Life around the paddy field

I observed that the birds around the paddy fields have their own set routine of feeding and perching.  Maybe that is why this heron decided "come rain, come sunshine, I will not budge from my perching point"

One of the birds had its nest on this Ithi tree (Ficus Microcarpa) and I found the roots of this tree almost covered the tree trunk.

Was staying near a paddy field for a week where the greenery and the natural sound in that area was very soothing.

I was trying to capture the spider web and a bird made a guest appearance.
The place where we stayed was Vempilly Ayurveda Medical Hospital.

The overall impression I got was that the staff (at all levels) were passionate about their work and there was a personal touch to everything that they did. Also noticed that most of them multitasked, like the guy who did the daily massage for me, also doubled up to deliver the morning 6 am kattan kapi. (coffee without milk)
They grow most of the vegetables in the premises, so when it reaches your table, you can be sure that it is organic.

The food is vegetarian but there is variety in what you eat.

The sowing and reaping of the two acre paddy field is mechanised and very cost effective according to Dr Mathews.

Milk production is also in house and they have a dedicated guy, Mr Murukan from Tenkasi, who looks after the stable.

I could not capture the other treatment in action but in this video you can see the herbal medicine being applied on a person who had plantar fasciitis.

I liked this simple idea of using incense to keep away insects and leave a wonderful aroma.

After a long time I saw a "touch me not" in action.

Garden after rains

 Keeping a watch on the passion fruit. Waiting for them to turn yellow so that I can pluck them before they fall off 

These vines last for about seven years. They require strong trellis as the fruit tends to be slightly heavy. Plucked these tomatoes which went into the tomato soup. These are not the regular variety and they have that extra tanginess. No wonder the soup tasted yummy.  

The unusual rains kept most of the plants green and the mint leaves look good enough to go into a curry. Maybe we may make pudina chutney (mint chutney) one of these days.  

The sun does shine bright when there is a respite from the rains, and the butterfly thinks it is better to bask on the turmeric plant.  (I wonder if that yellow guy is a butterfly or a moth)

Got a good crop of Tendli (Ivy Gourd) and it was enough for one curry. 

It is said that Tendli has been used by Ayurveda to treat diabetes due to its ability to increase glucose tolerance and lower blood sugar levels. 

For my photography gear, I had made a light stand with 3/4" PVC pipe which was lightweight and portable. Later I realised that it was not sturdy enough to hold the weight of the light especially when I increased the height to six feet and above. So I decided to make a new one with 1" pipe (which I hope should be sturdy)

Instead of throwing away the old stand, I redesigned it to make it into a stand to hold our orchid baskets. 

Talking of flowers, last month these Brahmakamal (Star of Bethlehem) decided to bloom at midnight as they stay bloomed for only one night. 

What a sight. There were four of them