Signal Problem

After shifted to my current location and close to my native house in Adyar, Chennai, I chose to go to our family doctor for the check-ups in my wheelchair rather taking the car since the clinic is about a km from home. But the only difficult I face during this course was crossing the LB Road, the main road that connects Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur signals. Though there was a zebra crossing and separate signal for pedestrian to cross the road (near hotel Lakshmi Sagar), it wasn’t literally difficult, but until only the signal works.  

The signal i have pointed out here

The signals flashing orange (which means cross with caution) is a common one in the cities at night and it usually take place only after 10pm when the traffic comes down, but when it happens as early as 9 pm (which is also a peak hour in cities like Chennai) crossing the road is a challenge. Some vehicles stop to give way when seeing me in wheelchair to cross the road, but we can’t expect the same compassion from public buses and bikes. They kept moving even the signal turned red really scare me to cross and travel aside the road.  

My cousin brother used to come along with me and when the signal shut down he blocks the vehicles to let me cross the road. For me it shows the irresponsible and laziness of the traffic police to shut down the signal when there was still heavy traffic. Other day I was close to the signal and before I cross it turned flashing orange and vehicles started to cross from all directions turned to be difficult. I notice to amaze the signal next to this was working and regulating the traffic and here we are in trouble crossing the road. The traffic signals are automated and I don’t find there could be any difficult for the traffic cop to regulate but still switching off only sends frustration.

RGB Monday

Merry go round @ Marina Beach, Chennai  

The colorful merry-go-round is a hand cranked or motor driven produces fun and amusement to both adults and kids.

Little Cormorants, Underwater Swimmers

Like never before I saw number of Little Cormorants during my recent visit to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, about 80 km from here. These birds are very commonly found in the water bodies around Chennai, but not in numbers that’s uncountable. Vedanthangal invites lot of birds from across the globe but this time little cormorants took large numbers into the account. 

The Little Cormorants are a member of the cormorant family of seabirds, slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant; it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. The bird sized between 50 to 55 cm in length and weighing up to 530 grams is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinents and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called Javanese cormorant.

The bird looks entirely back in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. It forages single or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on the waterside with its wings spread out after coming out of the water.

Little cormorants produce low roaring, grunting and groaning sounds comprising low pitched ah-ah-ah and kok-kok-kok’s. They swim underwater to capture fishes and propel themselves using their webbed feet. But the captured fishes are often brought up to the surface to swallow them and during that time others birds including their fellow cormorants, painted storks and egrets may attempt to steal them. 

Linking this post for Saturday Critters

It’s Summer

Sunset @ Muttukadu backwaters

Summer brings a sigh of relief
with schools enclosed for vacation
students chose to chase their passion
like gushing water in search of roots.

While summer curse to scorch
the compassion of sea breeze bless,
blissful moments to surpass
with flock of birds flag off to home.

Summer brings up the memories
that neither forgotten nor went down
with multiple layers adding on latterly
the calm afternoon winds up the dust.

Summer breaks the age barrier
where everyone likes to have ice creams,
fruit juices and tender coconuts
cool down our entire system.

Like every season that has an essence
summer delivers radiant sunshine,
where shoot, unripe fruits and flowers
regenerate under the natural hood sun. 

Though summer being a dry season
there isn't scarce for happiness,
and when the back itches for scratch
the urge for mountain's dew become firm.

RGB Monday

Baby walker of my neighbor's one and a half year old kid, Achu!

Other day, after his play, he left his baby push walker outside the home and I used that opportunity to click on the colorful walker to share on my RGB Monday. He has a habit of leaving things outside wherever he play and later his mom collect them all. Achu’s family is just two months old to our compound and he developed an attachment towards my mom very soon and even our pet dog maintain silence when he enters our home freely. He’s very quiet unless he joins with other kids and he hadn’t started to talk yet except calling amma and appa (mom-dad) but he’s understandable and point out on things he wanted and mentions what. The thing I appreciate in him was he never takes away things from others, even though he doesn’t take food easily from his mom, he refuse anything we give him to eat. I leave this post with his photo below: