Tag: Nature

Winner eats all? πŸ€”

No, I am not talking of Joey Chestnut even though I understand he again won the hot dog eating contest today (July 4, 2025) 😊. I am referring to the kings of eating, squirrels! This year I got a new bird feeder to replace the older one in our backyard. On day one I filled the bird feeder fully with seeds. Immediately, the squirrels and their smaller siblings, the chipmunks, started making merry and helping themselves to the seeds by jumping straight from the rocky ledge on to the bird feeder. πŸ˜€Within a day or two all the seeds were gone, nary a bird in sight. 😒To make it tougher for the squirrels I decided to move the bird feeder pole about couple of feet away from the ledge. To make it more difficult I also turned the hook for the bird feeder, pointing it towards the house and away from the ledge. Pretty soon, to my delight, the bird feeder attracted cardinals, finches and sparrows. πŸ‘ For squirrels and chipmunks, access to the bird feeder required climbing up the pole and landing on the bird feeder. Couple of times I saw chipmunks climbing up the pole halfway to the top and then climbing back down as they were unsure of their ability to land safely on the bird feeder. Wow! I think the feeder is serving its purpose better, the birds are getting their fair share! πŸ‘Alas, my celebration was premature. 😭 After some initial hesitation the bigger squirrels managed to gather enough confidence to climb all the way up the bird feeder pole, land confidently on the feeder and have a go at the seeds with gusto. As if to show off their acrobatic skills they started hanging upside down from the feeder base, like bats. πŸ˜‚Those critters are a smart lot too! They realized that swinging the bird feeder releases the seeds from inside and spraying the seeds down on the lawn for a more leisurely meal later. Having mastered the art they finished off the seeds within a day or two. I was tempted to make it more difficult for the squirrels but then there are times when one has to applaud the winner and accept defeat gracefully. πŸ™The squirrels had accepted my challenge and showed me what they are capable of to earn their reward! πŸ‘So, I decided against moving the bird feeder again. Also thought the end result is probably a fair representation of the times we live in: The greedy grab all they can, leaving the needy staring in disbelief πŸ˜’πŸ™

Full rainbow! πŸ₯°πŸ‘ŒπŸ‘

Amazing things happen unexpectedly at times.
Last evening I went out for a drive. As I stepped out of the car after parking I was greeted by an amazing sight: A full rainbow! 🌈
’twas a pleasant and very unexpected surprise πŸ‘Œ as there were barely a few raindrops on the car windshield during my drive and when I parked. I set about trying to capture the glory of the moment. Couple of pictures of the rainbow and then I ran around to take picture of the other side of the sky. I was greeted by the bright orange of the setting Sun! πŸ‘
Such moments can’t be scripted. Felt blessed as I enjoyed the sight of the full rainbow and the setting Sun. It was fleeting. In a minute or two the rainbow was gone as the sky darkened and the Sun disappeared.
In sum that’s life: Make the most of the memorable moments and count the blessings! πŸ™πŸ˜Š

2022 Raj Farm Update# 1: Rose to the occasion! πŸ‘

Pink, Yellow and Red roses leading the way! πŸ‘
They certainly rose to the occasion. 😊
This year trying a slightly differing approach to potting plants. Lot of plastic pots from buying flowering pots past few years with soil inside too. Trying to minimize buying new pots and reuse existing ones. Towards that end I have cut out the bottom of some of the plastic pots and placed them in spaces with an inch or two of the soil dug in. The idea is to use the soil inside the pot and yet promote the growth of the roots in the soil underneath the open bottom of the pot. The pot should also provide a support structure in windy conditions. Let’s see how it works out. In the composite picture roses appear to be leaning toward roses of other colors and engaging in a lively conversation. πŸ˜„
Enjoy the feast for the eyes of flowers in bloom πŸ‘

Guilty Pleasures Series: #2 – Nature and wildlife documentaries

I am always filled with amazement whenever I watch nature and wildlife documentaries on TV. The majesty of huge trees in woods, the feline grace of a wild cat, the natural beauty of flowers and birds, the grandeur of high mountains and big rivers, the vastness of the oceans and the variety of marine life are all awe inspiring and humbling at the same time. They are worth traveling many a mile to catch a glimpse of. The next best thing of course is watching them in the comforts of the living room (Sorry, no TVs in my bedrooms πŸ˜ƒ). As impressive as the sights are equally impressive is the passion, dedication, patience and effort put in by the crews working on the documentaries. It’s always a pleasure to appreciate the beauty of nature.

What do I feel guilty about? Me being me about a few things.

1) There is always a sense of sadness on seeing that flora and fauna alike are getting endangered alike due to increasing demands of human race. Forests appear to be making way for fields to grow food grains or for construction. Bodies of water are shrinking to accommodate human water needs.

2) While it’s thrilling to watch a wild cat hunting for its prey and that’s its natural instinct it’s sad to see any life getting lost. I still distinctly remember a wildlife documentary about Africa in which a pack of lions attack an elephant at night when elephants do not have good sight. During the day and when elephants are in a group the lions do not stand a chance. So, the lions gang up, isolate an elephant at night and attack from all sides.

3) With so many plants and animals thinning in numbers I wonder if we will be the last generation lucky enough to see tigers, elephants and other endangered plants and animals in person. Will posterity be content on watching how it used to be on video?

Wouldn’t it be great if humans and animals can communicate with each other in a language both can understand and speak? Humans could learn a few things from animals like being able to sense changes in weather and also learning to survive in extreme conditions without needing much. Animals could learn from humans to be more organized and harnessing natural resources for their needs. I wonder about what goes through the mind of animals that are in danger and running for their dear life. What is the thought process of all the small fish that get gobbled by bigger fish. There are insects with a life span of just a few hours. If God has created everything there has to be purpose for every living thing. Without a purpose it doesn’t make sense. I keep asking myself a basic question. What is the purpose of everything that has life? πŸ™