Christmas week is a busy week and spills over to the New Year. Friends
and family get together, rejoice, make merry and strengthen bonds. It is cold
and wintry, the reason to indulge in relishing plum and rum cakes and pakwans,
dry fruits and puddings and be at peace.
However, too much rest to my ‘finger tips’ was catching with me both
with the laptop keys and the ‘click button’ of the camera. Sometimes, it is
good to take a break or if one can call it a ‘fast’ of a different sort. It is
a good time to sit down, chill, run down and reflect on things which are now
memories in the year coming to an end. How time flies!
We had a dinner planned for my chaddi-buddies and their families last
evening. We were looking forward to having fun and lots of laughter. However,
in all this milieu, some little things had to be done like feeding the fish on
the roof, lest I miss out.
As I opened the roof door, my eyes lit up when I saw a white breasted
kingfisher sitting and sharpening its beak on the neighbours roof. It rattled
very loudly on seeing me. Was he wishing me Merry Christmas after having a few
fish from my tubs or was it startled due to my presence? I don’t know.
I was not carrying my camera again. Before I let the Kingfisher go, I
rushed down to fetch it. I knew ‘Mr Malya’ won’t go very far as his dinner was
waiting in my water lily tubs. A few clicks till the sun went down and we got
ready to party.
In the morning, when I opened the front door to pick up the newspaper,
another flower welcomed me. One could not help but break into a broad smile.
These plants came all the way from Nainital called ‘Fuchsia’. This was the
first bloom made my Dil Khush.
Just then there was activity in the front lawn. No guesses, it was our
very dear ‘Dhoban Chiriya’. The pair was picking breakfast. What caught my eye
was the dew sticking to her beak. The pair went around stretching their legs
and catching worms as. I left them to have their feast.
Just then a Dove cooed from atop the lightning conductor. I said hello
to her and took a walk to see if I could spot some more birds.
Even before I brought down the camera a pair of ‘Tailor birds’ were
hopping around the Cotton plant and the Moringa tree. I requested them to pose,
but they were in no mood to stay still. ‘Fleety’ as they are!
Having bid goodbye to them my very old friend the ‘Wire Tailed Swallow’
caught my attention. These girls had gone missing for quite a while. Today, she
was up in the air catching insects in the morning. My lady came to bask on a
ledge on the roof.
I was about to ask the reasons for her absence but then abstained, lest
I scare her away. She just sat there to absorb the sun as I continued on my
walk. She was definitely posing for me to click her and I obliged.
My attention was fixed on an Almond tree in the garden which is now in
fall season. The beauty of the tree sans its leaves has to be appreciated.
In the evening, I knew Mr Malya would be there waiting for me and my
guess was perfect. He had brought along a friend, a sleepy pigeon who sat on
the ledge of the solar panel. A few clicks and I left them to watch the setting
sun.
The fellowship with friends had rejuvenated us. I decided to log my
thoughts this evening. Hope next year I get to write more. 231 articles in 2025
and counting is a remarkable score with four days still to go. Thank you all
for your blessings and encouragement.
Enjoy this festive season folks. Love and peace are the message of
Christmas. Let both prevail. May our country stay blessed and prosper leaps and
bounds in 2026.
How many articles would I write next year? I wonder!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
©® NOEL
ELLIS
Comments
Post a Comment