NOEL ELLIS' GOOGLE BLOG

  💙 DIL KHUSH 💙 from Ellis' Garden

  MYSTERIO US NIMBOLI   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 12/VII/2024   Neem, the state tree of Rajasthan is one of my favourites. Its medicinal, anti fungal and bacterial properties are well known. Besides, its dense shade reduces the ambient temperature by many degrees even on the hottest and sunniest day. Sun City used to have rows of these trees lined along roads for ‘Chaya to the Panthi’. The traditional Panthi is no more foot slogging. He moves on motorcycles and has even shunned the ‘Ship of the Desert’. Roads have broadened for which these grand old trees had to be felled. That little water bowl for the birds and stray animals under these trees have also vanished. Birds used to flock in neem trees creating ruckus have all gone silent and moved away or disappeared. The gup- shup sessions of ‘safa bearing’ old men sitting under those trees are now busy on their mobiles. Things have changed. The ‘matkas’ of water for ‘thirsty humans’ have been replaced by water campers under plastic...

  STOCKING FOOD   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 11/VII/2024   Since the first monsoon downpour, there has been a flurry of activity here. Chameleons are mating. Birds have made their nests and laid eggs again. Canopies of trees have turned lush green. Slugs have reappeared on the scene. Basically, there are renewed signs of life and activity. Underground species of insects have surfaced. White ants are abundant here but are still in hibernation. Even the ones which come out to fly have not taken flight yet. I dread their appearance as they destroy plant life. Grand old trees have died because their roots were eaten by white ants. Hope they do not attack new trees we have planted. Their colonies would still exist down under. They say, unless the queen is taken care of, destroying a white ant colony is next to impossible. Wish us luck. What caught my attention was an ‘Army of Ants’ marching up and down the garden walkway. They were parading along in a straight line along the ledge of s...

  DIFFERENT BIRDS   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 09/VII/2024   As I was unlatching the door to pick up the morning paper, I saw commotion in the common garden infront of our house. Four ‘ beautiful birdies’ aka ladies were up to something. It wasn’t Yoga, it wasn’t Zumba, it wasn’t the laughter club, nor was it a clapping class. They were singing, clapping, and making strange poses. “Yogclapganazumba” I think. The day had well begun. From across the street our car washer, a ‘huge burly bird’ wished me good morning. Mind you, it is the loudest good morning on this side of River Jojhri. I always wish him back but he repeats good morning till he hears me loud and clear. This guy puts me in a spot for telling me that “you didn’t wish me saab”. For a couple of weeks, I thought he was ‘hard of hearing’ as my good morning is quite loud. Today, I found out why. He listens to old Hindi songs at full volume with ear plugs on while doing his job. I gestured to him to remove them ...

  NEST ON RENT   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 08/VII/2024   The Sunbirds are in action again. It could be the rains which have brought about some fresh josh in them. Now they come in groups to enjoy goodies in the Ellis’ Garden. What caught our attention was their visits to their old nest which they built in April this year. In May, their chicks flew away. One didn’t know why they were returning to the place where Blackie & Brownie had raised Jinny & Johnny. Could they be missing their old home? Were they about to raise more chicks? The pair would make a short halt for a ‘dekho’ for danger. On confirming all clear, one by one they would visit the nest, gripping loose hanging twigs of grass. Once in a while, they would enter the nest and sit for a while. This was a bit unusual or could there be more than what meets the eye. As I stood in the veranda to observe what these birds were up to, it appeared that Brownie could be hatching another clutch of eggs, I was not sure. In a ...

💜 DIL KHUSH💙

  SOAR THROAT   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 06/VII/2024   How I dread catching a cold followed by cough. The throat goes soar, the nose is runny, the eyes are watery. You lose your sense of taste and smell. One feels dull and dejected. Mom would keep yelling at us, “jamun ke baad pani mat peena”, “Aam ka chaip nikal kar khana”, “mumfali khane ke baad pani mat peena”, to avoid catching a cough. We would do exactly the opposite on purpose. Most of the times she would be right and then…. Her medicine used to be two tight slaps, for not being obedient. I am not sure how many of you would remember ‘Mandal’s Throat Paint’. When nothing worked, we were dragged to the MI room in the school campus where we stayed. Our nursing assistant Mr Sucha Singh would pull out a ‘jhaaru ka tinka’ from the cupboard. (That is what we called it). Then roll a swab of cotton at one tip, dip it in ‘tincture’ a brownish viscous liquid. For us everything was tincture as for cuts and bruises he us...

  Colours are back 🧡 DIL KHUSH ❤

  MY DAY IS MADE   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 03/VII/2024   Everyone would like to have a best start to the day. What if your day starts with ‘compliments’? Yesterday, as my wife and I were taking a stroll after dinner when we met our friends staying across our lane. The lady asked me for some ‘trees’ to plant in her college where she is a professor. It was a compliment that she knew where to look for plants, even at odd hours. Once we had mentioned to them our way of creating tree saplings. Instead of buying them from a nursery, we were giving it our own personal touch. That is to grow trees from seeds which we obtained from fallen pods and seeds extracted from fruits we consume and throw in trash. Seeds thus collected are washed and left to dry for a week, then inserted in nursery bags or discarded milk packets. Once they mature, they are transferred to a suitable place or given to a family who promise to care for the plant. Be that as it may. I promised the la...

  GOOD WISHES TO GEN DWIVEDI   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 01/VI/2024   Oh my! What a relief it was for me to see the baton finally being handed over to General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, ADC as the 30th Army Chief. My apprehensions of the extension given to Gen Pande were put to rest when I saw his photograph wearing the coveted ranks. His credentials are very well known, so I would not elaborate on that. However, our smiley Chief of Army Staff has a thread attached to me. I am not sure if he would recall or remember this piddly, but I sure do and very fondly. We entered Charlie Squadron as second termers in the winter of 1982. We had no idea of what was in store. Three of us from St’ Kaps, yours truly, Nawab & Pawan were from the same class & same school and now the same squadron had some reprieve to be together for mutual support. First thing we learnt that the CSM was a Saikapian. Rajan Batta. Half the tension was over. All of us look around for some ‘...

A new Water Lily colour joins the Ellis' Garden ❤ DIL KHUSH ❤

  AVON, a new Rain Lily joins the Ellis' Garden. 💖DIL KHUSH ❤

  बर्बाद गुलिस्ताँ करने को तो ,एक ही उल्लू काफी था , यहां हर शाख पे उल्लू 🦉 बैठा है ,अंजाम -ए -गुलिस्ताँ क्या होगा।

  UNFORESEEN EMERGENCIES   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 27/VI/2024   The pre monsoon showers have knocked the doors of the Sun City. Though the mood was building up for a couple of days, the clouds were not giving in. They came hovering over the city, churned in and out, changed colours from white to dark grey, and let out an occasional flash of lightning to remind us that they were there, but won’t open their flood gates. Here, the atmosphere builds up as if it would rain anytime. High speed winds, dark clouds, followed by snapping branches and falling trees is a common phenomenon. Then the whole thing subsides, giving people of the Suncity a dodge. But that day, it appeared that rain won’t give us a miss was what my ‘eleventh sense’ told me. It just so happened that the curtains of the drawing room were drawn. I was sifting through the day's photos sitting on the table when I heard the pitter patter of rain. These were the warning shots I suppose. The barrage had yet to be fired. ...

  FRESH ANTI TERRORIST OPERATION LAUNCHED   LT COL NOEL ELLIS 26/VI/2024   Pakistan is on a cusp of disaster. This is being said by their own elected/selected representatives in parliament and openly. They have so little money to spend and too much to ‘defend’ figuratively. Both China and the IMF have given out their plan of action. Increase taxes, says IMF to repay loans. Provide fool proof security for our projects, says China or else forget it. Their electricity crisis has reached another extreme where the ‘honest’ common man cannot pay his bills. The dishonest are stealing electricity and the privileged are getting it free. What an irony! Be that as it may. In this financial crisis they have increased their Military Budget by almost 4.5%. To justify their existence Pak Army have started a new Anti Terrorist Op called “Asm-i-Istekam”. Asm-i-Istekam means “Rejection of Strife” or “Elimination of Strife”. What a bombastic name! they do not realise what ...