Cat Tales

Soon after we moved in to our new abode, we realized that a bunch of cats roamed the backyard regularly. There was the bossy black and white fellow, with a deep throated meow, who roamed around like the king of the area. There was fat tawny cat who hung around the kitchen window salivating at all the lovely odours floating out.

Then one fine day we discovered mommy cat and her two kittens. It seemed mommy was fed by the previous house owners, and was familiar with and comfortable in our backyard. So she often sat outside our bedroom door, peering in and waiting for her goodies.

Or caught a quick siesta as her kittens pranced around. She even suckled her babies right outside our door. Till one morning, when all hell broke loose!

As mommy cat came lingering around the backyard with her kittens in tow, the kids decided to befriend them. The minute they stepped out with biscuits to lure them, the kittens ran helter-skelter. Jumping over flower pots, toppling over leftover construction material, trying to climb on to walls that were too high for the little kittens.

Both mommy and kittens were scared out of their wits and in their confusion, one of the babies made the disastrous decision of climbing up the mango tree to a safe distance.

What followed after was a comedy of errors.... the kitten clambered up too high for its own good, and we were afraid it may fall out of the tree and get hurt. But every time we tried luring it down, it couldn't find a stable branch that would bear its weight and give it the option of jumping on to the adjoining wall. So up it went again.... slipping and sliding on the branches of the mango tree, often meandering too close to the edges.

Amidst all this, mommy cat and her second kid watched the drama from a safe distance but did nothing to help poor little kitty out of its predicament.

This crazy spectacle continued for a while till finally the kids came back indoors, leaving little kitty to figure its own way out. As soon as they exited, mommy cat came in, made the frightened kitten climb down from the mango tree, and finally led it away to the neighbour's yard.

Phew!.... that sure was a tumultuous start of our relationship with the cats in our backyard. :D

The First Summer

Summer is unusually harsh this year, with scorching 44C+ temperatures lasting almost over 2 weeks at a stretch. A heatwave has been declared in many parts of the country, as everyone grapples with the perpetually rising mercury and the strong sun. Global warming is here, and how!

After spending a torturous summer in our top floor flat last year, I feel immensely grateful for the respite that ground level living has brought. The abiding greenery around serves to soothe the frazzled senses a wee bit more. The only dampener has been the frequent electricity outages.

But despite the weather, it is sights like these that makes us enjoy the new abode.

Here's a glimpse of the sunset from our backyard after a long summer day.

The Homecoming

When you return to an old neighbourhood after a gap of 8 long years, it does feel like a homecoming. A neighbourhood you loved but were forced to leave due to unavoidable circumstances.

One returns to the same familiar sights and sounds -- lush green surroundings, daily chores interspersed by birdsong, the chirping of sparrows that have sadly vanished from our metros, and the hum and rattle of the trains chugging past on the nearby railway tracks. Even the same vendors at the outlets one used to frequent.... only their now-lined faces and streaks of silver hair belying the passage of time.

The green open spaces are comforting, enveloping you in their embrace as you return to their soothing arms. Friendly neighbours and the presence of family in the vicinity make it easier to settle down. A certain calming of frayed nerves that have long borne the stressors of typical city living.

And then even Facebook reminds you that it is a curious case of history repeating itself -- exactly after a decade. 

Life does have a way of moving in circles, like repetitive patterns. Just hope this time we get to stay here longer. And this blog gets a new lease of life!

Colours Of The Monsoon

One of the best things about the rains is the colour of the evening sky...

And of course, the colour those magical drops bring to the garden...

Along with the heady scents that linger in the cool breeze.

Yes, I love the rains (as long as I don't have to get wet or walk through slush). How about you?

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UPDATE: This blog went into deep-freeze after this post. It has since been revived in 2019 after 8 long years, and is alive and happy again.

New Garden Pals

Got a chance to make friends with these gorgeous creatures in our garden this last month.

The gossamer-winged dragonflies sleep on the dianthus every night....

....while this oh-so-pretty butterfly (isn't that shade of blue awesome!) flits around every now and then.

Absolute gorgeousness!!!

Transitioning

We moved again, back to our old house, to live with our parents in their old age. This is the same house where I spent most of my growing years, and which witnessed all those landmarks in my life. This is where my husband first met my parents and asked for my hand in marriage. This is where I left from as a blushing new bride. This is where we brought home our two bundles of joy from the hospital. So yes, this house has seen it all.

But then living in a city, by a house you mean an apartment. And when it has been built by a government agency and is over three decades old, then you know that the house is hardly equipped to meet the pace of modern day living.

Coming from a modern home with all its attendant comforts, we are finding it especially hard to adjust to the old ways. But change isn't easy to implement; more so when a string of emotions and sentiments are attached to ever corner, to every piece of furniture. To top it, every time I recommend an upgrade, my parents meet my need with bewilderment. They cannot comprehend how the same house that I grew up in cannot satisfy me anymore.

So now the challenge is to strike that fine balance between the old and the new, to carve out a new identity for the same old space, to create areas that can serve the requirements of three different generations. Easier said than done!

In the midst of all this, my plants have remained a constant source of joy. The late bloomers did rather well, and are still giving us the last bursts of flowers despite the heat. And yes, the showy gazenias that I had hoped for finally bloomed, and how! :)

Floral Detour

I promised you a glimpse into my garden when the remaining blooms add their colour. So here goes...

Round marigolds in hues of yellow and orange

Interspersed with the white and purple of the petunias

And the cheery yellow-white of the dogflowers

They all make my garden such a happy place! :)