Sunday morning I saw a mongoose family--presumably it was a family.  There were two adult mongooses and a baby, just about running around.  It must have been all of about 10 inches long.  They were sunning themselves under the pruned gulmohur tree after which father mongoose moved on in front, baby in the middle and mom bringing up the rear.  The baby was just having fun.  I saw it dragging itself through the warm earth, then running on ahead a bit, and even jumping over mama.  As always, the camera was not anywhere near.  I did try to use my phone camera, but couldn't a good shot.  Was a lovely show!

Two koels

I had been meaning to write about the 2 male koels for quite a while, but just didn't get the time!
One evening, I heard this big screaming battle right outside my kitchen window--very loud koel cries. [Koels are our local cuckoos]. I took a look out and I saw these two male koels on the guava tree outside having a face-off. I ran outside with my camera and tried to come up as close to them as possible. The only sign they gave of being aware of my presence was by keeping quiet. But neither was willing to relinquish his place.  Here is a shot of them and a movie clip too.

If you click here it gives you the koel's cries--what I was able to get.

I did so want to see the Geminid showers. But alas, it was too cloudy late at night, and too much light pollution earlier in the evening.

The latest evening walk

Weather and surroundings as at 6.30 p.m. today 9th Dec
Air soft as silk, temperature oh so pleasant (for Kerala), a crescent moon smiling in the West in a clear sky; feathery clouds edged in pink darkening slowly, scattered around; alas mosquitoes too, permitting no standing still.

After what seems like an eon, two consecutive days without rain! I went for a quick walk became it became too dark and spotted a flight of birds off to bed and an owl on the lamp post who Dog & I startled.

A hazy moon through the frangipani tree.

Walk on two evenings

Yesterday's walk... It is dark.  I have to walk with the garden lights on.  There is the drip, drip of rain. Doggy friend runs on ahead, thoroughly enjoying the rain.  I see a moth fluttering in a white lily.  A jagged flash of lightning snaking across the southern sky, makes me think that maybe I should get back inside. The rain increases and I'm driven inside.
This evening, it gets dark as I walk.  The rain was over earlier and everything is wet, wet, wet.  I go out again later in the evening and I can't believe it, there are stars out, so many and a crescent moon smiling down, with a little cloud ring around it. There is a cool breeze.  Beautiful!