Summer Sky

The weather is beautiful and sunny in Chennai these days despite the hot summer season, the sky is pretty much in blue.  Sometimes it turns pinkish to orange in evenings and later setting off of sun. The sky and trees in the photos were shot in the afternoon, when the summer sea breeze takes off usually to shoo the hot wind and birds on their tunes.

The mango tree in rusty and green leaves is from the neighbour’s house opposite to us and amazingly the tree has shown up with a single mango this season unlike a lot last year. The tree was pruned at large last November and perhaps that could be the reason for the tree to unable to bear fruits this year except that single mango.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Concealed

From pink to orange

my sky transformed, silhouette 

concealed the target - moon!

P.s  Actually there's a moon behind the tree but I couldn't capture it while I was able to see, my position or angle of shooting missed the target.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Partial Annular Solar Eclipse

The sun was brilliantly shone over the sky and it was dazzling to even to take a glance at it and so I was out of focus with the camera tried to capture the phenomenon. It was blank and blur whatever way I tried to shoot the occurrence of Annular Solar eclipse in point and shoot, but after many a try I got the eclipse reflected through the rays of sun itself. Around 9am on Thursday, the sun rose to an uncomfortable angle what become difficult for me to capture the eclipse but got to watch the partial annular through the solar viewer, my cousin bought from the Elliot’s beach, where people in neighbourhood thronged to watch the eclipse.    

The reflection of the partial annular (the crescent shaped   blue in picture above) was a real surprise for me as I was feeling disappointed that I unable to capture the eclipse. Though I know it wasn’t easy to shoot the solar eclipse normally to anyone but I find the reflection amazed. The annularity was visible from the East Mediterranean to south East Asia and gladly the annular travelled through the centre of Tamil Nadu and Kerala where the ring visible quite.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Transformation

From time to time things change
the sky isn’t the same I look up every time
the wind blows, never the identical   
the seasons transform the colours of nature
the trees retreat in shoot of new leaves
while skin isn’t silky in dryness of cold -
lacework is something woven in lack of moisture.

Transformation is a continuous process
which is impossible without nature
the head of all significant changes;
the sky the limit of eternity
isn’t same in its pattern or colours
the remarkable sunrises and sunsets
is an inspiring from time to time.

 Life is a constant progress of changes
a change that needs to refresh
like fresh mountain rivers charged
in continuous flow of current;
the mind is something keeps changing
either for good or bad
  ponders make things different.

Ps. The spectacular sunset was capture over the mountains from a trip to western ghats around Theni in Tamil Nadu. 

Fireworks @ Skywatch Friday

Deepavali – the festival of lights – just passed like a blink of light and flash of an aerial firework that treat eyes for few seconds. For my cousin sister, who got married in June, this was her Thala (first) Deepavali after the marriage so she had come home with groom, following an invite by us as per the custom. Thala Deepavali is treated special for every newly married couple that follows the tradition and I could see they had good time cheering the festival of lights in pretty new cloths and spirited while bursting crackers. I wonder how she enjoyed bursting crackers what I haven’t seen in a while, as she ever showed interesting on crackers was different on that day that I could understand it’s all the magic of newly married.

I had a great night that day watching the fireworks that made the new moon sky dazzle in display of colourful fireworks. I felt the crackers sounded a bit louder at my surrounding this year than the previous and many in the neighbourhood had lit auto bombs (and loud crackers) to disturb the ear eardrums and to the unusual my cousin too created some dreadful sound despite my unlikeliness. I’m always against loud crackers and particular about the choice of fireworks I buy that emit less sound and smoke. I enjoy watching fireworks either on the sky or ground level, the emitting of light and sound and the rush of fire creates an emotion that embark to a state of different and light-heartedness. I had fun lighting sparklers, the only firework I could handle enough but I liked capturing fireworks in video and photo modes.

Collage of aerial fireworks display in different forms, shot in firework mode in camera 

I share here some fireworks that lit my sky and the images in collages were all shot from the balcony. I planned to go out during the Deepavali eve to see things happening around but couldn’t move out a bit rather taking the backstreets in wheelchair. I usually go out a day before or on Deepavali night to watch for fireworks displayed in the neighbourhood even though I had the opportunity this time something conscious prevented me.  Glad I could watch some from the balcony and shoot as well.  

Galaxies created by fireworks

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Deepavali and Its Electric Feel

Deepavali or Diwali – which is around the corner (Oct 27) doesn’t need an intro to the world, and India is a multicultural nation with each has its own richness of colours, dynamic, values and unique practices progresses with zeal; and Diwali is a festival unites the nation under the limelight called festival of lights, just like the festival of colours - Holi. Every part of the country has a reason and belief to celebrate Diwali with common intent of good against evil and light in place of darkness. Though not everyone celebrates Diwali in India and you really don’t need to celebrate the festival but the mood of the festival of lights is delight! Those who grew up in 90s and 80s and further decades below would knew the real essence and spirit of Deepavali or any other festival in common, and we as kids used to begin the celebration weeks ahead to Diwali by bursting little firecrackers that we buy from the petti shops in neighbourhood.

Sparkler effect in playful way

Deepavali is an uplifting feeling leap off every year during the festival time and it has something to do with me, perhaps it was a favourite time of the year for me from the beginning and bursting fireworks was the intention behind the enthusiasm. During school days, we draw Diwali greetings on the black board on the last day in school before the Deepavali holiday and what we draw was rockets, flower pot fountains, sparklers… and some terror boys drew Lakshmi vedi, auto bombs and electric crackers and the girl students drew Diyas. Those days Deepavali means fireworks and still I could not imagine a Deepavali without the same and the sound of firecrackers. I don’t encourage the sound and I too stopped buying fireworks that exits sound, except for the Aerial shots, I handle only sparklers.

Apart fireworks, Deepavali is a festival of sweets and this was the only time that we make sweets and snacks at home. But these days many prefer buying sweets from the shops perhaps because of laziness or workload where they are not ready or impossible to spend time on preparing snacks at home. During our resident at apartment (from 2005-2013) we get to taste different sweets and snacks shared by the neighbours but we ever turned from Adhirasam and Murukku – the traditional sweet and snack that mark Deepavali. The Adhirasam made of rice flour and jiggery and Murukku with same flour and other ingredients produces a distinct sense and cheerfulness as we go through the smell and hunger for same. The snacks were later distributed to relatives and friends the same way we’re treated by them.  

Though new cloths are part of the festival, like any other festivals, Deepavali clothes has a special place and this was the time where purchases reach the peak and offers come in grand what people never wanted to miss. The online shopping has took a huge leap these days, where the festival rush to shopping streets and malls had gradually decreased and the great Indian festivals at online websites and apps like Amazon becomes an advantage to people who lookout for low-price and stress-free shopping experience. I remember going to shopping for Deepavali and Pongal festivals,   when I was a kid, even though I wasn’t much interested on dresses that was a time new dress made sense and gave happiness showing it to others. Only in last couple of years I took shirts for Deepavali and this year that too was nil, as I got stitched dress only lately, but generally I wasn’t interested shopping on special occasions.

For me it was the feeling, the cheerfulness of celebrating a festival and gathering of people and cherishing the memories that I hold dear from past celebrations makes Deepavali special. For me the past is always significant, not only because those moments unreturned but hold back the spirit and becomes a force to take forward.  I believe a festival is to celebrate and a celebration is impossible without sharing. For me Deepavali bring a feel of togetherness, what the sounds of fireworks on this day reproduce and I don’t see bursting fireworks as a rite or reasonable act but I like watching firework display that happens only during Deepavali and I buy some on my personal interest.  Enjoy your day and have fun.

Moon Watch

Last month I capture the full moon at my comfort zone, and it rose just behind a neem tree then and it wasn’t up quite, I liked to have some neem leaves playing a silhouette against flashy moon drop. The moon was bright enough that day that the optical zoom (of my canon sx220hs) couldn’t get the details and so, I was to extend to digital zoom to quench details on the moon.  Though I tried to make shoot through leaves, the moon was almost up with leaves just brushing the edges of perfect round moon as wind blows.

Later I tried to capture moon in b/w mode and was impressed.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday

Sunset sky on Madipakkam - Velachery road during a recent ride around the area. 

Looking over the Madipakkam lake (in lack of water) and skywatch.  

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Interesting skywatch

The weather has been different, pleasant and cool these days in Chennai with pretty sunny day times and gloomy evenings mostly end up with mild showering to thunderstorm. Sky watching has become interesting pastime these days from different cloud patterns emerging across the sky and built up of massive clouds make wonderful evening show on the west sky, which sometime glows to orange to pinkish. These days mostly, altocumulus sky pattern is visible through the day and many a days with such pattern brings showering in the evening. Fish scales or altocumulus, is   groups of puffy clouds traveling on a humid morning can mean afternoon thunderstorms. I really enjoy this pattern of weather or a mixed pattern of sunshine and rain or overcast sky by the end of evening, where either it rains or not it’s welcomed.

Last night and early morning there was widespread rain across Chennai or almost part of north Tamil Nadu, with Thiruvallur district (to north of Chennai)  received best of almost 140 mm of rain, which is unusual for this month. The rain in evening is quite a disturbance to commuters, who were returning from office, but everyone understands the urgency of rain and rain is must as all reservoirs around Chennai are dry. Here I share few sky shots captured from this month.

The balcony and a step outside home, from where I frequently skywatch… on the left corner in the image is the adopted dog Jack, sleeping from a mat.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday and Good Fences by Gosia

Skywatch Friday

I feel good enough right now as I say goodbye to the setback of my health! A visit to pulmonologist last week has helped recovering a lot from cough and cold and also could sleep well laying straight and to left and feel relaxed to go through blogs but still haven’t checked many. Here I share couple of pleasant sky shots captured from the woodhouse balcony where I spent vacation with the families for a week last month.  I’m someone always look out for natural frames rather adding frames through Photoshop and here I got to crop the image to get the up and bottom frame of wood house’s porch top and rail. In-between the shadow of trees and mild blanket of clouds the blue sky glimpse pleasantly. 

P.s. The Ghats along the west coast of India is highly battled by rain and everywhere there’s flood and landslides to keep things and life at trouble. The Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu is witnessing historical rains with Avalanche records the highest ever in south India – 92cm in last 24 hours and 82cm a day before followed by 42cm on 6th August. The landscapes and roads all over the western side of Nilgiris were damaged and most of the dams were at fullest and already opened the shutters to prevent further flooding. I wish the situation turns normal soon. We are in need of water badly, but how could it benefit all when it downpour at this particular place alone? Many districts in north central Tamil Nadu is still at the grip of drought and Nilgiris become the wettest ever recorded history! Who could be blamed when nature plays the trick but we could not say it’s no man’s fault.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Some Highway Skies

The national highways has never been my favourite to look forward to ride and it has anything cheerful to keep up the ride as most of the stretches goes bare and bore, only the skies comes to rescue. We get to see different skies and patterns as we kept moving esp. on the highways, the change was constant and the sky wasn’t same anywhere and here I share some sky shots that I took while riding on the highways for the family vacation to Kodaikanal.

The sky wasn’t much interesting to shoot this time but was better with puffy clouds floating across the blue-sky only after riding more than 100km outskirt of Chennai. These were shot between Villupuram to Trichy highway and there are few more to share another day. 

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Moment it Rain

My sky before it started to rain

First rain of the year
waked up the aroma of earth
from deep slumber, blanketed
in dust, drought and dryness.

A dramatic change in sky,
where scattered clouds gathered
filtered the radiating heats
to lesser, sprinkle as shower.

Not a kind of downpour
but it brings hope and cheers
to mind that so drought
and a kind of moody exists.

The senses woke up
as every drop knock the ground,
earth responded fragrant
as nostalgic rushes into vein.

The weather turns vital
since there isn’t a sign of rain
past failure of northeast monsoon
the rain becomes crucial
as there no prevention, care or cure
unless earth quenches thirst
to nurture its children.  

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday

Sky keeps changing its pattern, texture and colors from time to time and esp. during the sunrise and sunset it displays incredible changes from the often blue or grey sky. I sky-watch these days more than before and I was never a morning person to wake up to dazzling shower of rising sun so I only end up more with sun setting scenario where the actual settings happen behind the buildings. For a complete sunset I need to move out of the city but it wasn’t a feel bad to catch up with a part of the sky. The sky captured here was from two evenings back; though it wasn’t awesome I liked the pieces of clouds (looking like the handpicked cotton candies before it put into the mouth) scattered on the fore screen of the sky.

Simple Mountains and Skies

Shots from a detour, last year, around Arcot and Vellore. The mountainous terrain is a simple pleasure riding through the winters. 

The weather had turned lil better after few days of high temperature, though it doesn't turned cooler, the sea breeze that venture the hot land breeze around afternoon makes feel better. The cyclone that had stroke Odisha and West Bengal created a havoc and unimaginable destruction to lives and livelihood and natural front trees. Hope things turn better quicker for people out their suffering from the heavy storm that blasted at about 200 km/h. 

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

My Skies

Other day in late February my afternoon sky turned pretty much in blue and got clash with the shimmering green tree that saw new shoot as sunlight exposed through it. Though summer is here, Chennai continue to stay little out of the heat while other districts experience sultry, the sea breeze blows like a life saver. The weather men continue to warn there’s hotter days ahead and the days are hot as well for those head out of home or air- con office but the homebound I still enjoy the summer breeze.

One evening early in March my sky looked this way – like a trace of clouds undusted of the sky – right in front of balcony.

A recent one from a quiet evening and I really liked this moment and simple sky that has anything significant or magnificent to excite but there’s’ a sense of peace amid the unsettled birds and vehicles.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Twilight Zone

The sun haven’t raised, yet
the life started to act
at the state of twilight,
the purified air of night
and the tranquilized dust
is back to surface
as life restarts, to survive.

The honk of vehicles, bang
as other noises unbroken, yet
the natural chirp of birds
and crisp in air, sways
as slowly sky consume light
things went for better views
as sun warm-up to glow.  

Like things have two sides
the light has its part of shadow
or silhouettes against its glow,
the twilight zone is bliss
as things take minimal effect
to retreat or restore the activity
from the day or night sleep.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Skywatch Friday

Other day I was watching at the sky, in a regular manner after moved to our house with balcony, I find a jet plane speeding across the sky up high and took these snaps instantly before it move out of my sky or contrail disappear like in the picture below. I really want to zoom on the jet but the iPhone doesn’t allow me to get clear near image, maybe someday I could with camera. 

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Scenic Travel/Skywatch

A Gopro shot on one of my favourite routes – Dindugal to Kumli – and this is a part of the scenic road around Periyakulam which shot during my last year travel through Theni district. I could not keep away the camera whenever I travel on this road; the Western Ghats Mountains is a great companion stretches all along the route and sometimes the mist covering mountain tops are blissful to watch and even on sunny days it would  be a pleasant ride breathing the mountain breeze. And the sky as well is a pleasure to watch with different patterns creating a wondrous upon the blue sky and being a fertile soil throughout the district esp. the Cumbum valley is enriched with flouring farming and being a treasure trove of Tamil Nadu, where one would cherish when travelled through.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Infinity

Sky is an infinite 

where change, a constant
around the clock  
a destiny undecided
like a departed tree leaf
floats aloof in wind direction.

Life is an infinite
where it travels into space
to face challenges unknown
dreams to pursuit
and courses of leaning
that never seem to end.

Sea is an infinite
when watched from shore
where sky and sea are parted
through a thin line
and one goes in search of
the travel is eternal.

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மகிழ்ச்சியான மாலை / Delightful Evening

மாலை பொழுதில், மகிழ்ச்சியில் 

கீச் கீச் என்று பறந்தன  பறவைகள்

தன் கூடு தேடி இதம் சேர்க்க,

இரவுக்குளிர் அதிகரிக்கும் முன்.

செக்கச்சிவந்த வானமாய் எனது

இளஞ்சிவப்பு நிறத்தில்

மெலிதாய் போர்த்திய பனி இடையே

உறைந்தது அன்றைய தினம்

இரவை நோக்கிய பயணத்தில்  

அழகு சித்திரமாய் மாலை 

இருள் ஒளியில் முழுதாய் 

மறையும் முன் மகிழ்வித்து சென்றது.

-------------------  -------------------

In the evening, cheerfully
chirping birds fly away
searching their nest to feel pleasant
before the night cold elevates.

As alpenglow my sky
in pinkish color
between the thin layers of dew
frozen that day 

On a journey towards night
evening as beautiful canvas
delighted, before fully disappear
in the darkness of light.

Ps. Inspired by the evening outside the home