SUPER MOON 🌕 29 SEPT 23
SUPER MOON 🌕 29 SEPT 23
Posts
VIP VISITS
VIP VISITS LT COL NOEL ELLIS 26/IX/2023 One has been used to ‘inspections’ and ‘visits’ by Senior Officers in the Army days. From Prime Minister downwards to Army Chiefs and Army Commanders etc. Spit & shine, geru-choona, paint & suttar, starch & march, everything was ‘fine tuned’, ‘polished’ and rehearsed. ‘JA-SAALE-MER’, Jaisalmer was the place. Every VIP wanted to see the ‘Sonar-Kella’ before seeing the operational area. Operational briefings were the COs prerogative of which we had no clue, I am not sure if he had too (in the lighter vein). We ‘The 2Lts’, had to be ‘clued up’ about tourist destinations there. Youngsters were ‘working party commanders’ of the Officer’s Mess. The Mess party had to be top class, without any FUs. From practices with waiters & pipers, from tasting food, to placing a flower arrangement, to pasting naughty posters in the ‘Adam’s’ washroom and a flowery kind in the Eve’s, (the ladies checked all conveniences on purpose), to concocting
GRASSHOPPERs STORY
GRASSHOPPERs STORY LT COL NOEL ELLIS 24/IX/2023 These days Bulbuls, Sparrows & Doves are not seen frequenting our grain feeders. I am not sure why. Hope we have not offended them. Frequency of refilling the grain bowl has reduced drastically. Though Bajra has been harvested, the birds should return. Maybe, many households have started hanging bird feeders. Insects too have bred aplenty, thus birds are enjoying ‘fast moving food’, instead of traditional ‘porridge’. All birds are not insectivorous but If they are in dire straits, they can switch diets. Like we in India have umpteen combinations of “maukatarians”. ‘Egg dekh sakte hai par touch nahi kar sakte’. ‘Egg kha to sakte hain par ghar nahi la sakte etc-etc’. Cake main chalta hai but….I am not getting to the chicken and its gravy eating people. (Pun Intended) What caught my attention was a Grasshopper in the grain bowl. “Hello mister, what are you doing in here,” Have you turned into a “grainytarian”. Hop a
A UNIQUE RETURN GIFT
A UNIQUE RETURN GIFT LT COL NOEL ELLIS 22/IX/2023 The street lights were still on when I wandered into our quiet colony for my morning walk. Even the pets were sleeping like most their owners. Thank God the guards were awake. One hour in silence with nature, without a mobile, listening to birds as they started chirping and ruffling their feathers making plans for the day. Capturing birdy pics was my plan, once daylight broke. By the time I returned home, that photography plan vanished from my mind. Gardening related stuff got me engrossed. By then, our ritualistic cup of tea in the garden was ready. My camera caught the rain lilies blooming profusely. Water droplets on them caught my attention. My wife generally walks up to a Neem tree in the adjacent house to pluck freshly sprouted leaves called ‘Kopals’, while they are still brown and tender. Chewing neem leaves freshens the mouth. The bitter-sweet juices contain medicinal properties. That is when I heard my wife whispering, shhhhh
AMARYLLIS LILIES
AMARYLLIS LILIES LT COL NOEL ELLIS 19/IX/2023 Looking after the plants has no limit literally. They are like your children and you want to be around them all the time. Even a yellowing leaf hurts the eye. I had a plan in mind today. It was the removal of ‘Amaryllis’ lily bulbs from their pots. They are also commonly known as ‘Easter Lilies’, as they flower just once a year around Easter time only. They need to be manured well. However, there is a twist in grooming and looking after them which I learnt recently. If it gives good results, why not apply it, was a passing thought. After they have bloomed, the ‘flower stem’ needs to be snipped. The ‘sword’ like leaves are left to grow freely. This is their ‘consolidation stage’, as they are hungry after flowering and need to absorb maximum nutrition. Therefore, manuring has to be done after flowering also. This is also the time when bulbs start multiplying, giving birth to baby bulbs, which stick to the sides of the main bulb. To get b
CLOUD CITY
CLOUD CITY LT COL NOEL ELLIS 17/IX/2023 We are already in ‘renaming mode’. This gave me an idea to change the name of our ‘Sun City’ to ‘Cloud City’. I would be metaphorically, politically, grammatically, physically, diplomatically, actually, and weatherly correct, if I suggest so. Since May this year there has been a cloud cover. We are into September now and it is still raining. The forecast is for heavy rains in the next 48 hours. Who likes the sun scorching your back? Even plants start showing signs of ‘sunburns’ and ‘dehydration’. Good that the sun is covered with clouds. As I walked out this morning with no agenda in mind, I found a lot of pots holding water from last night's torrential rain. Agenda was ready. The bottom hole of all such pots had to be opened. A few pots needed manure, others needed hoeing, some needed trimming and the rest were just happy flowering. To my surprise, what I thought were dry neem leaves sticking to the veranda floor, were actually a ‘cornu
UNDERSTANDING KASHMIR
UNDERSTANDING KASHMIR LT COL NOEL ELLIS 16/IX/2023 90 hours and we are still in hot pursuit with the Anantnag Operation. We have suffered more casualties. How and when will these Bs be sent six feet down under is a matter of time, but down shall they go. They do not know “kis se panga liya hai”. They are well trained and in all probability be Afghani’s as they only give such a fight. Terrorists of Indian origin, who go across the LC, get trained and return are sissies, is well known. These guys had been lying doggo after infiltrating and waiting for an opportune moment while stocking up supplies, arms, and ammunition, knowing the wrath they will face once the first shot is fired. It means they were communicating and we missed the chatter. Our informer was actually their informer. A double crosser, nothing new. He was sent deliberately to draw our forces with specific information about their location but not their strength and capabilities. They have engaged us here.