Chocolate bars are usually placed in the fridge to prevent melting. The last time I got chocolates the thought of freezing them popped in. I left them in the freezer for some four or five hours, and then had a 5Star. It tasted better! Care to try it?
.........The Apple of Sodom is wild plant with sticky white sap and a complex looking flower. In Kannada it's called Yekki Gida, and in Indian culture it's has an ancient cultural significance. These lovely flowers eventually turn into pods. Subsequently those pods release black seeds with silky hair which are carried away by wind.
Back in July 2009 I had a chance to see Yekki seeds being dispersed.
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The crow pheasant stayed perched for a couple of minutes while I kept my Nikon P900 aimed at it. It's a shy bird, just doesn't stay still knowing there's a human close by. I was lucky to have got these close-ups. Of course, I have to thank my Nikon for its amazing zoom ability.
Kannada speaking people call it Ratna Pakshi which translates to ruby bird. You might've guessed why ruby. Yes, because of the crow pheasant's ruby red eyes.
People consider it good luck to see Ratna Pakshi. I guess the bird's elusive nature, it just goes out of sight the moment it knows its being watched.
Back in July 2020, I has captured pictures of another crow pheasant at my uncle's place. Do check out the pictures of that Ratna Paskshi.
.........The beautiful Sri Raam Mandir of Malmaddi sits hidden behind a wall, away from the bustling railway station road. It looks like the structure is ancient, should be at least a hundred years old.
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Two full month within a calendar month is a rare happening. I happened to notice that on May 1st and made sure to take pictures of Earth's night lamp in its full glory. May 1st evening was a clear sky while May 31st the moon was behind a thin veil of moving clouds.
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| May 1st 2026 | Aagi Hunnime |
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| May 31st 2026 | Khara Hunnime |
In the Hindu traditions, every new moon and full moon have names. All those names are mentioned in this post: Kannada names of New moon & Full moon days.
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