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THE THREE KITTENS

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   12/VIII/2025   It was an unusual morning today. I am up quite early, but the hangover of ‘Nimbu Pani’ from last night’s party got the better of me. It was the ‘mint sprigs’ in the drink that did the job.   Actually, our “replacement maid” was home early. It is ‘Teej’ today, a big festival in Rajasthan. She called to open the door as she had to leave for the ‘rituals’. ‘Lahariya’ would be the apparel of the day. ‘Sattu’ is the sweet of this festival and my favourite.   It is a day when they say Goddess Parvati reunited with Lord Shiva. Ladies take her blessings for marital bliss.  A few idioms from the folklore for this festival: - Teej ro teehwar, chhokriyon ro adhikaar — “Teej is a festival, but a right of young women”. Saawan Teej, bhaat bharyo leej — “On Teej in the rainy season, the brother fills his sister’s lap with gifts”. Teej ri jhool, preet ro phool — “The swing of Teej is the flower of love”, sym...
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Ellis' Garden 10 August 2025

  A new Adenium colour joins the Ellis' Garden 💙 Dil Khush ❤
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BIG FLOCK OF SMALL BIRDS

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   07/VIII/2025   These days I love to watch the ‘water birds’ going home to roost in the evening. They fly at a leisurely pace, flapping their wings just at the right speed to conserve energy for the night. They stop flapping their wings in intervals when they just hold their extended wings and glide.   The flocks are small and most of them fly solo. It is only the ‘Demoiselles cranes’ which fly in huge groups. One has counted 102 of them flying in formation. Their arrival time is fast approaching. We shall look forward to catching them in the camera as when they approach their traditional feeding grounds.   Smaller birds come in massive numbers. Sometimes your camera cannot frame them in one go. They are fast, fleety, constantly changing directions & making waves. Those ‘black clouds’ circle around for a very short duration and disappear before you realise their presence. One has to be lucky to catch them.   ...
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ELLIS' GARDEN 06 AUGUST 2025

💖 DIL KHUSH 💖
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ROBIN & TIKTOK

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   05/VIII/2025   It was a fantastic morning as the skies were absolutely clear. The sun changed its colours from crimson to pale yellow to near white. Chores in the garden and my cup of tea were about to finish. It was going to be a hot and humid day. That didn’t deter me from checking on my birdie and reptilian friends.   Before I could serve Roti, I saw a hazy outline of a bird hiding in the Bamboo clump. It was my little friend who had come calling again. “Hi, Ms Robin! I am so thrilled to see you back”, I quipped. She just bobbed her tail and flew to the fence where I could see her clearly. I thanked her for returning.   I had a volley of questions for her. Where is your family, husband in particular? The males are dark and blackish and the ladies have dark brown hues. I seemed to have touched her “dukhti rag” (pained nerve). She sat “tight beaked” without a chirp. I left it at that.   Her best friend and husband fell prey to ...
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