As we rush through our daily chores, we hardly realize there is lot more “life” around us than we take note off; at least I do not! I had taken a couple of days off from work and for a change, it was not for an outing or to attend a function. Frankly, when I reflect back, in my 16 years of work experience, there are not many instance that I have just taken off without an agenda already in place! My kid’s summer vacation was getting over the week and their schools get started on Monday. On the work front, there was a release that had just gone out and I had some breathing space that I wanted to make use of.
Due to practice, I got up early in the morning although I had plans to just sleep my morning away; it is not for nothing it is said practice makes a man (or a woman) perfect! As I did not have to rush to get ready to beat the Bangalore traffic, I stepped out to my balcony to see how an early morning looks; it looked and felt very different from most of the days! For one, it had rained the previous night, and the sky was clear today. The air smelled fresh 🙂 And the tree leaves looked green, crisp and clear. Right in front of my house there is a park where there is (according to some) a 150-year-old Banyan tree. This tree is house to many birds, mostly Parrots – at least that is the one I am able to easily identify! Also, at times I have seen snakes and mongoose roam around the park and the nearby area that is devoid of human intrusion. Earlier there were Hares, but I have not seen them off late; it seems that they were quite extensively hunted for meat and none are left now 😦
A few days back I had noticed Pigeons were building a nest near our neighbor’s window, but I had not really bothered much about it. As I had a lot of time and out of curiosity, I peeped to see it: I saw a Squab – that is what a young one of Pigeon is called 🙂 I called out my daughter. And when she came, I told her excitedly that there is a Pigeon chick (that is what I though an young one was called) in the nest. “I know,” she said in a matter-of-fact manner. Every day when she was back from school, it had been her daily ritual to see what was happening with Pigeon’s family. And, she was up-to-date with the developments. Here I was trying to tell here something that I believed that I had discovered!!! She also said she had done a recording of it. So, here it is (with some editing done from my end) from incubation to the Squab being visible.
BTW, my daughter is 9 year old.
Although it is not New Year, but a resolution that I made for myself is to try and lead a more mindful life rather than continue on a timetable driven mechanical life. As a starter, I stopped wearing my watch.
oye, watch and learn 