Someone Dear Passed Away

One of our grandfathers (Dad’s uncle) passed away yesterday and I really wish I write about this gent who I expected to stay longer, despite his age – he turns 80 this year – he was healthy and fit as well with a clear and conscious mind-set is bit harder to find out these days. He was someone straightforward throughout his life and talks what’s in his mind whether the people listen likes or not and because of this some could feel disturbed or annoyed but he was mostly right on things and say what’s good for others which sometime would be hinting their mistakes and stroke pride to make feel bitter experience. Thinking back I too have felt disregarded sometime listening through his speech but when I could understand things the truth in his words made senses despite his difference in attitude.

He had a diploma in civil engineering and had worked and retried from Tamil Nadu Housing Board dept. and only with his earnings he built a house and grown his 4 children (where 3 were graduates) and married them all and 3 were married within relations.  After he was married with dad’s cousin sister he was fond of my dad and dad used to visit his home to do maths in his school days and all our constructions were executed under his instructions and planning and he’s someone never compromise on the quality and strength of a building. He had a special care for me and used to enquire about me wherever he meets mom (who was named by him, as Lilly) or dad and one time he took me to one of his neighbours (practicing touch healing) whom he believed could do something on my disability, after seeing someone being healed. But it was quite nonsense method and I don’t want to narrate the stupidity, and what I really saw there was a grandfather’s love and his intention to get me cured in any means.

He was a healthy person all his life and a never changed personality, adjustable to the situation and practice friendliness with everybody. He shares the age of my maternal grandfather, who passed in 2015. His fitness and active lifestyle is something would inspire anybody despite the ages, and even after a cardiac attack, less than a decade back, he become more conscious on his health and food habit to sustain deed. We never expected him to die very soon, despite being very stable for his age, and active till he experience urinary infection and backbone squeeze few months back. He was on medicine and cast to produce much trouble and pain but on one expected the problem he experienced was a sign of cancer at 4^th stage. Last time when I saw him (in September) he motivated me to do whatever I could rather stay idle. His last words still resound in my ears. Hope he rest at peace and sail through our memories.

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

Check Post – 3

Here’s part 3 on the series on Check Post where I would like to share moments related to check posts that I have come across during my travel. Today’s post is on Berijam.

A welcome arch by nature through forest, shot during a visit in 2009

It was in 2006, we ventured into the Berijam forest near Kodaikanal and it was my cousins’ inspired me not to miss this place when I visited Kodaikanal for 2^nd time and it was many time already for them. I hear them saying that leopards/tigers visit Berijam Lake to quench thirst and bison are common sighting the way want me to visit and experience adventure. Berijam is a pristine lake area located inside the dense forest and visiting it needs prior permission from district forest office (DFO) at Kodaikanal. A warden who arranged accommodation for us at Kodai, at that time, did help obtain permission to visit Berijam where only 20 vehicles is allowed per day to preserve the natural environment and wild.

We reached Kodai a day early to my aunt’s family join us on the trip in their car and we in cab SUV, but we got permit only for our cab car and we already 9 members on-board, received my aunt and two little cousins for a drive of about 30 km from Kodai. We doubt really will they allow our overloaded vehicle at the check post, but glad they didn’t check our vehicle and only dad get down to sign at the check post and we drove through one of the best preserved wild environment  of flora and fauna. The entire area is a biodiversity and unpolluted earth and it’s a complete pleasure and refresher to venture and its advised not  to get down anywhere other than the specified spots.

Berijam lake in 2006

Same view in 2017 -  no changes in shape and view on Lake

There’s another check post at the Lake area, where vehicles are stopped and parked aside the road and to check the place only by walk, but they allowed our car to drop me close to lake to get down to the wheelchair. I used manual wheelchair then and we spent some time on the lake bank, and taking photos it slowly started to drizzle and furthered showered rushed people to their cars, since there isn’t a place for shelter there. My wheelchair was pushed speedily by my brother to prevent getting soaked and in the force a front caster of the wheelchair came out and I was pushed further in tilt position till the car.  Berijam is a freshwater swamp lake and people are allowed only at defined space and to and fro through the car, our eyes were spotting for any wild animals.

Me at Berijam Lake in manual wheelchair aside dad and cousin in 2006

I have visited Berijam couple of times after that and there isn’t much changes on the place for good and each visit was a different experience for me and lately the forest department itself  running an ecotourism trip to Berijam and the number of private vehicles allowed has also been increased is certainly a disturbance to the ecosystem there. Berijam Lake is 9 km in circumference and located at 2165 MSL and it is also considered as one of biggest freshwater lakes in Asia. During my second visit I encountered Sambar deer, Langur and Giant Malabar Squirrel but beyond that the presence of nature and calmness wants me to go their how many times possible.

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.

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Glowing Coconut Palms

Winter has its way out, like every season, slow extension of daylight sense the injection of sun and warning summer and at the end of the day it glows. Even after the sun disappeared behind the buildings, the trees top are set to glow by the fierce rays of sun, sneak peek through the gaps of buildings. The light exposed on the greenish orange coconut palms enhance the glowing light to golden treat and it was quite a simple pleasure I got to watch few time. Although these are some capture from last year or before winter, the image weren’t different now rather going strong with  glow where I could get even leafy shadows on trunks.

I wasn’t out anywhere lately and sky watching has become an activity and I take many photos mostly on sky these days. I saw a lone pelican last evening crossing my sky and sometime a bunch of white heron – which used to be common sights in past – but everyday about 6 pm, number of bats pass our sky, a regular journey of them from the trees of Theosophical Society to other bunches of trees along Buckingham Canal in Adyar. And they turn back to the Society in early morning which I ever woken up to see in the last 5 months, since shifted here. But my uncle confirms that. Glad I have this open sky in front of the house, surrounded by trees and a balcony to skywatch, keeps me going despite the haunting thought of traveling, which I haven’t done one close to a year now.

A crow perched atop a tank pipe while getting warm in evening sunlight