Sunning On The Tree Top

Hi friends

Continuing from the last post, picture viewing with Adelia.

The pictures below were shot on the same morning. 

We have to look up, down and everywhere in order to sight the birds. Most of the time they were out of sight, hidden by the foliage. You know they are there because you can hear them.

They would usually come out when they need to sun themselves and if you are there that's the opportunity to capture them. I mean capture them in a photo.  Some serious bird watcher would go deep into the forest to seek their interest. I would do the same if I am still young :) The most I would do is to climb the bird watching tower at a nearby pulau.

So you see my bird picture is limited to certain species only, just the common ones but I should point out that they are pictured in different situations and poses like in the first picture below, a female green pigeon is dosing off maybe lulled by the sound of the sea.

Another bird came to share the place or just to be friendly?

Then another bird came perch on the adjacent tree 

Later it flew off leaving the two

Why one flew off?

Cheers!

A Bird In The Tree

Hi everyone,

I wanted to swim this morning but changed my plan and instead went for a walk  . . .alone. The club pool was occupied by few swimmers who were there earlier than me. It was not even eight oclock . People here are really exercise crazy. So gung ho. They, the men, should be swimming in the sea then they could have more distance. ( But actually this morning the tide was low.)

The pool has only five lanes. I better not disturb those guys though I know they would make way for me.  Anyway I have brought along my camera. I would better go snap snap. Take photos I mean.

As I walked down towards the sea shore I saw a woman was walking her dogs on the sandy beach. Three little puppies. The puppies were so agile, running here and running there and barking and the owner looked hardly able to control them. I dared not go near because if those highly active puppies come up to me I wouldn't know how to handle the situation. I am afraid even to touch cats what more the dogs. I have phobia. I dare not handle animals even the birds. I just like to photograph them.

I avoided them and went the other way and crossed the parking area to the other part of the beach where there are grass and trees along the shore line and hoping to meet up with some birds. There were birds there alright but were only could be heard but not seen. Too rich folliage on the shorter trees obstruct my view to the taller trees where birds like to perch.

I walked back to the club compound did some stretching and balancing exercises like standing on one foot while my eyes were looking out for birds in the trees outside the fence. This is really a case of tak ada kerja cari kerja. A retiree surely has no work so find some work if standing on one foot is ever a work.

My time was worth spending there anyway, at least I have done a little walking some exercise and had a polite chat with the gardener who was anytime never short of advice on gardening.

But the best of all that has happened this morning . . .  I saw a beautiful bird in the tree!

There is a bird in the tree

The colourful punai it surely is beautiful 

Ahh you may say oh no not that punai again . . .

No! This is a another punai in a different setting!


Cheers . . .

Punai Comes To Color Your World

 Hi everyone

We do not want our life to be like a pendulum which keeps on swinging back and forth and can be boring.

We are most time in a quest for something we ourselves are not sure of.

Think about it. When to you life is being kind you have everything that would make others envy you are still not satisfied yet. What is it that we want when we have water more than we can drink. When you have food but you are not hungry.

You said you are not looking for greener pastures because you are quite ok with the nurtured green under your feet.

Then what?

Or may be you are looking for the second the rainbow. You would like to have more colours.

You want ROYGBIV . . VIBGYOR . . .

You are asking for too much.

The colours would soon fade. They are just illusions.

They will disappear when the rain is over and the sun is high and harsh.

Why are we always struggling for and wanting the elusive . . .

Come back to reality!

Wonder why am I in a brooding mood and being pensive.

Perhaps yesterday's three sets of very long and dragging games left me weary.

Yesterday was a temporary goodbye .

Two of the kakis, the husband and wife are going off for a holiday cruise around the island in the Indian ocean perhaps to be there in the vast span of blue water in their seeking for connection with the universe.

The others will be busy. CNY is around the corner. A time for them to renew connection with family members from far and near. Outsiders are not a concern.

Quiet.

You will be left alone. Hmm.

No.

Family brings more meaning to your life . . .

#Punai the pigeon

Life has no meaning if we ourselves don't give meaning to life itself.

Cheers.

Rain Or Shine

Hello

Its dark sky again . Cool but I am restless. Not hungry but I want to eat. There are fruits bread and biscuits ... just choose but no not these. A dark day like this you crave for fried food, some kind of savoury fritters, karipap or badak hehehe yes badak . Good. . . I have some frozen badak in the freezer . . .I don't mean the rhinoceros . . .

Very satisfying, hot savoury fritters with hot instant cofee what a great combination . . .

When the weather is like this - dark and gloomy but the rain is not coming you are so undecided. If you go out and it rains you would just be wasting your time and if you don't go and the rain does not come at all then you would regret missing on the fun of playing tennis in such a cool weather.

Also a day like this there will be more beeps in the groups whatsapps . . .

P: Y  you already in BT? Heavy rain here in town. There how?

Y: Already here.Was cloudy but already clear .

A: Are you already at the court . . .

Y: No. Still at apartment will go now . Wait wait I hear thunder. Aaahhh.

P: See later how.

Another group participant chip in . .

S: Rain or shine just go!


The day before about the same time the weather was the same. . . the phone conversation went like this . . .

M: Hello

H: Yoo

M: Rain in your area? (My house is sharing the same sky as the club)

H: Aaaa ya dark very dark . Rain few drops only. Just now.

M: You think it will come heavy?

H:  Don't know. Don't know how to forecast hehehe.

M: Hahaha ya I know  you bukan kaji cuaca.

H: Wait I go outside check again. Yeay no more. But still dark here.

M: Mmmm I still go. You still resting?

H: Yaaaa ( sigh). Ok. Hope you all can play today. Enjoy!

M: Thanks . . .

Its like that. Weather is unpredictable nowadays. It makes you so undecided. That is why sometimes you wish for the rain to just pour so that your decision to stay back is correct and justified. No disappoinment.

Get yourself a gadget and go huddle in the corner of the sofa. Come. Let it storm, let it rain cats and dogs . .

But when I come across disturbing news on the floods and landslides I feel I am such an inconsiderate thoughtless person.

Did I not know how those people staying in low lying area and on hill slopes are feeling when the rain pour.

They are living in fear, be mindful spare them some thoughts.

Forgive me for being so self centred.

Though not that wishing and hoping can change things . . . rain or shine is the bussiness of nature . . .

Pray. No more bad news.

Lets appreciate nature . . .even in not so fine a weather.

The birds chose to come out on a gloomy day.

Poor light makes the photo look hazy and dull.

In poor light the colors do not shine through . 

I know the photos are substandard. But these birds rarely appear.

I hope it will appear again soon in fine weather so that I can take better pictures.

Dear readers rain or shine you still can do what you'd like to do . . .

bye . . .


 

Ah . . . Not So Vain

Hello

If you watch the TV you will find that your favorite program is so often interrupted by commercial breaks.

The show you are watching is cut to pieces. And a particular ad is not screened for one time only . It comes on so many times. Sometimes one brand has many segments and many ways of persuading you to buy. And some are repeated a few times within that same slot.

If you are not in the buying mode you just want to avoid them.

So we take the ads time to run to the kitchen to take the fish or something out from the freezer to defrost in the microwave. Take out the santan and other ingredients put them on the counter to be ready for use soon.

Wash off the dishes and clear the kitchen sink so that the place is ready for the next task.

Now when the show is about to resume grab a knife and the the onion container.

Peel the onion while enjoying the show. Be careful not to cut the fingers.

And when the ads come on again steal to do another chore.

By the time the program finishes you can proceed to cook the curry for your lunch.

What I am trying to tell is that every time the ads come on I won't be watching it. May be if its a new product I would remain seated for a while. But then so many repeats . . . sorry

If everyone is doing like this there is no point in having the commercial breaks. People only want to watch the show of their choice.

Don't they know?

Hmm I shouldn't be so simple minded.

And one more thing I notice nowadays there are so many advertisements on skin care products with incredible claims. Can a cream turn your skin fair and white even?

How about the cream that can melt away the fat.

 Are people so gullible.

 Just thinking. . .

As a working woman a long time ago I used to spend a lot on skin care products and cosmetics. Some were quite expensive. Sometimes it overshot my budget.

And naively followed whatever was suggested by the sales girls. Their smooth glowing skin was exemplary I thought. You buy into that ha ha.

Actually the girls were naturally "porcelain"ed skin. (As if I didn't know).

Now looking back I think with or without all those products my skin would end the same. When matured, fine lines then wrinkles, coarse skin and pigmentation all are inevitable. More or less, it comes faster or slower,  that's a fact .

Then was it worth all the money spent.

Ah. . . they claim it can be delayed. Hmm. I mean those aging signs.

Better still go for cosmetic surgery then. Don't say ah I am not so vain. . .say. . .I don't have that kind of money. . . ha ha.

All women want to look good even how old  right?

But nothing wrong with that.

It is nice to see the young and old so primp and polished though I myself is really not.

So lets go on sprucing up ourselves . . .

During my photography walk-about sometimes I meet up with birds preening themselves.

They too know how to be well groomed, attractive and healthy.

Some birds use own body powder to preen their feathers to keep it healthy

Shake off all the dust

And pick all the parasites

Do it a number of times a day to rid off the dirt and the grime

Some birds have their own body oil which make their feathers look good

Have a session with a group

Or have a private session

So there we have it some tips from the birds.

Enjoy reading. . .be happy.

Bye. . .

Fishing Or Birding. . . Or?

Hi everyone

Doing any positive recreational  activities to fill our time is always good.

For us the seniors extra hard and vigorous workout of course is not advisable, our hearts cannot cope and our bone might break..ha ah.

Golf is good if you are rich enough to pay the fees. It is more interesting to walk, walk and and take a swing at the ball rather than just monotonously walk and walk and walk and do nothing.

We also cannot involve ourselves in games that we used to play in schools, those ball games like net ball basketball softball and all.  Past our time.

Badminton is ok only if you can get access to the facilities. But believe me usually in  public halls they are full of youngsters you need to have your own boomers group. You need to join a family club which has badminton courts.

Tennis is a game which you can play into the senior years. If you have actively played it before and has stopped for sometime you can make a come back. Get a friend or better still a coach to bring back shine to your game. I think you are always welcomed because  lady players are becoming extinct at least here. .  . To play tennis you have got to start when you were younger. I started taking it more seriously at early thirties with some friends. We stick together and carry on until now.

Whatever we plan to do we need other people's support to achieve it.

To do it alone is impossible. Badminton and tennis you need a sparring partner. Oh you can opt to exercise in the gym. But not so much fun. May be you don't like the noise . . .and hmm the smell.

If all seem to be so difficult then gardening is the answer. Even a very small plot like our terrace house compound will make us sweat. Do it in the morning or in the evening if you are scared of the sun. You may find yourself so absorbed and dragged on for hours. In that case protect exposure to the ultra violet by using stylish gardening hats.

Good coverage ensure protection to your skin....wear anyway you like...

Lighter and more comfortable

and very cheap at RM 4.90

Don't forget the gloves and the shoes. Oh everybody knows that you say. I know everybody knows. Its fun to repeat. . .  like our grandma did.

How about fishing. Women like fishing too. We can do it. But here people will comment if they see you alone like this

J

The strong sun the salt and the sea may damage and worsen your matured complexion...

we still care. . .yes we do

And so it is better to leave fishing to the men. Persuade your spouse. Let him get hooked on fishing. . . for fish!

Good for him to lull away his time. Besides he may bring back some of his catch. Usually they will let go the fish back into the water but not when the fish is big.

On second thought would you bother to mess with a fish as big as this?

Neighbour caught a big fish...

In my community some superstitious anglers stopped their activity when their wife conceived the belief is that the child will be born with a cleft palate. Imagine that.

I prefer birding to fishing. As a very casual birder ( hah can I call myself a birder?) I have only the camera and perhaps binoculars around my neck. Compared to fishing, beside the fishing rod line hook and sinker you have to think about the baits which include worms and leeches... yuck.

Birding for me is a relaxed activity. So far I have "captured" only a few birds which I rarely see around my area. I hope they show up again because the photos I have of them are not of good quality.

"...why do birds

suddenly appear..."

Hope to see you again

They came together to bask

Do come again...

And this. . . which has a noticeable crest on the head, how I wish it stayed longer. . .

Well sorry for my ramblings . . .

Bye for now. . .

#Punai The Colorful #Pigeon

Hi

My bird watching is at its most elementary.

In terms of equipment I have only one digital camera with a zoom and an slr which I am not so good at using as compared to baking my other hobby for which I have an array of paraphernalia (not saying that I am an advanced baker).

By the way this is my latest creation. The edible image is not mine of course. I bought it online.

A big cake for a small girl

All set for a mini birthday party

I intend to buy another camera that is light n easy to use and which can take an extra reach than the one I have now. I have got to save.

With my small pension I think I got to cut on other expenses.Now things are not getting cheap.

I also have to consider my other hobbies swimming and tennis.

Hmm the swim wear they are selling now has become so expensive. 

Tennis shoes strings and the grip are all expensive, of course I don't change things ever so often like the professionals.

Hobby costs money . It is supposed to reduce stress. Now it has become a stress!

Somehow I must get that camera which I have in mind. And hope to present better pictures for you all my dear readers

Why am I so gung ho about getting a new camera .....because......

I have noticed that more birds have come to perch at my favorite birding spot!

My neighbour's backyard

Again I am peering at my neighbors backyard.

Its quite a distance away..on the far corner beyond the fence which is bordering a forest.

There's a dead tree. And there's a fallen log. I can see different species of birds sharing the place.

I could go over the fence to get nearer but I dare not trespass.

My neighbor is not friendly. She keeps to herself and seldom talk or even smile to people.The big house has a large,very large compound. 

The pictures below will tell you of my camera's limitations.

I have adjusted the optical as well as the digital zoom to the max.

Plus I do not have a tripod. My wire fence takes the role. Not stable at all and what more with all the mosquitoes ants and other insects disturbing especially when it is quite early in the morning or quite late in the evening.

Sure lah blurr.

From far I could see the colourful birds.

For this entry I will present this colorful pigeon

Rare appearance 

Keep still . . .

That's better

This  photo below was taken on another day but I think it was the same bird

Or is it a different bird because the orange patch is lower on the ventral..

I don't know...

A different bird?

That's the best I could get. No fine details..but suffice for the trained eyes to identify the birds. Unfortunately I am not.

I am not very sure.

If the tittle of this post is wrong I stand to be corrected. 



Will be back with more birds.....