Gate and Yellow Bells

Last year during the visit to Kumbakonam and while coming from Ariyalur we stopped at a village and I just came close to this yellow flowering shrub grew in front of a house. And the gate came into the image without an intention of shooting it and it gives a neat look to the house and I also liked the design.

The yellow flowers, named as yellow bells aka yellow trumpet bush has become a trend in Tamil Nadu and many people has been planting this shrub esp. in front of the houses. Apart for the ornamental use, people started to grow these mainly for the purpose of Vastu (a traditional belief of bringing harmony into the home and Vastu means dwelling) but I like this plant for its charming and bright yellow blossoms. I really want to have this plant for me and will try to get one soon.

Yellow Bells are a perennial shrub in the trumpet vine family that is native to the Americas and it is heat and drought tolerance, vigor and pest resistance. The yellow flowers are 2” long with trumpet shape and hangs in showy clusters at the branch tips and forks, bending the wigs into arches give the name Yellow Bells. It has a very long flowering season, from early summer to late fall; the shrub reaches 15-20 feet height and attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds for its flowers. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral Friday Foto 

Longing

Night spent on intimate
but still thinking same, out of bed
eyes gaze through the window
looking for her man
who embraced her at night.

Out of gloomy
and in front of the window
the lady bird waits for tonight
fetching her man
who left her half asleep.

A sense of silence in her gaze

a pause of emotion
or desperate unconsoled
despite her desire for him
whom she romanced deeply. 



Ps. The poem is an inspiration out of the image i come across in  facebook @FlorianWeilerPhotography

RGB Monday

Here’s RGB Monday to keep away your Monday Blues and make feel colourful and yet cheerful! And this Link-in feature invites your colourful photos with the content of RGB – Red, Green, and Blue. 

Bottles and lids of soft drinks

The image has been cropped from the picture of a provision shop; I shot at Thiruporur on the outskirt of Chennai.

p.s. It seems the merchants of Tamil Nadu have decided to stop sell foreign soft drinks like Pepsi, Coke, Sprite, and Miranda… from the March 1^st. The decision was taken by the traders association of Tamil Nadu following the pro-jallikattu protest and as a move towards boycotting foreign products. Not only that they keep front the decision to prevent foreign products but argues that soft drinks are unhealthy to consume. Though I agree with the second one that soft drinks aren’t healthy and suggestible to drink, but if they decided to avert the overseas products it should apply to all and not alone on soft drinks which is least per cent. And I really want to ask those protests against foreign products and if they are sure about the decision will they prevent the millions of people working in MNC’s and give up the economic development support by this industry. I see there’s both good and bad in any kind of things and many foreign productions has become lifesavers for many and in the globalised world we can’t quit things completely unless they aren’t good for health or country and enter the policies/rights of nation. How many iPhone fans in India? Is iPhone or apple is Indian origin? Soft drinks are unhealthy and it should be boycott only on this basis. There is an unclear politics behind these and I can’t go inside it without a moderate picture. 

1. Devilish Angel

Cat and Dog Relaxing Together

There’s a thought generally that dogs and cats don’t come or go together and making it approve I haven’t seen them roaming together and at same time not dog chasing a cat. But I don’t want to take what’s happening with house dogs alike our puppy Maya who don’t like cats and not only cats, she also chase other dogs when seeing them. Just having her as example I couldn’t come to a conclusion. But breaking the general thought I come to a scene where one of our stray/street dogs and cat lay side-by-side in front of our house.

I shot the scene right outside my doorstep, with the dog on the left and cat at the opposite relaxing under the Neem tree while facing each other. I’m seeing both of them for some time now and there’s no wonder they decide to take rest together, because both are very patient animals and ever hurt anybody intently. But the dog has bitten a boy lately when he went close to her cubs just to take a ball! I think it is a precaution any animals or birds used to take. And the cat has almost become our house cat as he always lazy around and sleeps mostly on the portico.

Even if we touch he used to keep quiet and unlike the former cat, which we have no idea where it gone, that used to make noise and keep disturbing the Maya. This cat comes only when mom cleans fishes and sits quiet and eats away what has been left. The dog on the right has given birth up to 7 pups lately and all were cute enough and brown in colors. Some were taken by the people to grow and others were still roaming around and a family seem to protect them at next street. I have only few photos on them and will post later… 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Gonna miss you, Achu!

Just a year back Achu’s family shifted to the house behind us (as we reside in row house) and within a couple of months we become familiar and friends later. Though Achu become my best friend, I really wonder how I miss writing or sharing photos (except on Instagram) of him here, but I think we become too close to write something specific about him and he was there even at times unexpected. He’s very special to me in many ways and he’s someone always knock at the door with pristine love and he becomes so attached to me only lately but now he’s supposed to move on L

Achu’s father was transferred to Bangalore and he will be leaving us in a week or some time. For about a year I have been watching him (and now he’s 2 ½ age), he’s been growing though best parenting I could say for sure. He’s very quiet and approach things at easy and patience. I really amaze at his attitude even at this little age, which is indeed comes from his parents who has been friendly and down to earth. He never took anything from others and even as friends he refuses to take anything from us unless showing it to his mom and we never discouraged him on this front.

His parent’s trust us, as well as Achu agree to be carried away only by mom. He developed an attachment very soon with mom and even our puppy Maya become familiar with his sounds and smell; almost maintain silence whenever he enters our home freely.  We even unlock the little gate when Maya is tied so that he don’t find difficult in opening and  he is fearless coming close to Maya and she’s also forceless. Achu is a great observer and watches things patiently and try to apply it through his innocent pace. Even my relative’s kids who has the rights to call me mama (uncle) doesn’t calling or visiting me but each time he utter the word,  with sheer innocent, I quite feel connected and content. I actually feel Achu’s approach fills the crave for a kid at home and we treat him as our own kid and he keeps calling mom (as grandma) and take her to his house and ask to sit-down.

The entire scene used to be sweet and his parents watch his attitude with admiration, and if my wheelchair ramp is laid at the doorstep he call me to come down to play with him. He likes seeing me coming up/down the ramp (and he calls this swwing, the sound of sliding) and then he used to bring his cycle and try the same. He note how I put into the wheelchair and how footrest and board is placed and try to do same. He likes bison (Indian guar) which he had seen during his trip to Valparai and he wants me to show bison on laptop and leaning on me he keeps asking for other animals and birds. The way he takes rights on me truly make me feel happy and thinking now, that he will be away soon I would really miss him, as well as my family.

On  his  little bike

His innocent giggle, smile and cry for silly things make me watch light-hearted. And something very sweet about his cry was he sound like a newly born.  Absolutely he’s a gifted child and I am really glad to share his giftedness though their stay as next door resident. Like I said above, Achu’s parents are very friendly and used to share their happiness and grief with us and only because of their pressure (to the landlords) a ramp was built in front of the house to prevent water entering the house. It was an unexpected move even for them and they too feel unhappy for gonna be parted. I know nothing is stable in this world; and this move too will have something better for both. Let’s hope. 

Achu's  sketching around mom's kolam