“You could call me an Ichthyologist”. That was the rather grandiose statement with which I started my essay for the English language paper of my High School ICSE exams. We had been given three topics for the essay section. The first topic was the sentence “I was walking down the road when…” The second was the picture of a boy…
Category: Nature
A Tree For All Seasons
We tend to drive around a fair bit in our neighbouring towns since our son loves to go on long car rides. Even though we have lived here a few years, I’m still taken in by the beauty and never tire of it. Earlier this year, while driving along the ridge of a hill, I came across a tree that…
Walking in the woods in winter
“Just make sure you pick up a winter sport, like skiing or snow-shoeing, if not you will get cabin fever!” said the Verizon tech as he was setting up the internet connection in our rental condo. I had just moved up from Florida and the tech was giving me advice on how to handle the New England winters. My previous…
Of Birds and Birdfeeders
When it came to cooking, my mother, like many others of her generation, relied on first principles. That meant that the idli-rawa (cream of rice) used for making idlis was made at home. This involved soaking the rice in water, drying it and then grinding it at home using a stone mill. The soaked rice was spread out on an old…
A Short Walk in the Woods
Our house abuts acres of conservation land. Even though we’ve lived here for a few years, I had not ventured into the woods behind our house until earlier this year when I made my first foray into the woods after a snowstorm. It was a magical experience and it merits a separate post. I ventured forth again last Sunday, after…