Backyard fun

This post starts with an apology to Pavan Uncle and Deepti mami!

They visited the kids a few months ago and gave a gift. As is customary in the house, gifts are always opened at a later day. This one went to the garage shelf, thanks to San who doesn't believe in reading what the gift actually is before hiding it from the kids.

We reserve the right to hand over the gifts on days when the kids have to be bribed for something. We run out of bribe gifts and hence this rule! As it so happens, this gift was Christmas trees to be made of cookies which had an expiry date for the frosting and the cookies.

We still let the kids make the cookies with frosting, sprinkles, etc. but instead of eating it, placed it in the backyard..




Now that we have enough critters that visit us every evening and make it practically resemble the Fairyland projected in the latest Snow White movie. The kids and grandparents enjoyed watching the birds and animals come close to us to taste cookies..

It was great to watch them come and devour the decorated cookies, one piece at a time..




We are truly blessed with this 20 foot hedge that defines our backyard that makes any summer evening a pleasant evening!


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A special visitor

Not a single sapling we plant survives the first two nights in the backyard. We usually attributed the cause to be some Raccoon..

This week the mystery was finally solved.

We have a small furry visitor who has a tunnel from the neighbors backyard into ours and he(or she) is the culprit!

The kids wanted to catch and pet but we said "No". It could be a wild rabbit and might have rabies is what we said. The little thing did a hop skip and disappeared real fast.

We have to seal all those tunnels under the fence this weekend!

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Excitement in the backyard

We have had one busy week with the parents both being super busy at work to the point where we think it is going to be a 12 day week.

In the midst of all this god always finds a way to throw some excitement our way to amuse us and the kids even if we are cooped up in our living room.

A wild cat of some kind decided to visit our backyard today. San of course assumed it was a raccoon perched on the fence. We (the kids and me) were pretty sure raccoons are not that big and do not look that muscular!

So we mounted the 70-200 and the extender to make it a 140-400mm and decided to observe the cat.

It was very pretty (and dangerous I am sure). Could not hold the heavy lens with my hand steady as there was a 30 degree temperature difference between the living room and the backyard and was also worried about the thing having rabies or making a dash for me.

Here are some pictures and a video. The kids are now scared of going in the backyard alone. That will pass. The wild cat gracefully made an exit into the forest like area behind our house.

We were happy for the temporary amusement..


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Kaakaa Kaakaa (Crow Crow)

That was a photograph taken in Chennai two months ago!

We now have a crow in Cupertino that has a gray neck! Spotted it yesterday in our backyard. Have never seen it here. We usually get the all black "andan Kaakaa's" only. Then again this looks like a black crow that had its neck shaved off.. maybe an accident left it featherless in the neck and it appears gray?

Well a few coconut trees and we are in New Chennai!

We have a family of crows in the backyard now.. Daddy, mommy and two baby crows. They are cute but very difficult to capture on camera. They are extremely sensitive to my zoom lens.

Will try to get some shots this weekend...



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Robins - Photoblog

The backyard had a visit from two baby robins..

The older robins were watching from the roof line while the babies were getting the worms, just after the water sprinkler had finished.

Guess they are not old enough to understand the danger of letting humans come close.

Was very close to them and they were so busy with the worms that they didn't even notice me...







The backyard sure provides a lot of amusement for a few minutes every evening to take my mind off work and bring me back to house, kids, quiet, calm..

A big thanks to the baby robins and my babies who spotted them!


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Black and white - Photoblog

Jr. managed to get into the same dress from two years ago. The little one, not so successful.. found a sepia tone dress instead..




Previous B&W photos here..


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Backyard, camera, action

They fought dearly for something..

The squirrel won!




The evening Chai was with some outdoor entertaining by the little friends.

A lot of serious and frivolous posts, all incomplete, as the mind wanders aimlessly..

Until something brings me out of this trance...


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Backyard Playtime.. Photoblog

Today was spent in napping, biking with kids (yes, Daddy got back on the bicycle for the 2nd time since the accident... and went on the main road as well!), taking pictures of the flowers, girls, squirrels, and birds in what was a great spring day.

The jasmines are in full bloom and the whole backyard smells divine!

Made some good chai and settled in the concrete steps..
















This look on the little one's face is what we refer to as the "theesa kalai".. she must have done something she wasn't supposed to do and that explains that look.. She was moving too fast and I had the camera in manual.

The girls surprise me more than the birds and squirrels...




Need more of these quiet afternoons to lift up spirits...


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Sky background

Was taking a break just lying down on the concrete after taking pictures of things in the backyard. Jr. and the little one came up to me and said "get up. Let's ride the cycle"

In an attempt to make her go away from me for a second, took the camera that was already in my hand and flashed a picture..

The kids actually made a game of it.. they would lean over me and request a picture be taken.







and my ace model posed for a photo after forcing me to sit up...(reference portrait here)




Works out rather well with the sky as a natural background, no?


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FIMBY

Fun in my back yard (after NIMBY, YIMBY,...), with my new love the Digital Rebel. I thought the wifey was over reacting when she was worried that I might elope with the EOS 400. Well, she may have some reason for concern there. The only way I could diffuse the situation was to make it a threesome with me the wife and the Rebel!

What ? You actually expect me to show you how the wife took to the EOS (taking pictures) or how the EOS took to the wife (she sees my wife in a whole different way, I tell you) ? Naughty naughty! Even I am not allowed to go back and see those pictures. Forget you!

All I CAN show you, is other pictures with the Rebel, all taken over this weekend.
















The bird nests were manual focus. Wish that I had the bird on the tree on manual focus also. I am finding that it is very difficult to manual focus when the zoom is out at 200 mm.. difficult, not impossible.

Jr. was a tease as usual, making it difficult for me to take portraits. The little one has started smiling again, now that grandma is back!

A hummingbird and butterfly have been teasing me all afternoon. Will post pictures if I ever succeed in catching either one.

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A day in the life of Jr. and baby...

Decided to go eat with friends at the famous "Yan Can Cook" restaurant. As fate would have it, there was some ingredient in the yummy stuff that I was allergic to, and ended up sick on friday night. That meant, spending some quiet time at home with the kids and keeping a low profile (not to mention the two birthday parties attended over the weekend)!

They were up to their usual antics..




In other news, the canon S30 has reached its limit. After making it through steam and sulfur at Yellowstone, even daylight images are getting grainy! (the fringes you see in the video however are not due to the S30, they are due to the insect screen on the sliding door!).

In other other news, San is getting me a new camera for our wedding day!

To all those (you know who you are) who have recently gifted digital cameras to your spouse for various occasions like anniversary's, birthdays, fathers day etc. thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Needless to say, you will hear all about the new camera. I can't wait to open that box!!


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... in the yard lights!!!

Heard a lot of commotion in the backyard. Rustling leaves, sounds of people running through.

Was really worried that there were some intruder. Cautiously switched on the light in the backyard and was pleasantly surprised!




They were actually quiet and starring at the yard light! Got a close up hand feel for "deer in the headlights"!



Wish there was a night vision mode on the S30!

Jr. woke up because of all the noise, and saw the deer.

The smile on her face, that made my day!

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