The mighty tree.......

A large part of my memories of a place are about the trees there. Whenever I think of my college, the first thing that comes to mind is the beautiful trees and the road shaded by their canopies. Trivandrum for me is more about the frangipanis in the Napier Museum and powder puff and jacaranda trees lining the Palayam road than anything else.

So when we went inside Tipu Sultans fort in Palakad and saw this gorgeous mango tree, both Sai and I were in awe! The lawns inside were a perfect setting for the tree. The most amazing thing about it was the one branch which had swooped down and grown back up as another tree from the ground. Wonder how it fell....wonder if it was part of the wars fought in the fort or a much less exciting story.....

There was another humongous tree on the other side of the fort with the most interesting trunk. It was almost like a sculpture. We wanted to take photos but we were already late and the guards did not want to get into trouble having us there for longer. ..... 

This particular tree was interesting for another reason....there were at least 2 'just-married' couples being photographed sitting on its low branches. It was such a cute sight to see! Such a perfect location to start a new life from.....wonder how many have.....
Leena

Unni and his grandmother.........

You meet the most interesting people by sheer chance. We had gone to a small village near Palakad for a wedding. It was really really hot and the car left in the sun was an oven! All of us sat on the porch of a nearby home waiting for the car to cool down a little - the home was Unni's. He was a little vary of us initially but prodded on by his grandmother, he warmed up a little and even gave his ball to Ally (my daughter) to play with.  We sat there and talked while Ally entertained everyone around. Thankfully she did very sweetly give the ball back to Unni when it was time for us to leave.

It amazes me how easily they welcomed us, total strangers, into their homes. Wonder if I would be so kind if someone just decides to park themselves on my porch.....something to ponder over.....

Leena

Peace.....

The face, the posture, the eyes, everything about a Buddha statue evokes serenity and peace. I've always wondered how the artisans manage to capture such a look of contentment on the face each and every time. Even the few I have seen lacking in detail have that quality of peace.If a statue can evoke an emotion like peace, I can only imagine what it would have been like to see and meet Gautam Buddha in real life. All I have to do when I am restless is look at even a photograph of the Buddha and I calm down. 

A quote by Buddha which summarizes everything I am saying, ' Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.' 

Leena

Together forever......

There are always moments in every wedding which makes it really really special. This was that moment for me in Gangadharan and Veena's wedding. The way Veena was smiling when the thali was being tied is beautiful - joy, excitement and a thousand other emotions running through her mind. 

Leena

A very friendly visitor.......

Bangalore has very few crows. Coming from Kerala where you see crows all over the place, I quite miss them here. So imagine my surprise when one landed in our backyard and seemed in no hurry to fly away and in no way scared of us! The crow had hurt his leg and had come to rest a little. I had the camera with me and wanted to take snaps but was worried that he would fly away if I went close. How wrong I was! I kept slowly edging closer to him and he just sat on the ground wondering what I was trying to do!

This shot was taken with a 50mm lens with me sitting right in front of the crow. I have to say, he was quite a poser! He didn't feel threatened by me or the camera in any way at all. 

I was hoping that my boys ( Max the boxer and Cocoa the lab) wouldn't come and see our visitor but that was hoping for too much! Max is most curious about anything which comes into his garden and of course wanted to find out what the crow was upto and play with it. Again, the crow was really calm about Max being around and started walking away only when Max got too close and started sniffing. Max just wouldn't let him rest though. He is not used to too many creatures not being scared of him and he kept going closer to figure out what was with the bird! The crow finally decided that our backyard wasn't the best place for him to get rest....he gave Max the dirtiest look and flew away to a nearby tree.....

Wonder if he'll come visiting again....

Leena

Through the lens.....

I am beginning to believe that the world we see through a camera lens is a lot more beautiful than with the naked eye! The most simple things can look beautiful. I don't think I would have looked so carefully and seen so much more beauty in ordinary things if it was not for the camera. 

The other day we were at a friends home and I was going around clicking pictures of her beautiful garden. I saw not just the most beautiful flowers but also the fillers and the leaves and the way the branches were swooping down and the little ant on top of the blade of grass! If it wasn't for the camera in my hand, I would most definitely have missed a lot of it. The garden had so much more meaning and beauty when I saw it through the lens....

Leena

The simple joys.......

I get amazed every time I see how  the smallest things can make a child happy. It was my nephews birthday last week and he had a great day doing the simplest things....having his favourite KFC lunch, going for a swim, playing with his sisters, getting gifts and a dinner out. 

Every time I see my daughter get delighted at things I've stopped being happy about long back, I wonder when I stopped being joyous about things like her. When I see it with her, it is fun, It is absolutely great to be chasing bubbles and scribbling on paper and splashing in water! Try it again.....

Leena

Happy!

Happy is such a perfect name for a puppy! They are all about happiness and their joy is so infectious. I remember when our pups were still all at home, it was such a treat to come downstairs every morning and be smothered by all the little paws jumping up at you! 

We met Happy, a 6 month old Shitzu, recently and it was sheer joy! He was as excited to meet us as we were meeting him. He was jumping and rolling and biting and everything at the same time. And in breaks he would lie down flat on the ground to give us time to pet him. He looks like a perfect rug when hes on the ground - total cuteness! 

Yesterday we met another pup, Tintin. Tintin has such a naughty look in his eyes and such an attitude for someone so small! Ally was also so happy playing with him. Spunky little Tintin is looking for a family who will give him as much happiness as he'll surely bring them.

Such joys all the doggies I know are!

Leena