@ilovetowrite
@ilovetowrite
We will soon have cashew apples This is the sapling that our old tree left behind before it died. It has now grown into a full tree and has started yielding since the last couple of years. First there will be flowers and then the nut appears before the cashew apple grows on it. You might find it strange and I find it strange too. Those fresh nuts have soft shells. They are slit and the tender nut removed. These tender nuts are used in making several sweet dishes.
@ilovetowrite
Each of them brought a flower It was at one of my birthdays a long time ago these students came with their teacher - a nun - who was my friend. Each gifted me with a single flower. I created a flower arrangement with those flowers and was touched by their gesture. They also performed a dance for me.
@ilovetowrite
When our garden was riding the crest - mustard coloured bougainvillea We had this colour introduced in our garden the last of the lot of colours we have. The deep pruning done by our gardener resulted in the disappearance of this colour but now we see it slowly coming up. Just waiting to see its lost splendour
@ilovetowrite
Home grown bananas We have a small banana plantation that yields though sparingly and 2021 was the worst year. We have a few other varieties but this is the best when it comes to sweetness. Bananas are a staple diet in our household and we need to buy them as we do not get enough for our consumption.
@ilovetowrite
Charlie the monkey - a rare visitor This monkey visited us a few years ago and kept us amused with his antics. Here he is seen sitting right on top of our water tank. He used to do yoga there as well. Charlie was harmless and roamed the whole neighbourhood. We have seen him climb up our jack fruit tree and help himself with the fruit sitting right up there. He vanished one fine day - probably his mother picked him up
@ilovetowrite
Moon through the palm leaves To get the moon I had to use the zoom feature of the camera and that is why the palm leaves look enlarged. But what I do not understand is why the moon looks fragmented. 🤔🤔🤔 Can anyone explain? Thank you
@ilovetowrite
When our garden was riding the crest - sun flowers We have always had large sunflowers and when these sunflowers came up I was not satisfied. I did not appreciate them. Much water has flown under the bridge so to say and now I welcome sunflowers no matter what the size as we have not had them for quite a while. 😏😏😏
@ilovetowrite
Red Ginger - Alpinia Purpurata The propagation of these plants is from plants that emerge from flowers as can be seen in this photo. We did not know what to do with them as every flower that bloomed produced plants. I was just checking Sites that sell plants and saw how expensive each plant is and here we do not know what to with them . We are no good in selling.
@ilovetowrite
A flowew less garden arrangement A good collection of ferns and crotons can bring colour to a flower less garden. In the year 2021 we did not have any seasonal flowers but just a few perennials but those hardly contributed to the colour of our garden. Ferns and crotons are easy to maintain and they help any garden brighten up,
@ilovetowrite
When our garden was riding the crest - tomatoes For whatever reason we have had no tomatoes growing in our garden these days. These tomatoes were from seeds that I received from a member belonging to a Garden Forum where I am a member. They came all the way from the UK I bought some seeds locally a few days ago and I see they have germinated well. Hope to see them growing into healthy plants yielding healthy tomatoes.
@ilovetowrite
Roadside view I clicked this photo some time back just to know how passers by get to see what we do not see. These bougainvillea are hidden from us but the passerby do enjoy. I went out on the road to click this photo. We used to have a hibiscus plant that also had blooms that passersby plucked.
@ilovetowrite
Dragon Flies Very rarely do we see dragon flies in our garden although they are a common insect. These two appeared from nowhere it looked like. Had to capture them in my camera. Those were the only ones we saw and none after that. Atleast I have a memory to share.
@ilovetowrite
Welcome to Solitaire We shifted to a semi rural town just so that we have our own abode with a garden around which we would not have have got had we continued in that polluted city. This was my dream and it got fulfilled a few years ago. The drab look of the house without a garden was a subject for criticism which I bore silently until they saw what a garden had done to it. Solitaire brings a spring in my step every day.
@ilovetowrite
I wish this was a grape vine We have this wild creeper producing such bunches that resemble tiny grapes. I do not think they are edible. Nor have I Googled it to find out. I doubt if they are as birds do not touch them. Obviously birds know more than me. And someone with no brains is called a 'bird brained'😊😊😊
@ilovetowrite
Peppie is lonely He keeps asking me why he is alone . This is the first time that we have just one cat and Peppie does not seem to like it. We have no intention to get another one and so a lot of time is spent with him. He is the most loving cat and always cared for his siblings. He spends most of his time sleeping. He has no one to play with.
@ilovetowrite
Transplanted tomato seedlings are doing well We have a dozen or more tomato seedings that we have transplanted and they are doing well. Cannot wait till I see tomatoes. They say a watched pot never boils. But this is neither a pot nor is anything boiling😏😏😏😋😋😋
@ilovetowrite
Our new wild fig tree I can call it a tree now as it has fully grown. This was a cutting from our old tree which died due to some termites eating into it As you can see fruits are emerging out of the trunk which is interesting When they ripen they turn red.
@ilovetowrite
Our pet rooster Gamma's memorial This was where our pet rooster Gamma spent his nights. He lived for 12 years leaving behind beautiful memories. It has now been converted to a mini garden mostly with hanging baskets. The kalanchoes are in full bloom in the hanging baskets. They will stay fresh for several months
@ilovetowrite
The grazing cow One would think that cow belongs to us and is grazing in our property. The truth of the matter is it is grazing on the side of the road that is touching our property. We have a household who are the only ones who own cattle and they let them roam around. They are safe as no one objects to it.
@ilovetowrite
I thought I saw a slice of heaven I was up on the terrace this morning and when I looked up I just could not believe what I saw. The whole sky had these silver clouds against the blue back ground with our terrace garden for company . Wish I could cover the whole sky in my camera. I could only get some slices.
@ilovetowrite
Chinese Hats - Holmskioldia sanguinea against the blue sky We still have these flowers although they ought to have bloomed during Christmas. The year 2021 saw odd happenings in our garden. The blue background for these flowers created a beautiful view which I was happy to capture in my camera. Sharing it with you
@ilovetowrite
Neither a sunrise nor a sunset I grabbed it while it was one its way to set. The time was around 3.30 in the evening. I felt it was a bit selfish as it only projected itself keeping the surroundings dormant. I liked the effect though.
@ilovetowrite
Fan palm berries We have a well seasoned but stunted fan palm that produces berries each year. These will soon turn red. They are reported to be edible but that which is not in use in the normal course I will not eat them. Would you eat something that you read about on the Net but have never tasted before
@ilovetowrite
A single bell fruit It is amazing how these fruits emerge from the trunk Here is a single bell fruit that has emerged from this huge trunk. I call it marvels of nature.
@ilovetowrite
A welcome invader I had brought a cutting from a friend's garden a few years ago when I had visited her. She lived in a different city It was an overnight stay. It took about a year for this vine to settle down but now it has invaded my garden. I have a few other invaders that I keep removing but they refuse to go All the invaders are beautiful but not fair that they ursurp areas that belong to others.
@ilovetowrite
Washing vessels by hand I am not sure if getting a dish washer will effectively clean the kind of vessels we use here specially the pressure cooker The maid has been sacked for various reasons and yours truly is harnessed to do this job. House work is not my cup of tea as we have always had help around but until we get another maid this will be on my shoulders. Do you have a dish washer?
@ilovetowrite
When our garden was riding the crest - mustard coloured rose Not just a rare colour but also a well formed rose that bloomed on our terrace not so long ago. There was a set back in 2021 that affected many of our flowering plants including roses. We have a lot of work now getting back what we have lost.
@ilovetowrite
Pepper harvest We harvested pepper and it is now getting dried in the sun. We have a few vines that are trained on the areca nut trees. In the photos you will see how they look before they are removed from their stalks. Just when a few turn red that is the time to harvest them. Birds love pepper.
@ilovetowrite
A photographer's delight I did not expect to see this effect in the photo I captured. It has a blend of many colours - an arrangement provided by nature. There is only so much a photographer can do and the rest one has to leave to nature as can be seen here.
@ilovetowrite
Need help I was trying to send some BCH to Coinbase I copied the address and clicked the paste icon in my bitcoin cash wallet. The address appeared. I then sent a few dollars and I got the message 'sent' I do not see it in coinbase and nor have my amounts in my bitcoin cash reduced. How is this possible? I tried it again and made a note of the address that I saw in coinbase. But strangely when I clicked the paste icon what I saw was a totally different address. I did not…
@ilovetowrite
Exotic weeds I was taking a stroll in my garden - yes I am glued to the kitchen these days but this activity I cannot trade with anything else - and my eyes fell on these weeds that were growing on the road side. I used the zoom feature in my camera and captured them. I do have that weed in my garden and I have let it grow but it is just a single plant. Sharing it with you
@ilovetowrite
Beautiful sky with Alamanda for company No matter how picturesque the sky may be a bit of the garden as company will make a huge different to the sky photo. This one has the yellow Alamanda for company besides some palms too. I love spending time looking up as every day it is a different avatar.
@ilovetowrite
Coinbase Depositing money was mandatory at this Site to take any further step. I deposited and when I was about to withdraw I am told India is not supported at the moment. I was asked to connect my bank with my account which I did as well. I have so far not earned anything here. Yes I have dollars but if I cannot withdraw which apparently I have read we can I am confused. What was the idea then asking us to deposit?
@ilovetowrite
Ripened berries of the fan palm Found this photo in my archives. I had posted earlier the one with the green berries which I had clicked just a few days ago. You will now get an idea how the berries look when they are ripe. They are supposed to be edible but no thank you I am not interested. For me they just adorn our garden
@ilovetowrite
We bought these from a vendor Occasionally vendors do the rounds here tempting us to buy their wares. I got tempted and bought this plant that was loaded with a rare colour chrysanthemums. My happiness was however short lived as a mongoose dug it out and destroyed it . I now have a photo of this plant as a memory.
@ilovetowrite
What's going on? - A Memory Preiti our pet dog loved playing with balloons She would kick the balloon all over the place until it burst. This balloon that you see in the photo had fallen off the wall which was a part of the decor for a Christmas party Preiti did not play with it and went on barking wondering what that tinsel was doing there. Preiti had her own personality - we miss her.
@ilovetowrite
It's for the Rainbow colour challenge - Red Monday All the reds in our garden would be ideal for this challenge. This used to be in our garden not so long ago but as I have repeatedly mentioned here many flowering plants have either died or are not producing flowers. Hope is not lost. I am at it
@ilovetowrite
It's for the rainbow colours challenge - orange Tuesday This gerbera fits beautifully for this challenge - a pretty orange. We had other colours in this. They need to be repotted and if not done they just disappear. The only disadvantage of gerberas is that their stems are weak and they need support.
@ilovetowrite
Tiger tails - Acalypha We have these flowers - tiger tails (Acalypha) that bloom throughout the year but last year as many o f you know we had a setback when it came to fruits and flowers what with heavy showers right through December. It seems we hope to see better days in 2022, in our garden.
@ilovetowrite
Marble Chips The exterior of Solitaire - our home - has marble chips. This has saved us from painting our exteriors - we just clean it with the water jet system every couple of years. Our inside walls have marble paste which again saves us from painting - a hassle that involves shifting furniture all over the place and it is expensive too.
@ilovetowrite
Terrace view early in the moring The sun has played truant hiding a few of my plants on the terrace but I am happy with what I see. I managed to cover a couple of trees belonging to my neighbour across the road giving it the feeling that it all belongs to me.
@ilovetowrite
A day with classmates I entertained a few of my classmates who came from different cities a few years ago. Some of them I had not seen for years. After a brunch and few games at my place I took them to a beach resort where we had lunch followed by tea and we spent a few hours on the beach. It was a beautiful day - after all none can take the place of classmates with whom one spends the best of time of their life.
@ilovetowrite
Green Thursday Clicked this photo when our coconut tree was loaded with coconuts not so long ago. We have a few trees and they yield well. There is demand for coconuts and we sell them after keeping some for our own consumption. Do you like coconuts? #Rainbowcolourschallenge
@ilovetowrite
Can I now assume the blue trumpet is out forever? This blue trumpet invaded our garden and no matter how many times we tried to get rid of it we did not succeed. Finally yesterday there were workers who engaged themselves looking for the main root and they got it. The rhizome as you can see in the picture is pretty large and no wonder it came up ever so fast. Yes. the flowers are pretty but they should not have spread like that.
@ilovetowrite
Proliferation at its peak These plants have spread over several feet obviously enjoying the protracted rainy season. They normally produce flowers that resemble canas but there is just foliage and no flowers. Yes we will be pulling them all out as they are growing in an area that has lot of shade and hence no hope of getting flowers.
@ilovetowrite
Things are slowly looking up in our garden Since January this year I see some improvement in our garden. There are bilimbis now coming up as usual - not that we will use them all but the parrots will enjoy them. Our tomato saplings are doing well too.
@ilovetowrite
Star gooseberries We have this tree and they yield once a year around the rainy season. Children enjoy them and for me I prefer the juice. Making juice is easy The berries are placed in a glass jar and sugar added in the ratio of 1:2 where 2 are berries. They are kept in the fridge for 8 days when the sugar extracts the juice. The sugar gets totally dissolved. I normally add a preservative so that the juice remains fresh for months.
@ilovetowrite
Pigeons Pigeons are a rare sight these days here at Solitaire. They used to flock and we saw them mostly on the roof top. This lone pigeon had a round in the garden as you can see in the photo. Do you have pigeons visiting you Do they miss your place with their droppings?
@ilovetowrite
Snack stuffed in turmeric leaves This snack gets the flavour of the turmeric leaves when it is steamed. Ground rice paste is spread over the leaves and over the rice paste a mixture of scraped coconut, jaggery is filled and gently folded. The leaves are removed while eating the snack Tastes yummy Do you use leaves to prepare snacks.
@ilovetowrite
Catherine roses Catherine roses are the easiest to grow. I grew them from stems of roses that were gifted to me by a friend who gave me all 8 colours. Due to lack of care as I was bed resting after my accident a few years only a few have remained. We are in the process of revamping our garden that has lost several flowering plants.
@ilovetowrite
These peafowls were born in our property We have seen them as chicks with their mother. The mother had to face mongooses that were roaming around We have seen her chasing them away. This family grew here and as is the case with any fauna they left seeking new pastures. I wish them well wherever they are
@ilovetowrite
These exotic Morning Glory and Cocks Coimb grew together I was browsing through my digital photo folder and was happy to find these. We had sown mixed morning glory and we only got this violet morning glory. We did not succeed last year as that was a bad year for our garden.
@ilovetowrite
I wore this necklace for a party where blue and white was the theme. My entire attire was blue and white. The venue had blue and white balloons and also blue and white buntings. The girls wore blue and white ribbons Today is Friday and Blue is for Blue Friday in the #rainbow challenge
@ilovetowrite
Water hating lilies Lilies as some of you know remain dormant and come up when it is time for them to. But they will come up when the ground is dry. I am singing the same song about 2021 not allowing even lilies to bloom for the reason that it was raining when it was time for them to spring up. Hoping a better season for my garden in 2022
@ilovetowrite
Tongue twisters Most of us have enjoyed teasing others with tongue twisters and watched them flounder. I have done that too One of our maids always did that with kitchen and chicken. She once asked me how many pieces she should make of the kitchen😁 Here is one of the many I know: Betty Botter bought some butter to add to her batter but she found the batter was bitter. So she bought some better butter to make her bitter batter better. I wish I could record while you are…
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Sunshine right inside This is a portion of our lounge that overlooks the garden and we get the morning sun right inside. Our house faces the East and that is how we had planned while building the house and that is now paying us dividends so to say. Morning sun is good for one's well being.
@ilovetowrite
When little children bless you That is the experience I had when I had a Christmas party for these kids from an Institute. We had this party for them at our house. They left behind happy memories - a day spent with lots of singing, dancing and camaraderie. And lastly they surprised me by singing a 'Thank you and bless you' song with their hands stretched out as you can see in the photo.
@ilovetowrite
Saturday purple We have these purple alamanda that took years to bloom. The plant is on the ground below but it has climbed right up to the terrace merging with the yellow alamanda. I did a search in Google and it calls it by a different name Cryptostegia madagascariensis But for me it will always be alamanda #rainbowcolourschallenge
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Black Rice kheer (porridge) While browsing through the Net I came across this item and the link below sings away its praises in terms of health properties. I was quite tempted and got it online. I have been using it now and this kheer (porridge) tastes quite good. It is the usual way - cooking the rice and then putting it in milk to which sugar, raisins, cashew nuts, ghee, salt to taste and cardamom powder is added before bring it to a boil and cooked for a while I am not…
@ilovetowrite
Work in progress We have engaged temporary labourers to clear the garden mess created by rains that lasted into December - a rare phenomenon. Never before did we have so much of unwanted greenery. Fortunately not much follow up is needed. They are good workers. Once we clear all that we will have space to plant that which will fill the garden with flowers and vegetables. 🤞🤞🤞
@ilovetowrite
My simple trustworthy feature phones I have never favoured upgrades specially if I can manage with the existing gadgets. I have these two phones, a good camera and a trustworthy desk top. I have the Blue Stacks software that helps me with whatever Apps I want that I can work on my pc. I am satisfied and you?
@ilovetowrite
Getting ready for the Valentine's Day These birds are all set to spend the Valentine's Day just as how a couple in love would be spending. They have picked an ideal spot where no one will disturb them Little do they know my prying eyes caught them red handed.
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Pink Sunday Got this pink rose bud from my archives, clicked a long time ago. Many a time buds look better than a fully bloomed rose as is seen here. I have lost this rose - must get it back posthaste #rainbowcolorschallenge
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It came, I saw, I captured Those days these peafowls just roamed in our property as though they owned it Here is a peacock that came so close that I could click it from inside the house with the blinds opened but with the mosquito net in place. When will I get to do this again is anyone's guess. I do not see them around.
@ilovetowrite
Meet the 3 tomcats in our neighbourhood First one is our beloved Peppie. Peppie is mortally scared of our neighbour's cat (second photo) and will run for his life if he sees him. The third in the photo is Chikku who belongs to my friend who lives three houses away. This little one dares to visit us and lap up what Peppie has left in his bowl. The other day he boldly walked up to the bedroom little knowing Peppie was sleeping there. The moment he saw Peppie he charged out of…
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Marigolds anyone? Those are just memories as we had them when our weather was perfect. I can understand how those in cold countries feel when in winter their gardens look bare. We do have a lot of greenery in fact more than what we really need and yes we do have a few perennials that love lots of water but those that thrive in controlled weather conditions are waiting patiently and with hope as the weather just now is ideal for them.
@ilovetowrite
Jack Fruit pods Cleaning jack fruit is a laborious process but we have always had help to do this cumbersome job, Not only would they remove the pods they would also remove the seeds inside and the fine stringy portion that gets attached to the pods on the outside. We not only eat the pods but also make snacks out of them The raw pods are used to make dishes.
@ilovetowrite
Looks like birds are all celebrating the day soon to arrive Here is a couple cuddled together but the female is not in a mood. She seems to shy away as she knows there is a photographer that will capture 'that moment' in the camera Had fun clicking them
@ilovetowrite
Valentine's Day and Red Monday Nice coincidence in that we have the Red Monday challenge and also Valentine's Day. What better photo than a red rose that was the pride of Solitaire not so long ago. This plant did not produce many but all what was produced deserved praise as you can see. #Rainbowcolorschallenge
@ilovetowrite
A special Valentine's day - February 14, 2006 That is the day I met with a ghastly road accident but that gave me a new lease of life. It was a 6-month effort to get back on track and I did. There were happy moments about which you can read below HAPPY MOMENTS!! There is always this thought that accidents happen to others but I was wrong. It was on Valentine’s Day, of 2006, the vehicle that I was travelling by, was knocked down by a heavy truck carrying Naphtha. We were two…
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Birds singing their praises Here they are in our birdbath singing with one voice. It was a joyous moment for me to watch them chirp away - a bit shrilly though!!! They are not swimming nor quenching their thirst but just chirping. I am sure they were thanking the Almighty for providing them with this bird bath through us. I see them coming here every day.
@ilovetowrite
Our Kitchen shelf This is a part of our kitchen shelf. This kittie has pushed a few things around and made her self comfortable. She looked nice there - just like a piece of artifact. Our cats surprise us with their gimmicks and who can stop them? Not me!!😁
@ilovetowrite
Eating in style I had taken these kids for a full day excursion that included a park, museum and lunch at a food court. These kids belong to an Institute and have never eaten at a table. They always ate squatting on the floor. I was so happy that I could give them an opportunity to eat with us.
@ilovetowrite
Social Distancing Even birds are aware of the need to maintain social distancing. You can see it for yourself in this photo😏😏😏. And when it comes to human beings there are rules made which are often broken. Have you always maintained protocol? 🙄
@ilovetowrite
Rana our pet dog - a memory Bull Terriers are supposed to be ferocious. But Rana proved otherwise He was very friendly, loved our company and mostly he and the cat were the best of friends. Here in the photo he is seen waiting for my husband to come out of the toilet. Rana lived for ten and a half years leaving behind happy memories.
@ilovetowrite
This cat wanted attention We have this dog artifact placed on the centre table and it draws everyone's attention. I had got this from Rotterdam - a part of our Europe tour. Our pet cat as you can see wants attention too.
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First ripe fig on our new fig tree We lost our old tree and we had planted a cutting of that tree that grew and now it is a small tree and has started yielding. These are wild but edible, sweet and tasty Earlier I had made syrup from figs that we got from our old tree. This syrup is ideal to eat with ice cream.
@ilovetowrite
Horns I am not in favour of crackers no matter what the event but little did I realise when more than 80 guests blew these horns at one ago as a finale to a Christmas party not so long ago that the sound was more than several atom bombs exploding all at the same time. 🙄😊😁😏😎😀👌
@ilovetowrite
LED candles A friend gifted us these LED candles which we use to light our altar on occasions. There will soon by blessing of the house and then we will use these candles. In earlier days we used to use wax candles. I prefer LED candles What about you?
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My tea mug I can never use any other tea cup or tea mug but this one There are four such tea mugs - just in case!🙄 This mug has a capacity of 250 ml but I do not fill it to the brim. I use tea bags and a touch of milk with 3 teaspoons of sugar. I like my tea hot having a 'biscuit' colour. What about you?
@ilovetowrite
It is not a star I did not expect to see the sun in this avatar - sun looking like a star. I particularly was amazed to see those rays so perfectly arranged. This is my first time to get the sun in this avatar - clicked a long time ago. sharing it with you
@ilovetowrite
The orange hue of the fireworks This was at a Christmas do a few years ago when we played with fireworks as a finale to that event The event was at our place. Kids enjoyed holding those sparklers in their hands perhaps a first time for them. Befitting the #rainbowcolorschallenge - Orange Tuesday
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Mangoes The best time to eat a mango is when it completely turns yellow. We harvest them when they are green but we get a hint from the birds when they drop a half eaten mango that they are matured and need to be harvested. Leaving them on the tree for them to turn yellow up there would mean getting half eaten mangoes.😁 #rainbowcolorschallenge
@ilovetowrite
I miss these zinnias At a time when our garden was flourishing I was disappointed to see these single petal zinnias as we always had zinnias packed with several layers of them. But now I would not mind even if they are with single petals as it is a long time that I have had them. I have been trying so hard but with no results. The weather now seems conducive and I have plans to give it a final attempt.
@ilovetowrite
Peppie's favourite corner This is the only cat that tolerates human company Here he has usurped my favourite corner and he will be there for hours. I do not mind as he lets me touch him and pet him too thought not for long
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Waiting for the prey Squatting under the birdbath stealthily waiting for the prey is what most of our cats are guilty of. Whenever we spotted them we shooed them away. But keeping a watch 24 hours not being possible we have seen them catching mainly those baby birds. But that is nature.
@ilovetowrite
And finally.......... We Indians have issues when it comes to cashing out our BCH earned here. I tried various exchanges and got stuck with their 2FA verification process. At some exchanges India does not feature to do this activity. And finally I managed to send some BCH to my nephew in Dubai to his BCH wallet (that I had asked him to create) , where purchases can be made using crypto. I have sent him 10 dollars worth of BCH to begin with and hope he will be able to use it…
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Nature works in partnership with me. Both Nature and yours truly are landscaped garden designers. Nature found a patch that I had developed along the steps leading to the birdbath a bit drab and so it added a few ferns there and yes it does look better now. That greenery fits in with the #yellowWednesdaychallenge Nature is the boss around here. It does what it pleases but sometimes I do not agree. It has loaded our garden with wild trees😁 #rainbowcolorschallenge
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Australia - Memorabilia Every establishment we visited be it a bank or a shop we were given free keychains of the kind you see in the photo. You can imagine the number of keychains I collected which helped me give away when I got back from my tour. I did keep one for me and each time I look at it my memories of Australia are revived. What memorabilia do you have?
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Periwinkles (Vinca rosea) I could say they are a matter of permutations and combinations. We will see pristine white and then a few weeks later there will be a red spot in the centre, fully pink and a bit later a white spot in the centre - I could go on and on. The colours they come in are spectacular - purple, orange, pink, dark pink, white......... They are easy to grow and come up as and when they are in a mood.
@ilovetowrite
Peppie our pet cat cured himself Ever since he was alone Peppie our pet cat mostly spent his time out. He only came for his food. One day he came limping and did look sick. He hardly ate anything and spent three days inside the house. He is now fine and is back with his old habits. He comes for his food and leaves the place. Cats amaze me.
@ilovetowrite
Seeing a blue sky is not unusual where I live. Most of the time it is blue but what is unusual is when we see the moon in the blue sky in broad daylight. Captured the moon before it disappeared. It is Friday today and this photo is ideal for the #BlueFridayChallenge #rainbowcolorschallenge
@ilovetowrite
Chinese Hats (Holmskioldia) They are back in all their fury. Bright red - this weather suits them - cool but at the same time bright and sunny. A bit late as they ought to have come up at Christmas time - but as they say better late than never. I am sure there will be more in store in our garden in the not so distant future. Keeping my fingers crossed🤞
@ilovetowrite
When Preiti was in a bad mood Our pet dog Preiti always had a pleasant disposition but occasionally she would get into tantrums and do what you can see in the photo. That however lasted for a little while and we knew how to handle it.
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Peppie returns after almost two days. Happy that he is not hurt and that means he was in search of a girl friend. He arrives with a lusty meow and wanted me to feed him which I was happy to do Atleast he has returned and not stayed away forever. Then starts another lusty meow standing near the door and I know what that was. I just had to open the door and yes he is out again on his date.
@ilovetowrite
Bush Clock vine Thungbergia erecta - also known as Bush clock vine is not considered exotic atleast where I reside. As it grows easily and all what it wants is water. We have this in white as well. But for me it is special and enjoys a pride of place in our garden This purple hue is ideal for the #rainbowcolorschallenge
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View for the passers by These white bougainvillea I could click only after stepping out. They are visible only for the passers by hidden from us I could only click a part as my camera could not cover the entire cascade - a beautiful view. This was clicked last year. They are blooming this year as well and the cluster is even larger perhaps making up for the absence of other colours.
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Relationship platforms I had a bit of an argument yesterday with one of my siblings who was vociferously defending someone who had an issue with someone else. While I strongly recommended that interfering would not be a good thing and even if she was requested to then she should get both sides of the story. Mostly situations are assumed and conclusions drawn. ASSUME is to make an ASS of U and ME is what my boss once told me while I was working and he is so right. We work on…
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A new artifact We have recently employed some temporary workers to revamp our garden and we had to chop down a couple of dead areca nut trees. What you see in the photo is the bottom part of the tree with roots and mud intact. They have given it a nice shape. I have just dumped some plastic flowers in there but will soon pick up some dry flowers and replace those plastic flowers. Talent lies anywhere and everywhere. I had picked up a wicker goblet from a roadside artist a…
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Peppie was on night duty He came home pretty early almost at 5 am - with a mild meow. He greeted me with his normal way rolling on the floor touching my feet and went straight for his nap. He was fed and back he went to sleep. He is still sleeping in between his meals. Peppie sure knows how to live and he lives like a king his stunts not withstanding🐱🏍
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He is in our property Just in case you think that it is a forest that is our property with lots of trees. Peacocks used to roam around as though they owned the place. Hoping to see them once again
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Pink Sunday We have many Ixora in several colours. These pink Ixora buds attracted me and beckoned me to click them and I did. Ixora are perennial and the flowers last on the plant for several days. #PinkSundayChallenge #rainbowcolorschallenge
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Not every vessel is a pleasure to wash These days I am washing vessels which chore I have never done in years. While I am fine with most of them what I hate is scrubbing the milk vessels where the bottom gets stuck with whatever that requires scrubbing, scrubbing and scrubbing🙄🙄🙄 What is your story?😊😊😊
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Greater Coucal bird There is so much written about the Greater Coucal Bird which is supposed to be a good omen if one sees it or hears it chirp The chirp is not so pleasant but if it is meant to bring good luck may as well tolerate it. Yet another plus point is it eats snakes. I have not seen this but if the Net talks about it might as well believe it.
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Patience was the name of the game This cat did not belong to us but came over every day and entered the kitchen knowing that was the place where food would be prepared. Here he is seen sitting patiently while our maid got ready his food. Thos days e we did not have our own cats but just Preiti our pet dog who welcomed this cat and they were great friends.
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Will we get a repeat of this? What you see in the photo is just a part of the tree. The entire trunk was loaded with jack fruits. Though late we see baby jack fruits on our trees this year and wonder if there will be a repeat of the bumper we have had all these years.
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Red Monday - once again No takers for these cherries as they are sour. I used to make juice and wine but last year due to heavy rains those cherries could not be used. Cherries soaked in rain are not suitable for either making juice or wine. Let me see what is in store for us this year. #redmondaychallenge #rainbowcolorschallenge
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A foggy morning It is ages since I saw fog around here. I spotted the fog during my morning stroll and quickly grabbed my camera and clicked this photo standing near our gate. None of those houses nor trees were visible. Fog has its own beauty. What do you think?
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There it was blinding me!! I was standing at our entrance door and there it came right in front of my eyes almost saying "May I come in" The sun needs no invitation. It just walks in as and when it pleases. I said that to the sun and it seemed to have a smile on its face. We are so blessed to have the sun greeting us every single day.
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Dead areca nut palm stump brought to life I had posted on how one of our workers in the garden uprooted a stump of the dead areca nut palm and artistically created a container kind of an artifact. I had placed some plastic flowers in there but had promised I would work out how to put fresh flowers. I have now done that by placing a container with water and have put some cut tiger tails (acalypha) I will keep changing the flowers from our garden now, regularly. Clicked a…
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Eating a mango the easy way The large sized mangoes are normally fleshy. You just need to put a deep incision in the middle all around and twist both the sides to set the mango stone free. Do not forget to enjoy the stone as well. Happy mango eating. We are waiting for our mangoes to show up.
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Our tapered bird bath Our bird bath is tapered keeping in mind baby birds. They cannot swim iat the deep end which is meant for larger birds. In the photo you will see how those babies are swimming in the shallows and a bird slightly bigger is about to dive in in the deep Birds know it all
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Orange Tuesday Marigolds have always found a place in our garden. Our terrace is ideal for growing them. Did not collect those seeds and that means I will have to go online and place an order for them. The marigold in the photo is called French Boy. Wonder why. Do you know why it is called French Boy? #OrangeTuesday #rainbowcolorschallenge
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The magnificent Bottle Palm See how small the moon looks compared to the magnificent and stately bottle palm that adorns our garden. We have a few spread all over the garden that add height to our garden. Google tells me there are more than 2200 different palms - unbelievable. Right?
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Broken wheat porridge We call it lapsi - broken wheat which is nutritious and most importantly it is packed with fibre that helps move one's bowels You just soak the broken wheat over night and cook it in water and when done add milk, sugar, raisins, cashewnuts and a bit of ghee. Cook till the nuts are soft. Your porridge is ready.
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Inflorescence of the Areca Palm The photo is that of the Areca Palm and not the Areca Nut palm but both do produce these marvels which turn into seeds in course of time While the areca nuts have a commercial value those of the areca palm would only produce saplings once the seeds dry and fall off. We have so many saplings around that I could change the name of this property to "Area Palms"
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Ordered for these a second time. I was looking out for chocolate eclairs and I found exactly what I wanted. I had ordered for them once a long time ago and they lasted for quite some time. I have now ordered for them a second time and I am looking forward for their delivery. Some are dark chocolates, some have the taste of hazel nuts and a few other combinations. The quantity is quite a bit for the price
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A stroll with cat for company This cat though he did not belong to us spent a lot of time with us. Our pet dog Preiti liked him very much too. Considering he did not belong to us his behaviour was amazing He would even join me in my garden strolls whenever he visited us. Do you understand cats?
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Peltophorum - a tree of beauty These trees are normally found on road sides and when they all bloom together it is a veritable paradise. We have one on the road next to our property. When the flowers drop they create kind of a yellow carpet on the ground. Today being Wednesday it sure meets with the # yellowWednesday challenge #rainbowcolorschallenge
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Garden make over We are busy giving a new look to our garden. Work on paths is in progress. We have removed the gravel which will be washed and replaced after painting the borders with cement paint. They will once again get the look you see in the next photo
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Pink sky Not the kind of pink that you see but for me it is rare. Our sky is always either white blue or grey but never this shade. It is a pale pink and I clicked it around six in the morning. I like it And you?
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Do you see what I see? It is only those who have been waiting for months to see something like this will spot it. I was one of those who for several reasons have been unsuccessful in growing tomatoes and this morning I saw this tiny flower on one of the many tomato plants that are growing in our garden. Blessed are those who get joy in simple things like this What brought a smile on your face from things as little as this?
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A tête-à-tête in the back yard Both our pet dog Preiti and that cat about whom I am writing were quite friendly They are not in our life any more but we have memories. Looking at this photo I get the feeling both of them were having a chit chat.
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Peafowls strolling Where there is greenery one will find these peafowls strolling. They were visitors to our property and came in groups. I have seen them searching for food and was wondering whether they thrive on insects. Hope to see them soon #GreenThursdaychallenge #Rainbowcolorschallenge
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Our dead fig tree. We had this fig tree for a few years and it yielded well. The figs are juicy which we also used to make syrup. It must have been affected by termites which we only saw when it was too late. It eventually died One Christmas we decorated it with blue and white trimmings and also with blue and white lights - a theme we had for the party we organised for seniors from an old age home.
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It is the season for cashew apples We have a tree that came up after we lost our earlier tree and this sapling was a gift from the old tree. It has now fully grown and has started yielding since a last couple of years. We collect the nuts and sell them.
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Bilimbi pickle I only like sweet pickle. Bilimbis grow in our garden and we prepare this pickle once a year. The tree is packed with these bilimbis and besides the parrots there are no takers for this fruit. Most house here have this tree.
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Our Peppie boy is finally settled. I have talked about how disoriented Peppie was when his sibling Ria died and so also her babies. Peppie is now alone Peppie would not stay at home but just come for food. But now I feel happy to see him spend most of his time and seems to have accepted life.
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Blue moon Everything was blue up there - even the moon looked blue . So the saying - 'Once in a blue moon' is true after all. There are songs on the blue moon as well Here's a song for you 'Once in a blue moon' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekx19lmvx-s #bluefriday #rainbowcolorschallenge
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Peppie boy has learnt his lesson Peppie boy gets fish, chicken feet and the dry feed After having the fish he goes to sleep and never gets up for hours. Yesterday we had kept the kitchen door open and the neighbour's cat came and lapped up the chicken feet. When Peppie got up his plate was empty. This morning however Peppie did not sleep. Instead he kept on circling round my feet asking for his chicken feet. 😊🤩🤣😌
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So you think stars have spikes? This morning when I had gone upstairs I watched the sky and saw the morning star against the pink and blue sky. I had not carried the camera with me. I quickly came down and with camera in tow walked into the garden and there again I could spot the star. 😁 "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket never let it fade way ' - this song came to mind and as I was humming it I captured that star in my camera. And what do I see? A spherical…
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A swim together I have watched these two birds arrive at the birdbath showing signs they are in love. First they took turns to dip in the bath and then they did it together. They spent some silent moments too. Had fun watching them.
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View from the first floor Roses are completely hidden from view Alamanda having taken over. They look so beautiful that I do not feel like trimming them. But if I want those roses to survive I will have no other choice. Should I or should I not is the question.
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Pretty purple periwinkles Purple is a rare colour in periwinkles. We had them some time ago but have now disappeared. They will show up any time as this is the time for periwinkles to appear. Periwinkles come in many colours. I want to have the orange, red and dark purple. I may order for seeds and keep my fingers crossed. #PurpleSaturday #rainbowcolorschallenge
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Preiti was the best watchdog we have had in years. She had different barks for different alerts - reptiles in the garden, known visitors, unknown visitors. when dogs passed by - all with different types of barks. All the 12 years she lived she was an asset both as a companion and as a watch dog.
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You are invited to a handful of ber fruit This tree that was a mere sapling a couple or more years ago has grown into a full grown tree - thanks to yours truly nurturing it - and has been yielding ber fruit profusely The tree is now laden and it is nice to see passers by helping themselves with those that fall down. The tree is just next to our gate and so does not belong to us.
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I see papaya saplings It is a pretty long time that we have not seen papaya saplings that normally crop up all over from seeds that are discarded. I cannot imagine how there could have been none all due to unseasonal rains. I learnt a lot in the last few months about what enjoys rain and what does not Anyway let bygones be bygones. We are hoping to see papayas this year.
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Not intended but they turned out spectacular This was our favourite stray cat that visited us frequently and left behind wonderful memories. These photos with his shadow was never intended but for me they are precious. Happy to share them with you
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Mary Palmer - exotic bougainvillea Mary Palmer is the only bougainvillea that has variegated leaves (green with a tinge of yellow) and also with two tone flowers pink and white. I do not know why they are named Mary Palmer and this is the only bougainvillea that has a name while the others are known by their colour. #PinkSunday #rainbowcolorschallenge
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Peppie as a baby Mama Kittie seemed to have been in no mood to feed little Peppie and in the video I saw him searching all around and wanting to be fed. Peppie has been brought up well by his mother as can be seen from his demeanor when it comes to dealing with his siblings. Peppie is a gentle soul
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Why was Kittie not feeding Peppie? I might as well tell you why. Mother Kittie has taken great care of her babies. While Peppie was born here those that she brought over earlier were all those who were ready for solid food. She was training Peppie to switch over to solid food as you can see in the photo, where she is watching Peppie attempting to eat solid food. She had picked up a piece of meat from her own bowl and brought for her little baby.
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I heard a lusty cry It was around 12 noon and that was when I heard a lusty cry of a peacock. I rushed out and there it was standing on our compound wall under the nutmeg tree. I see a peacock in our garden after almost two years. Things are changing for us at Solitaire. Soon I will see them roaming around and even perhaps quenching their thirst in our birdbath. I grabbed my camera and clicked a few shots.
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Once upon a time story Happy our jack fruits are showing signs of yield but it will never be what it used to be. The photos show what one of our trees yielded not so long ago. It had branched off and both branches were loaded with the fruit. We had problem disposing them but that year we gave them away to an orphanage. We have hope this year we will get somebody to buy them.
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Spent some happy time together Today is Sunday and I was just spending some lazy moments in my favourite corner when Peppie joined me. Peppie these days spends more time at home unlike in the past when he would only come for his food. Happy to see that change in him.
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Red Anthurium Anthurium come in many colours. We have had red, white, orange and pink. Of these pink do well in our garden. They have withstood heavy rains as well. Anthurium need re-potting. We did that a couple of days ago. #RedMonday #Rainbowcolorschallenge
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Our 'No nonsense' Preiti Preiti lived an organized life - all her own doing. She had come to get her nap where she noticed a newspaper. She refused to get up there until that newspaper was removed. It is amazing how Preiti chose to live a disciplined life. All the 12 years she lived - except when she was a pup when we had to puppy proof our house - - she gave us no cause for worry.
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Cuckoos are having a ball Cuckoos were mostly seen relishing the noni fruit of which we have several trees. But now I see them enjoying the hawthorn fruits as well. The hawthorsn tree is next to our entrance door. I therefore get to see them standing inside the house. I spotted one cuckoo enjoying the fruit and grabbed it in my camera. For more on the hawthorn fruit you can visit my post https://noise.cash/post/l2g30485 where you will also the image of the hawthorn berries…
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A pretty layout We have these green and yellow crotons planted on the whole border with other flowers planted in the backdrop. One of them is this pink Ixora. They blend well with each other Ixora is a flower that is perennial that comes in two sizes and several colours. We have them all.
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Sesame Ladoos Although these ladoos are available in stores we have always made them at home. For a while I used to eat them every day as they are packed with nutrients. But eating something every day one gets tired and so I have not been eating them these days, Sasame is washed, dried in the sun and then roasted. It is then mixed with jaggery syrup while the syrup is hot and rolled into ladoos. This link has info on its health properties…
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It is called the super star. This orange rose did adorn our terrace garden not so long ago. This too has disappeared. A lot happened during the pandemic when I could not attend to the garden as workers had to stay away. And then came the bad year 2021. Things are now picking up. #OrangeTuesday #Rainbowcolorschallenge