NOEL ELLIS' GOOGLE BLOG

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   13/X/2025   In August I had talked about three cute little kittens in our lane. Dotty, Brownie and Spotty. Dotty has disappeared, probably the obvious happened, so has their mom.   Our car is their favourite hiding spot. Shade, security, and safety are available. I would add another S, ‘Shikar”. They sit under it in a hope to catch a bird or two.   Many birds visit our home. Insects, grain, roti, and water attract them. Some of them come to bathe on water droplets accumulated on the leaves. They meander between the pots seeking insects. Some come for nectar, some as predators. Dotty and Brownie come to hone their hunting skills.   One day, their mom was refusing to budge from a spot between the pots. I told her to go away. She didn’t move an inch. Her gaze was focussed on something.   What could it be? Just then I saw some movement on the side of the pot. Due to the shade and shadows of the plant...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   12/X/2025   It was a watering day. The garden looked a little parched. It had been three days since the plants were thirsty. This year, I shall be very careful as we lost so many plants by serving them more water than they could drink.   As I sprinkled the first row of pots, a small insect fluttered off from the bushy plant and almost sat on my nose. It appeared to be a kind of butterfly but was too small. It must be a moth I thought, as it buzzed past and went and sat on the car. I left it there to take a photo later, if it stayed there, till one completed the watering task.   She hadn’t moved. I thanked her and rushed to get my camera to freeze that moment. A few clicks and she was ‘captured’ in the ‘memory card’. As I sat to download the photos, I was taken aback to find all the photos were blurred. I had not focussed on the subject properly due to the excitement.   An hour and a half had passed since. Finding it at the same place w...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   11/X/2025   It was such a relief to hear that someone who thought ‘no end to himself ‘by bulldozing everyone, creating chaos militarily and economically all over the world was shown the door from the coveted peace prize.   God knows how many wars he could/would start, being the most powerful man on earth and then go on to win that Peace Prize.   This article is both on a serious note and in humour with no intention to hurt the one and only President of the “Divided World”.   If not this award, he could move all his resources for winning some others. This man alone has spoilt all international relations, intervened in every continent and country poking his nose and spoiling the broth with his cooks spelt with an r after c.   “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”, is apt to describe him. He thinks he is rational but he is the absolute opposite. This world is at the brink of a nuclear war...

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   10/X/2025   We grew up listening to bedtime stories, fables, parables, and fairytales in our childhood. Guess who used to ‘podcast’ them? None other than my father. He could narrate so many stories but one used to be my favourite. Time and again I would request him to repeat it. You knew each character and their characteristics by heart. But still……   Jack & the beanstalk was that favourite story. I would wait for the part when the ogre would cry out loud. I would repeat the same, half asleep, half afraid, as dad would gruffly say “FEE-FAI-FO-FUM, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be alive, or be dead. I’ll have his bones to grind my bread…...” One would imagine the state of Jack because you thought you were jack.   By the time Jack would get the golden egg, you were fast asleep dreaming of chopping the huge bean stalk, slaying the giant ogre, and living happily thereafter. Dad too would be snoring by then a...

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   07/X/2025   As a habit, I generally catch the full moon. Yesterday being ‘Sharad Purnima’, one was looking forward to get a glimpse. Between the hide and seek of clouds, one got a window, but the clouds veiled the face of the moon, like a bride removing her ghoonghat.   It has been raining like hell. It was as if all clouds had gathered over our place and emptied everything they had. Thus, this morning, I had all the time in the world. There was no watering to be done, thanks to the rain.   My first encounter was with a small group of tailor birds. There were eight or nine of them frolicking around. Little babies and their parents. All masis, phuphis, chachis, tais and mamis were there with their husbands picking on insects hiding in the foliage.   It was time for a walk in the common garden on a cloudy morning. I thought to myself, why walk alone, and picked up my camera. Maybe, some special guest may po...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   05/X/2025   Sunday is one of the longest days. Though for a veteran everyday is Sunday, why not make it special, a little different, little interesting and above all satisfying.   The day started well before dawn. The sky was clear unlike it had been overcast the previous week. Weather has become pleasant. Having attended to the garden it was time to join my morning walker friends.   As we halted for a chit chat, my friend pointed out to a bird in the common garden. ‘Shikra’ it was. Ek photo to banta tha. By the time I returned with my camera, it flew away with a big grasshopper in its talons.   It was time to say goodbye to my friends and take a few photos of the garden.   The first plant which had brought a smile was  Golden Pseuderanthemum  or golden eranthemum. Sounds like chrysanthemum. Difficult to pronounce but beautiful to look at.   After about two years it had flowered. The pinkish white flowers looked lik...

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   01/X/2025   The Demoiselles cranes have arrived. It was a spectacle to witness a huge flock of over 200 of them. It is my rough estimate, could be plus-minus fifty cranes.   As usual the months of Sept and Oct are a busy time for gardeners. The morning is spent in the front garden and the evening the rooftop garden. The tub water has to be changed, roots of water lilies which have overgrown have to be trimmed.  Let me tell you, it is a dirty and smelly job. Plus, it needs concentration as some naughty fish jump out of the water.   My ears pricked up as I heard a very familiar sound of calling of the Demoiselles cranes. I was filling fresh water in the tubs when I heard them up close and took my gaze skywards. Nothing was visible but the sounds were distinct and clear. They were definitely here.   I forgot the direction of the hose where it was pointing when I got the first glimpse of the flock. It wa...

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   01/X/2025   We all are crazy about flowers. Not necessarily in growing them, but admiring them for the happiness they generate on the first look.   Most of us from the older generation would remember the poem “Pushp Ki Abhilasha” by Makhan Lal Chaturvedi. He has beautifully expressed a flower’s dream and its last wish.   Today, I wish to highlight the beauty of both flowers and leaves. Their incredible shapes, size, structure, texture, patterns, colours are just mind-blowing. We tend to ignore leaves and stems for flowers.   Imagine, you buy a bouquet. The florist goes about professionally to construct it. He snips and clips the long stems, plucks away leaves. Finally, when he adds some leaves to add some texture to the bouquet. The combination now looks presentable.   He sprays it with a watery mist to enhance the visual appeal. We think he is freshening the flowers but it is to give it a stunni...