This year Deepavali was ushered in by the Indian community on 17 October. Infused with Hinduism and other religions of the Indian sub-continent, this festival is celebrated in a big way.
Curious Pickles standing on tip-toes to have a peek at the world outside her abode
These are the paraphenalia, munchies and treats to keep Pickles happy and contented
These two engravings on glass by Mats Jonasson were acquired last summer while on a sojourn to Stockholm. Placed together, they are the very manifestation of the disparities in this world. Conflicts are reflected in the colours from icy-chill to fiery-torrid and in the mien from angelic to satanic. Opposing intentions of good and bad are depicted with one being the nemesis of the other. Ancient Chinese sages rationally expound this yin-yang philosophy of existence as bringing harmony to the universe. Plainly speaking, too much of a good thing simply spell dissonance and incongruity. 
Long Chin-san (1892-1995) was one of China's early photo-journalists. His photographs incorporated the aesthetics of Chinese traditional ink paintings into Western photographic tecnique. His images are even more amazing as they were from the pre-digital era, some of which were from combining multiple images in the darkroom.
Yellow Allamandas and Madagascar periwinkle, Vinca rosa fringe this brick pathway of circular steps. The steps lead to a look-out point at a higher level for viewing the happenings beyond our stone fencing. 
The rain lashed fiercely at my windshield one day as I drove home after work. Just as suddenly, it stopped. As I pulled into the garage, I noticed the stooping branches of a pine tree, its needles laden with glinting rain drops. At my doorsteps, I found the pot of caladiums totally drenched from the downpour, with shimmering water crystals adorning the bosom of their foliage. I gazed at the largest of them all and in its depth I fathom a deep sense of serenity.
The stone steps leading to my abode always bear the tell tale signs of some explosive activities. Definitely not of nefarious nature, but simply the cacophonous ripening of rubber-seed pods. The pods crackle and expel 3-4 rubber seeds unceremoniously on to the terrain. 
A true blue flower is a quite a rarity in any garden, let alone one of indigo hues. The blue pea flower, Ternatea Clitorea is as lovely as it is useful. A vigorous climber, it grows in profusion and throws out numerous blooms daily. It makes a wonderful food dye. We used it abundantly in our nyonya sweetmeats and in savoury dumplings.
A hibiscus stigma dusted with pollens is at the threshold of starting a new chapter in its verdant life. However this seems quite superflous as most of the propagation of hibiscus is done vegetatively rather than through seeds. Seems like Nature's urging for gene variety is strongly weaved into its reproductive blueprint. There's always a chance that one might take seed naturally or by human means to produce a refreshingly new and pretty progeny.
Toadie is a mature, sedate guy. He sat motionless at my backyard and enjoyed the dusk breeze with nary a twitch. He must be surveying the evening activities with his dark gleaming eyes. I moved very close and yet he hardly gave any indication that he was aware of my presence. He only hopped off after I was done shooting him. The invasion of his last few inches of personal space must have finally rankled him.
Sweet Girl Sharon dropped by over the weekend. She greeted me in a T-shirt emblazoned with a strong graphical oral health message - "that chocolates be the ruin of teeth". I nodded with much approval and bid her a warm welcome.
As I stepped out into my garden, this stray Tom cat flashed past me and perched on the ledge of the garden wall. He turned back and stared at me and I surmised the state of his mind - why not total flight instead? To lure him to stay, I "meowed" persuasively and dashed into the house to grab my faithful Nikon. He was still around, probably expecting some sort of treat. I snapped several shots before moving closer for more close ups, all the while still meowing. His narrowed iris and tensed body indicated his readiness for flight
His musings is reminiscent of the movie Benjamin Button. If it is ever possible to choose how one can be born, perhaps this could be an interesting alternative.
Last night, we got this ersatz Tiffany lamp from India installed in our balcony. It is a negative-positive lamp with the black areas appearing white, sans lillumination. It hangs prettily as a welcoming beacon to family members and guests alike.
A Mr Arachnid with multiple beady eyes came to visit. With bristling limbs, he strutted his stuff up and down my porch wall, distracting me to no end. I finally arrived at a win-win situation by having him as a model for my macro shutter-bugging. He was rather cooperative and posed proudly on a piece of rock that I proffered him.
Most ladies love their heels. For those who love them at vertiginous heights, there's a price to be paid. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has the very chart with graphical anatomical images to sober them up into donning more sensible shoes.
Nothing soothes the nerves better than the sound of a gurgling fountain. In the shade of happily thriving aquatic plants, fishes swish delightedly to and fro in the rejuvenated waters. A view like this makes lovely eye candy to my poppers strained from the daily grind of gazing at computer terminals.
Investing in some quality time together is unique not only to homo sapiens as demonstrated by these two grasshopper buddies that are in the throes of a vice like grip, eerily echoing the proclamation of "till death do us part". The hibiscus rosa sinensis is the preferred rendevouz for many such encounters.
Unfortunately for this stink bug and its ilk, I have developed a love-hate relationship with them. The slightest provocation is a good enough pretext to spray forth a most obnoxious smell. Their exasperating sucking habits, bring mayhem to my tender flowering buds and shoots. Most times I view them with murderous intent but looking at the big scheme of things in the universe, they like other creatures are genetically coded to instinctively complete their own cycle of life. Here, it is struck by spring fever and is scrambling over to to do some serious wooing. This plant, jasminium multiflorum, with their delicately scented white flowers, is their favourite stomping ground.
A succulent creature flaunting such lovely colours is a fine example of Mother Nature's bountiful work. It fed voraciously on this tough fan-like leaf before deciding to curl up below for the chrysalis stage. The whole metamorphosis is as esoteric as the eventual winged beauty itself. I take a bow to Mother nature.
An abandoned Potter Wasps' abode was found under the canopy of my variegated orange bougainvillea. They normally build a conglomerate of textured globular clay nests (an insect condominium of sorts), so this single, smooth, large globe is highly unusual.
This little hirsute is actually a scavenger which is a real boon to have in the garden. I let them run wild in my little Eden, where they munch happily away at dead leaves and other organic matter. I first found this little fella cozily ensconced in the convexity of a leaf, Philodendron Xanadu, enjoying a morsel of withered leaf. When I moved it to the Rosa Vinca flower, it got all hot and bothered, making a hasty exit from this floral delight to some mouldy vegetation. Well, so goes the adage, "One worm's food is another's poison".
