RAINDROPS

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

YACHTS

A yacht is a watercraft used for pleasure or sports. The term originates from the Dutch word jacht "hunt", and was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries. The jacht was popularised by Charles II of England as a pleasure or recreation vessel following his restoration in 1660.

Today's yachts differ from other vessels by their leisure purpose. A yacht is any sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising or racing. A yacht does not have to have luxury accommodations to be a yacht, in fact many racing yachts are stripped out vessels with the minimum of accommodations. The term 'sailboat' is sometimes used in America to differentiate sail from powerboat.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme.

RAIN

It was cold, wet and grey today - definitely a return to Winter! More of the same weather predicted for the next couple of days.

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and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

MOSSY

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and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

GRANNY SMITH

The Granny Smith is a tip-bearing apple cultivar, which originated in Australia in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated the cultivar from a chance seedling. The tree is thought to be a hybrid of Malus sylvestris, the European Wild Apple, with the domestic apple M. domestica as the pollinator. The fruit has hard, light green skin and a crisp, juicy flesh. Granny Smiths go from being completely green to turning yellow when overripe. The acidity mellows significantly on ripening, and it takes on a balanced flavour.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

IRISES

The irises in our garden have started to bloom and one of my favourite varieties is this beauty here. 

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TOADSTOOL

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MYSTERIOUS

A quiet, dark and mysterious spot in the Darebin Parklands in suburban Melbourne.

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ON THE RIVERBANK

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
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I heard a beautiful Hindi song yesterday and I had to go and find out what the lyrics meant. It was easy enough to find them in Hindi, however, an English translation was lacking. I tried to get Google Translate to assist, but it only gave me the bare gist of them, and I could only gain a tantalising suggestion of what the song was about.

I remembered a photo on the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne that I had taken some time ago and which I recovered from archives (see above). Looking at it and listening to the song, having in mind the suggestion of the meaning, I wrote a poem that more or less is akin to the essence of the Hindi lyrics. I would be grateful if any Indian readers of this blog can enlighten me as to whether an English translation of the actual song lyrics exists and whether my version is akin to it.

The song is called "Ye raatein, ye mausam, nadee ka kinaara"

From the 1958 Film “Dilli Ka Thug”; Lyrics by Shailendra, Music by Ravi

Originally sung by Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhosle. Here is a beautiful recent cover version by Ayushi Arora.

On a Night like Tonight

By NJV after Shailendra

On a night like tonight,

in Spring like this Spring,

When the fickle breeze blew gently,

Our two hearts came together

On the riverbank lit by the silver moonlight

On a night like tonight,

in Spring like this Spring,

When the fickle breeze blew gently,

Our two hearts came together

And they said we’ll never part.

Why is the moonlight different

On this night, which should be like that night?

Our love is no more, our hearts are broken

Our hands are not clasped,

Our eyes are blinded by our separation.

On a night like tonight,

in Spring like that Spring,

When the fickle breeze blows gently…

We should be together now, just like then,

Revelling in our love, becoming one, just like then.

The stars shone brightly on us,

Blessing our love, while the moon smiled.

Where is the moon to speak on my behalf tonight?

Why are the stars so silent?

Why have we drifted so far apart?

On a night like tonight,

in Spring like this Spring,

When the fickle breeze blew cold,

We parted and you said: “Don’t ever bother me again!”

And I was aghast, wishing our love would not end.

The stars shine brightly now,

And the moon is burning ardently,

The fickle breeze blows complicitly now –

Come back and give me your heart again

You’ve pledged it to me, and I’ve pledged you mine.

On this night, which should be like that night,

I’m telling you, I’ll always be your true love,

In this Spring, while the stars are singing and the moon avers my feelings

Come back and let’s enjoy our love while we are young,

Open your heart and let my open heart join it.

On a night like tonight,

in Spring like this Spring,

When the fickle breeze blew gently,

Our two hearts came together, remember?

And they said we’ll never part, remember?

RAIN

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FIRETHORN

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CALENDULA

...Because we all need cheering up!

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MONTBRETIA

Montbretias belong in the the Iridaceae family of bulbs, the Crocosmias having originated in Southern Africa. Montbretia is a hardy member of the Crocosmia group and is very easy to grow. Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora (Montbretia) is a garden hybrid of C. aurea and C. pottsii, first bred by Victor Lemoine in 1880.

The variety illustrated here is ‘His Majesty’.The orange flowers are trumpet shaped and appear alternately along the stems. The leaves are long and narrow.This is one of the few summer flowers in our garden that make a pretty display and can grow wildly. Some people call this a "wild gladiolus", but the wild gladiolus is pinkish in colour.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

BASIL

Basil, Thai basil, or sweet basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum of the family Lamiaceae (mints). Basil is possibly native to India, and has been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years.] It was thoroughly familiar to the Greek authors Theophrastus and Dioscorides.

It is a half-hardy annual plant, best known as a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine, and also plays a major role in Southeast Asian cuisines of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan. Depending on the species and cultivar, the leaves may taste somewhat like anise, with a strong, pungent, often sweet smell.

There are many varieties of Ocimum basilicum, as well as several related species or species hybrids also called basil. The type used in Italian food is typically called sweet basil, as opposed to Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. X citriodorum) and holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which are used in Asia. While most common varieties of basil are treated as annuals, some are perennial in warm, tropical climates, including holy basil and a cultivar known as 'African Blue'.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the My Corner of the World.

SUNSET

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YULETIDE

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

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VEGETARIAN PIE

Vegetarian Pot Pie

Ingredients

2 Tbs. corn flour (=cornstarch)

1 and 1/3 cups prepared creamy potato-leek soup

1/2 tsp. dried crushed rosemary

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

500 g mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, cauliflower, turnip, etc), cubed, parboiled and drained

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

Method

Position oven racks in middle and bottom positions, and preheat oven to 230˚C.

Whisk 2 Tbs. cold water into corn flour in medium saucepan. Whisk in soup, rosemary, and cumin, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat, stir in vegetables, then spread mixture in 23 cm deep-dish pie pan.

Unfold puff pastry, and place over vegetable mixture; allow pastry to drape over pie pan. Trim pastry edges with scissors or sharp knife so that it fits tightly in pan. Prick pastry all over with fork or knife. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until puff pastry is puffed and golden.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the My Corner of the World.