for these reservoirs to generate hydro-power. The Aliyar Reservoir built across the Aliyar River at the foothills of Valparai has its source in the Anamalai Hills. Apart its own catchment area of about 76 Sq. Miles, water to this reservoir is diverted through the Aliyar Feeder canal and the Contour canal from the Parambikulam group of reservoirs.

What you see in these photos is the Contour canal rode from Parambikulam, which is one of the major canals running for a total length of about 250 km. apart various branch canals, distributaries and minors through which about 4.25 Lakhs acres of lands get irrigated. About 5 km from Aliyar Dam, we saw the contour canal crossing the road to Valparai, and this canal carries water to Thirumoorthi reservoir about 35 km from here. The water was at its full fledged during our uphill ride and we stopped there for a while, while our relative explaining its progress. It felt something wonderful when looking at the fresh water rushing through the canal and fact that they pass number of tunnels lasting certain kms into hills. 

It seems one of the best sharing projects so far between the states with no major issue based on sharing. To note a point, the PAP project had carried out quite throughout IndiraGandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park which beholds number of endanger and wild animals. It doesn't sound easy for me to dug deep tunnels into the haven of wild animals and infectious insect bites… and in time when everything was suppose to done manually. I couldn't stop praising those heroes involved in this project and the engineers with amazing talent on finding routes. 

Vainu Bappu Observatory - Javadu Hills

After reaching Jamunamarathur – the capital villages of Javadu Hills, and having lunch, that we brought along with us from home, we are told by the guest house care taker that they will allow into the observatory only by 5 pm,  to watch through the telescope. So he suggested leaving by 4 pm as it is 10 km from there and since having two more hours to go, we decided to explore the small lake and garden at half a km from the guest house. The lake and garden were not so attractive, and the lake is nothing but a conversion of already existing village lake that used for irrigation to the fields around. The real pretty sights are beheld around the lake, where fresh green paddy fields gleaming at us to expose to sunlight amid mild step farming.

The main course of this trip was to check the observatory and it was first time for me visiting an observatory, other than the only place I visited regard to space was Chennai Birla Planetarium. Vainu Bappu Observatory located at Kavalur village on the Javadu Hills holds the largest telescope of Asia, which was named after the great Indian astronomer and discoverer of Wilson-Bappu effect, Manali Kallat Vainu Bappu. VBO is an astronomical observatory behind many unique discoveries on space and reading remarkable cosmic rays, through the 1 and 2.3 meters telescope, the observatory has detected atmosphere around the Jupiter’s satellite Ganymded and rings around Uranus and Saturn. In 1988, a new minor planet was discovered using the 43cm Schmidt telescope and it was named after mathematics genius Ramanujam.

The observatory is isolated from any activities of being and almost surrounded by vast reserve forest, stands as a testimony to Indian astronomy. We reached the observatory early in time traveled thought the dense forest, but we were not allowing inside the campus and requested to wait sometime until the early batch comes out. I know that we need to walk nearly a km from the entrance to the main observatory; I kept my power wheel chair fully charged but enquiring a couple who came out we become uncertain about the distance. Even though we decided to progress, the guard noticed me allowed to take our car inside and we find more than 100 school students come out of the observatory.

Me and my family

First I was mislead by the white cylindrical building with dome that holds 43” telescope which resembles the 93” telescope, the largest among the observatories inside the VBO. Then we were redirected to the main building with more widely in breadth and spectacular height. The observatory being elevated from the others, cool breeze brushes once get out of the car and we were taken by the lift to the top floor where the largest telescope was assembled. The telescope was attached to a huge hydraulic machine that turns and moves up and down, manually and as well automatically sitting on two wide column. It was like a dream come true when the aluminum plated dome open to sky view, and rotate through a rack rail which could go around 360 degree.

I felt rotating along with the dome when looking above and goose bumped, stimulated by the entirely new setting and following the conversation with one of a scientist demonstrating the operation of telescope, took me to infinite stage. Many of us generally know the universe that exists within our solar system, but there could be immense such systems in our galaxy with earth like spheres where people could live and seek to connect alike. The observatory plays a vital role in studying the universe and does a front-line research with the telescopes here. It was something amazing that I couldn't even image that we were standing close to an object that beholds the mystery which is impossible through naked eyes. And I feel like touching an endless height.

The floor below the telescope has a round iron platform which I first through to rotate, but the scientist cleared our doubt later by operating the hydraulic platform that lifts to make easy the service of telescope. He explained that it is a kind of facility that any other observatory doesn't hold and they keep an eye clean on lens always. The observatory has a steal platform; going around the dome outside the building holds a 360 degree view on the landscape of total forest area. So it is out of noise and light disturbance, which is the main obstacle for reading light rays and except the entrance, overall campus doesn't have a light facility and was completely electric fenced to keep away wild animals.

I feel bad for not taking my camera inside the observatory thinking they might not allow, because of security. But some took photos with their mobiles and there were no restrictions, and I only got to capture the building and natural setting of the campus. I was really wishing to watch something through the largest telescope but these are used only at night and not for public to watch. They have a 6” telescope for public to view stars and planets after dusk and we really had to wait for an hour to watch through telescope. But for me that even wasn't a chance because the viewing point of the telescope was kept high and need to climb few steps.

[To be continued….]

Observation

Light enters through a hollow
shadow ballet to motion of leaves;
observation might hold trouble
following the fall of sunlight.

A solo rays enters the room
illuminates hidden particles to aglow;
a radar might lose signal
tracing the light swallowed by shadow.

The winter sun brings home beam
however brighter it glows or glides;
the indirect ray radiates warmth
reflected through a mirror of Wagon R. 

Enlighten window

(Click image for enlarge, if you can't read)

Footnote:

Photo from archives, captured in the Princess of Hills – Kodaikanal and the poem was added by me currently.

வளர்ச்சி வீ ழ்ச்சி / Growth Downturn

Image: Google

நாட்டின் வளர்ச்சி… பொருளாதாரம் வீ ழ்ச்சி
தொழில்நுட்ப வளர்ச்சி… சோம்பேறிகளின் ஆட்சி.

இணையதள வளர்ச்சி… உலகமயல் ஆச்சு
கையடக்க கணினி… வாழ்கை  கைக்குள் முடங்கியாச்சு.

Growth of country… Economic downturn
Growth of technology… Lazy guys rule.

Development of internet… Globalization happened;
Habile computer… Life locks up within hand.

Suo moto

Gone are the days waiting for the government to bring change or act on security and protecting the rights… But things are different now, the social concern and responsibility has shift hand from the government to courts and many important decisions taken lately by courts are simply strict and prudent. 

However the government implement the rule are not totally taken into concern and many aren’t strong enough to withstand as long as government keep changing while in rule, the court orders has been the engross enhancement. Whether we agree or not, the court implement is equal to amendment that only an apex court could dismiss which is the last lookout for poor or rich to get rectified.

Take the instant of removing the black films from cars or the late rule on helmet and the recent ban imposed on the tourist activities around the tiger reserves across India is welcomed by everyone and no protest is raised against the implement. These are little brought under limelight and there are many I come across latterly in newspapers which I couldn’t remember all yet, the responsibility of courts has upright under the 'Suo Moto' of judges.

Even the social crime and abuse in society are taken through suo moto of judges on basic sense and humanity in recent past is all prudent and appraise humanitarian; and without fail they use their authority to notify or rectify any government on social interest and law and order. I wanna write one day appreciating the judges for their upholding democratic and humanitarian on public general in liberty and straight forward on ruling the unruly, wild and turbulent… I got the chance now after go through a suo moto of judge’s of Madras High Court, inquiring the fall to death of a  6 year old from a running school bus through a huge hole under her seat which shook the Chennaities a day before. It’s a pity disaster in itself!  

Long live the judges with suo moto… and social interest!

Specs and Me

I just don’t know how, but specs change the image of self…

Giving an intelligent and smart look! lol

Self portrait with specs, through the mirro

Some says pink is for girls, but I don’t agree…

And pink is a pretty color for girls to get addict easily

And for that that there’s nothing like guys should not like it.

I didn’t go for this specific color of pink for specs, but it got my attention being simple and neat…

And actually it’s a dark pink but can't noticed while at look.

I don’t find nearly difference in my face worn to specs. But it feels so good :)

Black Drongo – Bird Watching

A Black Drongo was hopping from tree to tree before taking refrain one of the tree’s branches, but preached far away from me which I was not sure of capturing off. But I thought of trying up and shoot at the bird using maximum zoom length, thanks to 14x optical zoom that make possible the pictures.

The Black Drongo is not a regular visitor to the open ground in front of my house and the prettiest feature and the simplest identity of the bird is the twin tail. I saw the bird couple of times lately preached to the same shrub until very badly the tree was uprooted two week back for a building construct.

I wonder if uprooting trees continue in neighborhood, the visibility of many birds perhaps would shrink. Lately I happen to watch and capture many unusual birds visiting the neighborhood and while traveling, I will bring them further in my posts.

Power sharing – while there’s no power

The power has been a big problem these days and due to shortage in electricity, there is a constant power cut in the state of Tamil Nadu for more than a year or two now on hours basis and a day holiday for once in month. I guess there’s similar problems in many other states of India too, and the worst affected here are the industries and rural areas where power cut is double triple times than two hours in cities… in some places its unstable and total shutdown for a day.

Glad we live in city like Chennai to experience and suffer from lease power outage, and whereas for our comfort many experience the burned out of city limit which we don’t realize or think about easily! Electricity is common for everyone and basic essential of life, but how many of us truly realize the worth of electric and even thought it wasn’t there we certainly go for alternative than accepting the shortage and try to reduce its usage or change schedule  according to power outage.

Alternative is not at all bad but when it comes from the same resource like electricity which already suffers a lot will make the situation even worse than leaning hand. There is a talk for one such alternative at home for long time and the urge for inverter has increased lately among parents… but I kept concern of keep away the thought and interest of parents confessing that electric is common for everyone and when others suffer, we have to take part in it instead going for inverter as alternative which is a way of stealing power.

If we think of the 6 to 8 hours of power outage out of city, just 2 hours is nothing but least to bear and a small change in our routine will do better and make us concentrate at things we badly missed in presence of current. I take the time of outage to write blogs or work on Photoshop, since I own laptop I make certain there’s enough power for two hours and the only disadvantage was lack of internet connection and I also do book or paper reading and listen to Walkman.

There are many way to divert our attention than feeling for single most current that connects our electronic devices, but we need to accept most of our today’s activates are based on gadgets. Back to inverter, it’s a worth device and necessary if we are at constant basis of work or expose to frequent power outage and for a house usage, I don’t think it’s quite necessary when many others suffer a lot from outage, we alone going for a inverter what other can’t afford esp. the poor. Again I need to confess, electricity is common for everyone and it’s a basic vessel we all travel on and we all need to share the pressure to make sure balance float and enjoy the pleasure ride.