Peek-A-Boo.. I see you.. And I scare you..!!

Hi Everyone..

I know it is not nice to stay quiet for too long, but, juggling time can be almost impossible sometimes. So, I apologise..

As unexpected as it is.. I can't believe that the reason I am writing in this blog again, after almost a year without any posts is a mantis...

What??

Yes.. A MANTIS..

I've come across them many times since a was very young, but never realised how interesting they are until today..

This morning we had visitors at home. My husband's high school friend with his family. When they were leaving, around late morning, there was a mantis on the orchid leaf in the front yard. Since I have never have a photo session with mantis, I thought it would be nice to do it while the weather was nice.

The mantis was not running away. It was slowly moving from one leaf to another, and it was cooperative when I held a twig in front of it to move it to a different bush. I really had a great time shooting it.

While taking pictures, I started to realise that the mantis seem to be aware of my presence at all times. Every time I moved my camera, The mantis moved its head towards me (or my camera) . I had its face in almost every shot. I think it was amazing. It didn't seem to be scared by me, unlike some other animals that usually try to run away from me when I take their pictures.

I See You..

I Still See You.. 

After a while, I noticed something else, the mantis did a little head shake from side to side, every time I happened to be facing it face to face. And, it started to stand face to face with me more directly. Not looking at me sideways anymore..

Ready.. Get Set.. JUMP!

After this last shot, where I caught it standing at the top of a tall leaf, suddenly, the mantis crouched, and.. JUMPED TOWARDS ME!

I jumped and screamed, as the mantis landed on my head. Gladly I was wearing a headscarf, so that its legs didn't get tangled in my hair. In panic, I shook my head and waved my hand on my head to get rid of the mantis.. But the mantis was nowhere to be seen..

I went inside to change my clothes, but it was not on my clothes either.. So, I decided to make sure that the mantis was alright. Not hurt or anything when I flicked it with my hand..

It took me a few seconds to finally see it, on top of Sinta and Joe's car.. It was calmly walking, as if enjoying the smooth feeling of the car, compared to the rough surface of leaves..

Me and My Shadow..

Look at me, I'm dancing..

I thought the mantis looked great on the car, and I started to take pictures again. But this time, as soon as the mantis started moving its head towards me, acknowledging my presence, I decided to stop the photo session. I didn't want to experience the jump for the second time..

It was really a great photo session with the mantis..

Thank you for reading and see you again soon..

Peek-A-Boo.. I See You..

See You Later.. 

NOTE:

Later in the afternoon, I told my husband about the mantis shaking its head. He said that it was the mantis' way of scaring a stranger.. Well, I learn my lesson now..

Saigon Mango

Mango..

One of the beautiful seasonal fruits..

Nice for after meal, and really great for the kids' afternoon snack ..

The usual size of the fruit is a little bigger than a folded fist, which would be quite comfortable to hold while peeling the skin and cutting the flesh into small pieces. However, this one variety that we have at home, turned out so much bigger than usual..

It must have been about 8-10 years ago, when Mum and Dad went to Australia, to visit my sister, and brought home a few Australian mangoes. They gave some to Mother and Father, who then planted the stone (seed) in the front yard.

Last year, the tree had fruits for the first time, but the fruit didn't survive.. The few that fell, in the size of half my fist, tasted pretty good (for a half-ripe fruit), so we were hoping that the fruits would turn out better this year..

To our excitement, this year, the tree have many fruits, and.. they are BIG!

Mother had an invitation to come to a fruit farm on Sunday, so she brought some pictures of the mango and the tree, to ask the staff there, the exact variety of the mango and how to care for it.

Well, this is the information that Mother received from the farm staff..

This type of mango is called 'SAIGON MANGO' .. It is a native fruit of Kalimantan (Borneo), which was brought to Vietnam and then researched and scientifically grown there.. From there, it must have been brought to Australia, where it was, again, grown there.. that was why I knew it (the first time) as 'Australian Mango'...

This mango can grow to 1.5kg .. For comparison, regular mangoes vary from 300-350grams each (2-3 fruits in a 1kg package). The colour of the fruit gradually becomes paler as it comes nearer to harvest time. When they are ready for harvest, the stem connected to the fruit will turn reddish.

This picture was taken last week (23 October 2012)

Last week, we put plastic bags (the 2kg ones), to cover the mangoes. This morning, we had to take the plastic bags off, because the mangoes did not fit in them anymore..

The branch, had to be supported by a wooden stick, because it was bending lower and lower, closer to the ground. A few days ago, another wooden stick had to be added for the extra support.. 

The mangoes were covered in plastic bags

At the moment, the fruits on our tree look like they weigh about 1kg each, and the stems are looking orange-ish brown.. So, we are hoping they will be ripe soon and ready for harvest..

I remember that when I was in Australia, I was not a big fan of Australian mango, but still, I can't wait to try the ones the grow on our tree.. They look soooo tempting.. (Mother is starting to wonder, how can we peel the skin, when the fruit is much bigger than our palm..) .. Well, we'll have to see what happens when that happens.. ;-)

I am not a great photographer, so, please excuse me for the pictures that are meant to be representing the size of the growing mango fruits.. I hope they can still show how big they have grown in only a few days..

The picture on the left was taken on Friday, the 2nd of November .. The middle picture was taken on Sunday, the 4th of November .. The picture on the right was taken this morning, Tuesday, the 6th of November 2012.

Many thanks to Capo (Feyzhel), for his willingness to pose with the mango.. :-D .. He is now 14 months old.. ;-)

I really hope that the mangoes will turn out well and that the tree will have more fruits in the coming years.. :-)

See you at harvest time!

A Little Italian Taste for Our Garden

About two (or three) months ago, Sinta told me that she brought some seeds from Italy, which she had been storing in her kitchen cupboard. They were the seeds of her favourite vegies and herbs.

Having a little baby certainly took most of her time. She is still struggling with daily chores, let alone trying to do any gardening -been there, done that-.. :-)

While in my case, after watching my chillies grew and enjoying the harvest.. I became addicted to growing things in the garden.. Here are some photos of my chillies, obviously, I'm not the only one who enjoys the chilli harvest.. ;-)

A couple of mating crickets in my Habaneros (Cabe Gendot) tree.

Leftover Habaneros.. left by crickets for me.. :-P

The Long Chilli harvest has been claimed.. not by me..

I'm so happy knowing that my hands can actually grow things, which I used to think was impossible. Plants used to die in my hands, but, watching Mother and my husband work in the garden somehow has sparked a motivation to try.. and it works well!

I prepared the soil for the seeds. I laid the soil on the ground for a few days, then I mixed it with natural compost and let it cool down under the shade for a few days again. Then I took a little bit of each seed and place it in small pots. I watered the pots twice daily and.. Wow! Within a week, little leaves have sprung out..

It has been almost two months, since the time when I sow the seeds. Now, the plants are ready for first harvest.

Rucola Da Orto (Kemangi Itali)

Basilico

Prezzemolo

The last thing I need to find for these plants now are RECIPES.. ;-)

So far, Sinta only told me that Rucola is nice to put in sandwiches, while Basilico and Prezzemolo are usually used as herbs in cooking.

I have tried having Rucola with my breakfast sandwich and it was beautiful. This morning, I tried having it with my rice.. It was also nice..

I can't wait to use Basilico and Prezzemolo in my spaghetti bolognese.. I hope I can make it some time this week.. ;-)

If any of you have any recipe suggestions for me, using these three ingredients, please let me know. I am really excited to try..

I am also growing Zucchino (Italian Zucchini) and Pomodoro (Italian Tomato). They take longer to harvest, though, so, I have to come back to you for the result..

When I sow the seeds for the first time, I only used a small portion of the pack. I am growing some more in an open space. This time, I'm growing more Rucola and local Spinach. I'm hoping to harvest in a month time.

Chilli trees are very fragile. They can't stay too dry/hot nor too wet/cold. I'm looking for more habanero seeds to grow and this time, I hope I can also successfully keep some seeds for future sowing..

Don't forget to have your vegetable every day and have a nice day, Everyone.. :-)

-14 May 2012-

Dove Orchids

Last Saturday, our cook came up to me and passed on Mother's message, that she wanted me to take pictures of the white flowers. Mother had already left for her Saturday Senior Citizen Morning Exercise, so I couldn't ask her more about what kind of pictures she had in mind or borrow her camera.

I quickly grabbed my camera and started shooting at the while flowers outside the window. The cook ran and shouted, "No! Not that flower! Grandma said the little ones, the ones that smell very nice. They just happen to be blooming this morning and they won't stay long. You must take pictures quickly."

Ah.. I understand which flowers she was talking about. I looked behind me.. and there they were, blooming beautifully around the palm tree bark, spreading a fresh fragrance around the front yard.. The little 'Dove Orchids.'

I really had to take as many pictures as possible during the day, because Dove Orchids only bloom for 24 hours, then, it would be over. I took lots of pictures from every angles, hoping that some of them will come out perfect.

After taking the pictures, the boys were up, and I had to catch up with our lives, so the camera had to wait for my next free-time.

On Sunday morning, I took a look at the pictures and I realized that the pictures were good, but the problem with the camera I was using was that the colors did not come out as well as I hoped. I quickly ran to Mother's room and asked to borrow her camera.

Most of the orchids were already closed, only a few were still opened. I tried to take as many pictures as possible, as fast as possible, before they completely withered. Then, I quickly extracted and edited the pictures.

All the flowers are now gone, and the pictures I took might not be the best pictures in the world (since I'm not a professional photographer), but, I'm sure you can see the beauty in those little orchids by looking at my pictures.

Dove Orchids are so beautiful and I can almost smell them while writing this post.

 

Even this little bee is enjoying the company of the Dove Orchids for the day..

We know you want a better quaff

New additions to our home..

When you walk around your home long enough, you will start catching sights of the things you never thought existed around you..


Like this cheerful sunflower..


Then, you will start thinking about what you want to change or add or.. capture with you camera.. and keep the memory for as long as you want..


That is what we do here.. Mother and my husband love to find new plants to grow, and I love watching them grow, observing the creatures residing around the plants, and capturing them all with a camera, I can get a hold of..









These are pictures of some of the new additions in our front and back yards..

The short-lived Morning Glory

The new white flower outside the widow

The new bush of purple flowers

The pretty plant that is having breakfast with a little bee..

A little lizard that quickly became Aza's friend

The lovely white orchids

The beautiful purple orchids

The pretty white plant that is saying 'hi' to the sun

The baby dragonfly

..and..

The giant cricket

My most surprising find was in the pond that was meant to be a fish breeding pond. While the fish is not using the pond, another family is happily occupying it, and it looks like they are building an empire in it..

The frog family

Last but not least, my best find was the little creature hiding among the leaves up on the mango tree, which brought a specific song to me..

HUSH A BYE BABY

Hush a bye baby on the tree top
When the wind blows the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall
Down will come baby cradle and all..

Sleep tight, little bat

Having this world of nature around me, and being able to enjoy it every day, makes me less jealous of those wild life photographers.. :-P

Have a nice day, Everyone.. :-)

Graphium Agamemnon: My patience is finally paid off..

A few months ago (or it might be over a year ago).. I saw this beautiful butterfly and I quickly ran to take a picture of it. It was black, with bright green dots and patterns all over its wings.. simple but very beautiful..

After a few runs around the front yard, I decided that the butterfly was far too fast, both for me and my camera! I didn't give up, though.. I loved it and I wouldn't stop until I had its pictures!

I started searching on the internet about this beautiful butterfly. At first, the search didn't come up with anything at all, except some pictures. After a few months, I did another internet search for this black and green butterfly, and my determination was finally yielding a great result!

The beautiful butterfly is GRAPHIUM AGAMEMNON and it is a very active type of butterfly. It is harder to catch by camera compared to other butterflies because it moves around a lot and it flies fast and often high.

Through the search, I also found a blog owner who was a student studying about butterflies and I asked her what I should do to be able to catch a Graphium agamemnon on my camera. She said that I needed to catch it early in the morning when the butterfly was not so fast yet.

I did as she suggested.  There were two Graphium agamemnons that were flying around our front yard almost every day, and I ran after them every time I saw them. Soon I realised that my camera was not the best in the world, it wouldn't win any race against the beautiful butterfly I love. I still refused to give up.

Very soon, I never saw any of the Graphium agamemnon again, I almost didn't see any butterflies at all, for a few weeks after that. Then, I found dead butterflies in the bushes near the front porch. I realised that their 'time' has come and I would have to wait for the new ones to come out of their cocoons, although I had no clue of where their cocoons were.

About two months ago, I started seeing butterflies in the front yard again. A large black one (which Ariq managed to take a picture of with my camera), A black with white and purple pattern, a little white one and a brown one... but no Graphium agamemnon..

I know that there are birds around our house, and I'm sure they always eat worms, caterpillars, and maybe even butterflies. If the birds ever came across the Graphium agamemnon caterpillar, I doubt I would ever see one so close to home again. However, deep inside my heart I was still keeping a tiny ray of hope for the sight of the beautiful black and bright green I love so much.

Then, it happened!

One morning, I was walking around the front yard with my camera in one hand, taking pictures of the morning glories, sunflowers, and other blooming plants, and suddenly, it was there, flying around the bushes outside Mother's window.. Graphium agamemnon..!! I believe it was a young one. It was slightly smaller and it didn't move as fast as the two I previously knew.

I quickly readied my camera in my hand and started 'talking' to the butterfly, asking it to stay quietly on the leave. I manage to get a few shots, but those shots are not as good as I expect them to be. I know that my 'hunt' is still on!

Finally, two weeks ago, Mother asked me to document a community gathering at home with her camera. I still had the camera the next morning because I didn't have time to transfer the pictures to the computer yet. Miraculously, the Graphium agamemnon was flying around the front yard. I quickly ran inside the house to fetch Mother's camera.

Once I was back in the front yard, the butterfly was already gone. I quickly hoped it had gone to the back yard, so I quickly rushed there, and there it was! flying around the plants above the fish pond!

I deactivated the digital zoom and maximised the optical zoom. Then, I quickly directed Mother's camera towards the butterfly. I took as many pictures as the camera's speed allowed. Then, I transferred the pictures to the computer.

The pictures may not be perfect, but, considering I am not a professional photographer, the camera was not a professional camera and the Graphium agamemnon was not as young as the first time I saw it and it was moving around fast, just like the first two I knew, well, I consider these pictures are absolutely gorgeous..

After one year of effort and patience, I now have beautiful pictures of a very beautiful Graphium agamemnon.. The black and bright green butterfly that I love so much..

Morning Glory.. Only in the morning..

They are very pretty, although they only bloom early in the morning a while after the sun rises. Then, they wither...
I love them, despite their short blooming life, because they give me an incentive to appreciate every little beauty by looking ay them in the morning..
Created with PicSay on my GT-S5570

New Legs for My Spider

This post was supposed to be published in February 2011.. I thought I had published it, but the other day, I found out that it was still a draft.. :-P 

The same article in Indonesian .. "Kaki Baru untuk Laba-Labaku"

Around the new year, I started spider watching again. This time, it was a little one on the front porch. She built a web between the plants and one of the pillars on the porch.

The little spider was unique. It only had five legs..

I felt sorry for the spider, and wondered how would it survive with only five legs. Suddenly, my husband shouted from inside the house, "Don't worry, the legs would grow back!"

I replied, "Yeah, right! Legs can grow back!"

My husband shouted again, "Spider legs can grow back."

Knowing my husband's taste for making jokes, I just grinned and talked to myself, "Sure sure.. That will be the day.."

For a few days, I watched the spider, making sure that it was still in its web. Until one day, I was so surprised to see that I saw a little white thing coming out of each spot where the legs were.

My husband was not joking! So, I called him at work and told him about that.

He said to me, "I told you. I wasn't joking. Just check on the internet!"

So I did, and I found out that spider legs can grow back as long as it doesn't lose too much fluid in its body. WOW! That is a very interesting fact to learn.. ;-)

I took some pictures of the spider to put here..

Before The Legs Grew Back

Hunting with Five Legs

After The Legs Grew Back

Hunting with Eight Legs

I was really amazed, finding out that spiders can survive with only five legs, although having eight legs, definitely made its life so much better.. (judging from the number of flies it caught after its legs grew back!)

A few days later, the spider was gone. The web was deserted. I guess, since it had all its legs back, the spider wanted to build a bigger and better web. I just couldn't find where the new web was.

I just hoped that the little spider was well and happy.. :-)

Healthy house inspection..

It is always a lot of fun whenever Ariq's classmates come to visit our home..

Today, the class is here again with the teachers on their science period, to do an 'inspection' of a healthy house.. ;-)

Well, gladly the visit was in the morning, when the house was in its best appearance, haha.. Plus, the kids much prefered to run around the backyard.. so, the condition of the inside was very well preserved until the end of the visit.. :-)

When everyone had completed their worksheet, noting their observation of the requirements of a healthy house, then it was morning snack time.. 

I thought I did better than the last time in serving the snack -during the last visit, I ran out of food much too soon-.. It turned out that although I did slightly better this time, but still.. I should have put more of the macaroni and cheese, because the kids came back for 2nd and 3rd servings!! WOW! Everything, -cartoon milk, macaroni and cheese, sandwiches and waffers- were gone by the end of the visit, which made me a very happy host.. :-)

The thing that I noted the most was the way the kids behaved.. It was only one year since the last visit, but they have grown so much in terms of manner.. the way they asked about things they needed to find out about, the way they take turns in taking their food, communicating with each other, and mostly.. how they only tiptoed and had a peek when checking the bedrooms.. (last year, they ended up jumping up and down the bed!), hahaha... :-D

It is amazing watching and observing how children grow.. :-)  This is really a great day.. :-)

http://spaceforsharing.blogspot.com

Dry season is here..

The sky is bright and clear all day..
The air is getting hotter and drier..

This yellow flower is the last one in the backyard..

And I found fruits of the little red flower (Soka) bush..

Dry season is finally here..

http://orcalion.blogspot.com