Old Man Toadie

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.

"I'd kiss a frog even if there was no promise of a Prince Charming popping out.
I love frogs".
-Cameron Diaz

TO THE GIRLS OUT THERE:
To minimise your risks, it's FROGS that you should kiss, not TOADS.

The Expectant Tom Cat

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

"A cat improves the garden wall in sunshine, and the hearth in foul weather".
--Judith Merkle Riley

Incy Wincy Spider

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.

“Yesterday has deceived you and gone;
Tomorrow is a doubtful visitor.
Today is a fast friend — hold fast to it.”

-Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Piggy-Back

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.

“We need to alter the wedding vow. Till death do us part - or until you become an inconvenience.”
- Carl Young

The Roving Stinker

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.

“It's spring fever.... You don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”

- Mark Twain

Publish Post

The Makings of a Chrysalis

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.

“The butterfly's attractiveness derives not only from colors and symmetry: deeper motives contribute to it.

We would not think them so beautiful if they did not fly, or if they flew straight and briskly like bees, or if they stung,

or above all if they did not enact the perturbing mystery of metamorphosis: the latter assumes in our eyes the value of a badly decoded message, a symbol, a sign.”

-Primo Levi

Moving Away

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.

When a cell is completed, the adult wasp collects beetle larva or caterpillar and, paralyzing them, places them in the cell to serve as food for their wasp larva.

Having served its purpose, it is now devoid of any activity. The progeny have flown the coop and the parents could have expired after completing their duties in closing the loop of their life cycle.

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They came through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
-Kahlil Gibran

A Happy Little Hirsute

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".