December – The fascinating month

The December derives many a things to cherish; esp. the December cold is the favorable time of the year, where the Chennai infamous for its hot weather experience a sensation of cold, the dew dawn is remarkable throughout this month and beyond. During this time, the mind craves to wake up early to experience the free of cost air condition from the worldwide winter season and to be in Chennai or any other place this month cheers the warmth inside blanket, where we never want to get out of it ;)

I wish to travel a lot during this month and the dew dawn is never refreshing like anything esp. for me and if there’s a choice I will choose this month to explore places on surface and even breathing the tremble cold of hill stations. There are few travels I took during this month are most fascinating in my rides and my first time to Valparai in Dec 2008, near Kovai or Coimbatore is rejuvenating even thinking now and almost riding around the pristine mountains and stunning country sides of Pollachi and Erode is evergreen.

One pleasant evening of December, near Kanyakumari 

Last year on the same month, I was around the southern tip of India –Kanyakumari, enjoying the simple stay and travel among the wind energies and roaring rock waves with settings of sun and nip in the air were appreciably. On our way back, climbing the Sirumalai (Small Hill – which isn’t very small like the name refers) on the Natham-Dindigul main road is fascinated by its quite tranquility and rich in small banana plantation, the cold wind will enforce you to hold embrace even there was bright flash of sunlight and the couple of villages or colonies as they mention there inhabited to horseback packed products grows around the hills.

The December has something distinct feature as fragrance, stretching both the wings of hot and cold and the real odor of it could be experienced only in villages, while they produce smokes in evening to warmth as well driving away the mosquitoes that breed mostly in this month or season, after rain. The cow dung smell was something enrich during this time, where most of the houses are swish swashed to cow dung sprayed on the courtyard before drawing a beautiful Rangoli or Kolam (a design created by using flour) to flourish their homes, which is a tradition followed esp. during the Tamil month of Margazhi – which begins at the middle of December.

The music and dance has been great conjoin to December, where many a concerts and dance festivals hold everywhere across Chennai, I have no idea about the vibes it creates, but hope it has something wonderful, only those passionate about could express right. Overall, the December has an enchanting climate unlike any other month or season; I too believe each season/month has its own essence to cherish; the December has a distinct sky with glorious setting of sun, which I well observed during my Kanyakumari visit.

Firework display during Deepavali

Palm Tree Effect

From young to old everyone enjoys fireworks that blast into the sky; create an artificial florescent and colorful Rangoli in the present of dark nights and Deepavali is an occasion in India where fireworks displace enormous charming across the nation and adding more glorious to earth among the twinkling stars of universe. This Diwali I got a great opportunity capturing the vibrant firecrackers that fascinated the sights across the sky; and I spent more than an hour shooting the colorful comets at the neighborhood of Chennai – Neelankarai, at my grandmother’s sister house.

The pictures weren’t so spectacular and perfect at blossom, but I tried my best sitting on the power wheel chair with no preconscious from which side the florescent firework hold its display, clicked random from whichever direction it comes and by observing its blowup volume. It was enchanting and enthralling completely and I got to see variety of colors and designs beholding the sight and the sound cheering the festival spirit and celebration.

Following are few photos I captured from deepavali. Hope u like it!

Fireworks collage

Jellyfish 

Green Comets

Red Comets

Online frustration

Sometime speaking truth turn against us, and I had been through such moment lately and really lost being touch with someone with their decision to block, who maybe could have become an associate in future if continued to share. I don’t feel for the one’s mischance, because maybe there could be another one will fill that gap of mine or hers and for that matter that does not mean I’m going to stop speaking from heart and express the reality, but there are so many to understand and respect the feeling.

There could be some fake profile, maybe created for fun sake or purpose of sharing, concealing their identity but the matter of concern endure me to uphold the secret where I know the person personally. It feels hard to digest the matter if they are possible impossible and when time to meet each other, it feels so guilty to act like nothing and again sign in on the voucher to wither recurrent without discussing the matter.

Many a time I feel narrative but nothing comes to mind when thinking about uncertain situations around me, wherever we go the mind impound to a circumstance where deceitfulness deserves and fake notes get fascinated. I’m not suppose to complaint here, but I share a part of frustration that keep on discouraging me for a while and many a attempts become nothing in their emerging process diverting the main course and intention of others. 

A little romance

She comes in handy

when I yearn for an embrace
bind like a wind
blowing away the gap between.

The moisture air
become warm in our breath
her whisper voice
says the love to me, silently.

The gazing eyes
behold her mysterious world
trying hard to discover
a lonely planet on iris universe.

She smiles so sweet
holding mischievous at corner
trying to seduce me
against my enormous desire.

It feels so soothing
when she brushes the hair
the stimulated nerves
entice me to dream wild.

Very close to her lips
inspire me to kiss
trying hard to not imprint
but impossible after getting tempt.

Ecdysis – Snake shed scale

Every year during the rainy season, we find snakes in the open ground adjacent to our apartment and the only thing preserve either of us was the compound wall; but this time one of a snakes entered our parking lot and slithering here and there before thrown other side of the compound wall by our watchman. This was the first I saw a snake come across the compound wall, whereas I have heard my neighbors making noise about snake couple of times early, and I believe it could have come through the open gate at the entrance since there’s less chance for them climbing the plain vertical wall.

From the time we shifted to apartment in 2005, the open ground has been left unchanged with growth of wild vegetation and survival of few trees; and except threaten of snakes, it has the advantage of many esp. deriving different species of birds and insects and giving a pleasant stay environment of calm and less pollution. A year back to back too, we sighted a rat snake staying sometime along the other side of our compound wall and among the debris making its bedroom by wrapping an old bed left by someone (check the photos here).

(click pictures for enlarge to view the snake scale near)

Two days later to Deepavli, my mom found a shed snake skin or scale on the open ground along with the neighbors, and few meters from our house the snake had molted its entire scale stretching few meters in length. Some said it’s a cobra scale and it must shed during the new moon occasion but being uncertain, I compared the photos which mom captured for me, with Google images, to ensure the species.

I also learn that the process of shedding scale in snakes, which according to scientific term, known as Ecdysis (strip off in Ancient Greek), or molting or sloughing in normal usage is shedding of the complete outer layer of the skin in one layer, which is a repeated process periodically throughout a snake’s life. A snake is suppose to shed its skin once or twice a year, whereas the younger once which still growing shed up to four times a year and many a time the skin peels backward over the body from head to tail, in one piece like an old sock.

It’s said that the snake stops eating and often hides or moves to a safe place before shedding the skin; the snake wriggles out aided by rubbing against rough surfaces is demonstrated through my above pictures. The discarded skin gives a perfect imprint of the scale pattern and it is possible to identify the snake as this discard is reasonably complete and intact.