Skywatch Friday

The rain bearing clouds have retreated now, and the wispy white clouds in the blue sky gives some shade occasionally, to the hard working farmer.

My thanks to the team of Skywatch Friday.

ABC Wednesday- S

Welcome to ABC Wednesday, to the world of S. Today, I am going to speak about the significance of some names. Strelitzia reginae was found suitable for the suzerain.....
who sustained herself by sampling syrops from a Golden Chalice, Solandra grandiflora.
Sanchezia , certainly is named for a scientist.
Sanseveria honours the Sans,the mother-in-law in Hindi.
The Sage is from the Himalayas, like the great sage Sakyamuni Buddha, who gave us the sutras for surmounting suffering.

To see and enjoy more S words, please click here.

Our World Today- Rice

Rice, Oryza sativa, is the grass which supports more than half of the human population on this planet. It was domesticated more than 5000 years ago, in South Asia. Now it is the staple food of China, Thailand, Myenmar and most of India. Besides being the main food, rice is also associated with prosperity and fertility, and so is used by the Hindus at festivals. Rice is showered on the newly weds during the wedding ceremony.

Rice is also used in funerals to make the passage to heaven easy for the departed.

There are many varieties of rice, the most famous is the fragrant, long grained Basumati rice grown in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Sadly, the rice fields near cities are being gobbled up by the builders. Since rice is a labour intensive crop, farmers find it increasingly difficult to get farm labour.

This woman is a small cultivator of a special type of red rice grown only in the Western Ghats, in India. She and her husband do most of the work in their farm, and grow enough to sustain their family. They sell the surplus.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday, where you can see interesting aspects of our wonderful world.

Today's Flowers

The Blue Sage from the Himalayas adds a welcome blue tinge to my garden now.
The dwarf Canna indica is very popular in many gardens here.
The sky blue Plumbago blooms reflect the clear blue skies.
The red Powder Puff is blooming in many gardens here.
This Cassia is a short tree with double coloured blooms.

I feel so lucky that we have flowers to cheer us up all the year round!

My thanks to the team of Today's Flowers, where you can see what is blooming in other parts of the world.

Skywatch Friday- Blue

The sea at Murdeshwar is a rather greenish blue, which contrasts with the bright blue of the tropical sky. My thanks to the team of Skywatch Friday. You can see fantastic skywatch pictures here.

Reinwardtia- Narrative of a Rare Flower

She was the child of the rainforest, a dryad, and a ravishing beauty.
Reared by the raven and the rhinao, she refused to read the 3R's nd grew up to be a radiant beauty.
A rambling rajah fell in love with her and re-located her to his royal residence in Rangoon. Refusing all nourishment, she relinquished her mortal coils.
The regretful royal buried her by the rapids of the river Ramganga.
Came the rainy season, and a rare flower reared up from her resting place. The reincarnation was renamed Reinwardtia.

Reinwardtia indica , or Pyoli, as it is known locally, has many ballads and folk songs in her honour. The innocence and beauty of the maiden of the rainforest of the Himalayan foothills , who refused to live in a king's palace, has inspired many a folk songster.

This is my contribution to ABC Wednesday.You can see many interesting posts , and take part yourself, by clicking here.

Our World- Murdeshwar Beach

The fishing village of Murdeshwar on the Arabian Sea, has now become a favoureded tourist spot. You can see the fishermen's boats docked here.
The white sands on the beach , and the warm sea water are great attractions to visitors.
For the fishermen in their tiny boats, the sea is their 'father', who provides sustenance.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday, where you can see snippets of our beautiful world.