Waymarks on a Journey
21 November, 2024
A tree bed
19 November, 2024
A rainbow experience!
During a visit to an institution, I took a walk in the garden around the entrance to the large campus. What I noticed was the well tended garden spaces in between the buildings. That gave a decorative and aesthetic look.
Some open spaces remained wild as below or can turned into eco friendly spaces, both of which have a purpose of its own.
It is the blend of tended garden and wild overgrowth that create a nature friendly approach to life in nature. The garden space with plants and trees tended to, provide an appearance of the richness and diversity in nature.
The wild overgrowth is a space which allows nature's rhythm of life for plants and trees. That overgrowth of the landscape protects soil from erosion and allows reptiles to have their homes in the hidden cover.
It occurred to me during this walk, that the canvas of life for most of us is a blend of such a planned and organised way of living and events and experiences which occur naturally bringing surprises or interruptions.
Even for a person, with adversities crowding his or her life, life is still a stream, which can absorb the shocks and pains for us to emerge with hope and purpose.
I felt challenged at the end of the walk to protect myself from a tendency to be only absorbed by the enticing experiences of life, but stay open to look for the defining effects of difficult or straining events in life.
The earth offers life for all plants and trees.
I wonder if it was a message to me to view all experiences in life for them to be sometimes colourful and some other times to be a passage through testing times!
How refreshing it is to be able to look at life, living and learning as a rainbow experience!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
18 November, 2024
Th routines of the morning!
I was back in our garden after three days after returning from my travel. The squirrel was the first to spot me and kept glancing at me. It was the twilight time and the squirrel who is resident in our garden stopped to see if I was leaving food in the feeding station.
No sooner had I left some bananas in the feeding tray, a Bulbul arrived, followed by others. Two of them waited for me to move out before they started to feed.
Some birds are familiar with some rituals and become familiar with people.
Dulcie and Daffny indicated strongly how much they missed seeing me for a few days.
Anna mentioned how both of the needed extra attention. They too have a rhythm of Anna taking them for a walk. My turn is in the morning. Dulcie would want to come with me when I go to collect the newspaper from the gate at day break. Daffny would want to come with me when I go to open the gates. It is when I return after this I fill the trays for the birds. Often they would have arrived to perch in the trees around the feeding station.
I felt good to return to the rhythm at day break after a few days.
I got a sense of how much birds and canines develop an attachment to som routines.
During my years of involvement with parents, I have had parents talking about the struggle of introducing a rhythm to children. They follow the rhythm only if each activity is made interesting. It is easier for a child to want to brush the teeth, if the tooth brushe musical. It is easier if they have time for water play before being bathed. It might be easier if a pre-school child be told, what would follow after breakfast, to make the breakfast time easier. If the activity that was to follow after breakfast, was something that would be amusing, the time taken for breakfast will usually be short!
The routines need the enticement of a playful approach for a pre-school child. The stress of forcing to perform an activity is a burden to parents and the child.
The Birds have a rhythm. They groom their body every morning to make the flight easier.
It is when children find a pleasant experience, they would welcome an activity!
To introduce sound child development practices to pre-school children, parents need to use ways to make them appealing to a pre-school child!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
14 November, 2024
A bird calls out for freedom
13 November, 2024
Flowers of the day!
Every time the seasonal transition takes place, there is something to look forward in the garden. Now it is the season of flowers !
With the mid day temperature dropping to about 25 degree celsius, the flowers last longer in the plants. The dew of the night is an added protection, prolonging the life of the petals!
It is a celebration time for birds and bees for nectar gathering!
It is a season of colours and fragrance in our garden!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
12 November, 2024
Life in the garden!
The early signs of winter setting in our garden are the dew drops, noticeable early in the morning on the rose plants and some rose plants blooming.
Two birds were noticed in our front garden, one a Bulbul at the feeding station and another one an Oriole, after the birds stayed away for five days following the accidental injury to a Barbet to which it succumbed.
The nests in this tree in our garden announce the breeding season. The Bulbuls and Sunbirds are the birds who breed during this time of the year.
They were the sights and surprises of this morning!
More to come with winter setting in!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)