Priceless! There’s Visa, MasterCard etc for the rest.

Yesterday, Pavan and myself went out cycling together, we were out almost 3 1/2 hours. This had been a very rare and priceless moment where we were able to spend time together without being bothered by the kids. The kids were at school and Pavan was home and the day was perfect to go out cycling.  As usual, started off with my camera…and there came that poking remark from Pavan.

“What if it falls?” he said

It hurt because I knew he was right.

“Pavan, do you have to say that! I took it along yesterday, we were fine right?!”

“Lets say there’s a 10% probability that you may fall, and if you bring it out 10 times, its surely going to happen, one of those times”.

He was surely right, and I knew it and was hoping that he had not said anything.  Now, I had to put it back, what if I fall and then he would get to say

“I told you so!!”

So, as I went inside disappointed to keep the camera back, I heard him telling me

“After we finish cycling, lets go out for a walk, and that way you can take the camera along.”

So, we set out..we went through bike paths and walkways.

 

The wind was heavy at times and it was so fun to drive against the wind up the hilly terrain, without slowing down. I almost felt that burn in my tummy. We went through trails and other ways we hadn’t tried earlier.  Then as we were about 17 miles into the drive, I FELL!!….Pavan was showing me how to leave his hand off the bar and stay like that…I had turned to look at him and driven straight off the road. It was not a bad fall but a fall indeed. I got up and was able to feel better within 3-5 minutes and we set out to complete the 20 mile drive.

As I was completing, I saw something on the road, this tiny thing trying to run away from me and the road..I ran home and ran back with my camera. Pavan followed and here is the thing that I was talking about. It had reached the edge of the road. Look at those polka dots..beautiful color

After we left it alone we went on a long walk. The fall colors had already started to set in. I’ve been trying to experiment with the “Bokeh” effect a lot, and here is one I took that has a beautiful color crystals effect…Intentionally took this out of focus to see the bokeh…and I wasn’t displeased.

The look of fall was everywhere..

Almost all the fauna around was busy saving their food for the winter. We found squirrels running around hiding their nuts. Look at this guy looking at us so intently..

Here’s one running with the nut in his mouth

Then he pauses to find a spot

And hides his nut..

We also found Blue Jay’s busy with their nuts..But, what’s with these birds..they just refused to give me a shot of their face…

Here is one charging straight at me holding a nut with its beak..Face not clear!

 

Then we have another turning towards me holding something with its beak..Face not clear again!!

 

Then we have another one, perched on a Linden..Not showing its face!! The bark of this Linden …so nice photographic material. Can you spot the blue Jay?

Here’s another one on the Linden, trying to face away again!!

Now, I need to take this challenge and get a picture of this beautiful looking bird….During my next walk!

Maybe the blue jays didn’t want to show their face to me..but the butterflies were so obliging. As I reached home, I was delighted to find a few of them on my flowers.

 

Can you spot one here, on the Lavender?

This butterfly was so good at camouflage, Not able to spot it on this Lavender right?  The only stops it took was on spots that appeared brown, other than on the Lavender. Never on the grass.

 

Then we have this monarch..that I had spotted a week ago. Haven’t been able to spot the big ones. I guess, they have left, that fall is here.

I followed this lone guy to the butterfly bush

 

Gliding by our window.

 

Then…my gaze fell on one of the beautiful spot of my garden. The Rain Lilies!!! They were in bloom that it had rained yesterday.

 

It was already time for me to go and pick up Richa from School. But, when we returned, me and Richa spent a lot of time in our garden taking so many more beautiful pictures of the flowers in bloom.

This can be picture material for the next blog…..

Clicks of the week (Part 2)

 

There is a bird couple just outside our door and its making a nest in the mango tree. Its so amazing to watch them. The male waits nearby while the female is weaving the nest and as soon as she flies out, he joins her. In a couple of minutes, they are back together with another twig and he continues to watch on her while she weaves her nest. It reminded me of my father-in-law and mother-in-law…Even now, we family tease them calling them “love birds”. They are so devoted to each other.

This couple has made our yard so noisy  (I meant the birds ),  as they get nervous of any creature who comes close to the nest. They have become our morning alarm!!  The other day, there was a bird of a bigger size..I would have loved to take some pictures of that bird, but, I I had to shoo it away, because this couple (actually, just the male) got so anxious and were tweeting so loud. These birds are tiny but, their sound is piercing. Even as I mentioned this story to my kids, Kavya told me…

“yeah, I got up when the sound came..It was so loud”

Here is the couple..I’m no bird watcher and this is the best shot they have given me till now..Bad idea to take it from below against the sky…

 

Here are some of the birds that are troubling them…(actually, I need to put a picture of myself also…since I’m troubling them enough too). You can see how it was eyeing their nest..

As it flew away..it let out a sound..like it told me..”I’ll be back”..though it sounded like a cuckoo. Haven’t see one in this color though.

 

and these tiny ones too..what’s with the birds being tiny and their voice being so piercing…

 

Just watch the same bird pictured against the coconut branch instead of the sky…its features gets so clear. It has yellow eyes with a black eyeball.

 

So, by Richa’s expectations…I’ve covered her birds and I just have her Ant Friends to shoot ..(Well, if I could literally, because, they are a menace)…Anywhere one turns, we have naani’s ant friends…I’m also getting a lot of lessons on ant behavior, thanks to Richa.

“Look mama, the doctor ant is carrying the sick ant”

“Look mama, the little ant is following their didi’s (elder sisters) in a line”

and so on…

 

Richa with the ant watching device..