Two hours with nature on the last day of the first month of 2010

Report and Pictures by Eugene Moodubelle

Moodubelle, 31 January 2010: It was an unexpected journey of exploration of the nature in two hours on the last day of the first month of the year 2010. Having nothing serious to do following the Sunday afternoon siesta, I had the tea and took the camera, my constant companion, and just walked out of the house at around four o’clock in the evening to explore the nature.

I took the road towards Padubelle and was pleasantly surprised to see bunches of pink flowers on long branches of little tree like growth. I had seen these beautiful flowers on my way to Karkala during the annual feast of Attur Shrine. On both sides of the roads, these flowers on leave less thin long branches could be seen at many places including by the side of the road beyond the bridge towards Kadugudde. The beauty of these pink flowers could be enjoyed if one could see them in the background of the blue sky. Near the bridge, I could notice two tiny ‘palponnos’ (pejakai) which were plenty some years ago and used to be eaten while ripe or even boiled and preserved during lean period as side dish for conji.

On my return journey, I could notice a pigeon and a long legged bird waiting patiently for the fish to surface for the evening meal. The water was still and could click few pictures of the reflection of the trees and bushes including coconut trees in the still waters of the Belle River.

Proceeding further, at Poydha Padi, i was surprised to see a number of white birds searching for insects to feed on in a field that was being watered to prepare it for the next crop known as kolake. As i was trying to click their pictures they flew away but came back later giving me an opportunity to have their pictures. I also could observe and picture few pigeons perched on the top of the electric pole.

Meanwhile, I was intrigued to see paddy being harvested in one of the fields where as in other adjacent fields the crop was yet to yield rice corn and in another patch of field there were paddy saplings. Peter D’Souza of Poydha Padi who just happened to be at the place informed me that the harvested paddy was the rabi crop (suggi), the paddy yet to yield crop is the Idi Kolake and the paddy saplings are meant for the Kolake.

It was indeed a pleasant sight to see the green patches of land with rice cultivation. I was informed by Peter that, a Brahmin farmer had been cultivating the land belonging to a Christian family and growing three crops and paying rent to the Christian family. I just wondered how time has changed. Going further down near the river, i could see the fields which are being left fallow on which the wild grass has grown. At one or two places i could see few vegetables plants and sweet potatoes being grown. Rest of the fields looked quite barren and desolated.

As i could ponder over the two hours that i had spent in exploring the surroundings not far away from my residence, the sun was about to set. It was six o’clock by then. I took the opportunity to click the last pictures of the sun on the last day of the first month of this year. As dusk was setting on the land, i moved back home with the satisfaction that i could see many things of nature and could learn quite a number of things just in two hours. These two hours of gazing the nature made my day nay the entire month.