Thursday, October 28, 2010

Climate Change

We have a huge decidous tree outside the house, which I planted many years ago (our house is surrounded by flowering plants and trees, as you can imagine).

While I like this tree as it provides shade and make our surrounding real cool, it's getting on Grandma's nerves. This is because instead of shedding its leaves once a year it does that ALL the time.

Now, I'm ok with fallen leaves, but not Grandma. So she's been spending time sweeping the leaves away or getting our young man to do it.

Image by areavoices.com

 To me they just remind me of Nat King Cole's  AUTUMN LEAVES  


The falling leaves drift by the window

The autumn leaves of red and gold

I see your lips, the summer kisses

The sun-burned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long

And soon I'll hear old winter's song

But I miss you most of all my darling

When autumn leaves start to fall

C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble

Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous, les deux ensemble

Toi que m'aimais moi qui t'aimais

Mais la vie sépare ceux qui s'aiment

Tout doucement sans faire de bruit

Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants désunis

(French lyrics by Jacques Prévert, English lyrics by Johnny Mercer)


The splendour of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere, the beauty of Spring in Australia, the heat and rain in Asia (and very sadly the devastating earthquake and tsunami in West Sumatra) all happening at the same time...

Back at The Farm we have our own Spring too, more or less. The durians are flowering, so do other fruit trees. The wonder of nature continues to amaze you.
 
I came accross this plant called Senduduk or, to the botanist Melastoma:

 


The fruits are favorite of birds


 
 
The Senduduk is a weed, so farmers would normally kill them with a weedicide or shovel them away. But they are such pretty little things, I'd rather keep them at The Farm.

15 comments:

Wan Sharif said...

I love this entry.. the song and chanson.. and senduduk bring back the memory of my childhood on a secluded Island , pulau Duyong some 1km from Kuala Trengganu.
Thank you for sharing ..

Grandpa said...

Hi Wan, good to see you again. Just went to minyakgaz - some nice nostalgic tales you have there

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Hi Grandpa. What a lovely blog. Your photos are beautiful. Thank you for stopping by my blog. Yes, isn't beauty and peaceful wonderful! Blessings.

Grandpa said...

Hi Joylene, good to see you! Yes, I simply love the tranquility of my surrounding, the only 'noise' are those of the birds chirping, and distant laughter of children bathing and playing in the river. Thanks, and all the best with your writing.

Lee said...

Hi Grandpa, love that senduduk plant. Young days will eat the berries get our tongue blue and frighten the heck out of my mother or teachers....'tell them got fever'.

Nothing like living on a farm, one grows younger and yes, right now we are having Autumn leaves falling by my window.
Have a nice day, Lee.

Grandpa said...

Hi Lee,those were the good old days,weren't they - we'll do anything to 'ponteng' school and go with the gang to 'lastik' some birds in the jungle...

The heart certainly remains young, that's why I come out with nostalgic posts like this one every now and then.

You too have a nice day!

secret agent woman said...

I don't exactly like raking but I will happily do it to have beautiful shade trees in my yard.

erica and christy said...

This was a lovely post. Thank you. I enjoyed the french lyrics. I minored in French, but haven't used/read/heard the language in a long time. christy

Linnea said...

The first shot is lovely. I think I'd rather have my trees lose their leaves once a year though...enjoy the weekend.

Grandpa said...

Secret agent woman, so do I

Hi Christy, thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know a smithereens of French, but like any language they just rust away when you don't practise it

Hi Linnea, thank you. The weather here's too hot for that, and our fallen leaves are not really golden brown or red like those of autumn

Ohiofarmgirl said...

Hi Grandpa! What a glorious day! I have a surprise for you...
http://adventuresinthegoodland.blogspot.com/2010/10/day-in-slow-life.html

scroll way down to the bottom
;-)

your pal,
OFG

Akelamalu said...

I love that song by Nat King Cole and I agree with you some weeds are too pretty to banish. :)

Grandpa said...

Hi OFG! What are you up too, busy lady? I'll pop over and see what's in store for me, ok. But I'll be away for a few days, so check back here next week. Cheers

Akelamalu, they don't write songs like that anymore, do they? That one's nostalgic and poignant - the Fall's ending and winter days will be here, yet no sign of her!

Mary Mary said...

You take some very beautiful photos. And, French is my second language, so I love anything in it. I agree -- Don't kill the beautiful weeds!

Grandpa said...

Mary Mary, thanks. I know just a little - enough to tell the cab driver where to go, and to get by in Lyon!