Rajokri temple+monsoon rain=problems being a photographer

For the last two weeks I have been saying

" Oh I so wish it would rain..we so need the rain.."

today I was being heard I tell you

 I was heading for a temple in the village of Rajokri 

when both my driver and I said....hmmm....very dark sky...it's going to rain....

what we didn't know was how much

so we headed out there

and once there 

you can only guess what

yes, the sky opened up and it was like the bucket challenge

well, except for the ice cold water

here it comes down warm

so today was all about staying in the car and looking

and it was so worth it...even though....

but I need to go back when no rain in sight

close to the Aravali hills lays this colourful temple....

I couldn't even roll down the window at this time

the peacock actually stayed....well, at least for 30 seconds or so but..still

seems like he enjoyed the rain....even though it was raining SO hard

everybody at the temple was sitting here ...hiding from the rain....

once we stopped and I pulled out my camera the sadhu started fixing with his hair..

he so wanted to show me...

here we go...all done...even the dog sat up when I shot the picture...

again from inside the car but I did roll down the window..

shouldn't have done that....we had a swimmingpool inside the car !

and that was after about 30 seconds...

I switched lenses because of the water and when I shot the next picture he had put his hair up again..

he was quite cool either way

I said good bye and told my driver that we do need to come back

and at that point someone turned on the water even more

so we actually had to stop for a while

just had to show you...

it was still good that it rained today...

even though I thought I would get stuck in the village....

it is so needed....

and when it comes to taking pictures...

I can always take another shot another day

How about a snake charmer on a saturday night ?

this snake charmer suddenly popped up in a rice field

where on earth did he come from ?

I mean we where out in the middle of nowhere...

he really did want to show his snakes for us

so he got the show on the road in an instance

too bad we weren't overexcited

just every day life in a country filled with things to discover

well, I'm off to bed so 

"good night, sleep tight and don't let anything bite"

Life is like a camera

Peacocks are so easily scared.

peacocks are difficult to get a good picture off..

I have tried so many times...

 they are just so easily scared 

by the time you get the camera out...

and the slightest sound from it 

they run like...scared chicken...

the other day I was trying to get a good picture off this beautiful peacock

sitting on a roof top with his long tale hanging down...

camera out and zooming in and he's gone

hmm....

saw him at another spot..tiptoed....camera ready...and he's gone...

what the...

finally I saw him walking on the roof 

he stopped...

talked to his "ladies "

and 

off he went...

kind of cool that I did get a picture off this though... 

amazing that they can fly at all with that long tail...

I still find them so exotic

even though I see them almost every day

enjoy your friday folks

I'm recovering from 24 hours of Delhi belly !

I know...not funny at all...

sure hope tomorrow will be better

Rice fields out by Yamuna River

The other day I went back to the Yamuna River,

out by Manjhawali village which is outside of Faridabad,

together with my friend Kathy

the water level was higher than in may but...

not high enough...

almost no rain and monsoon season is over....

it's so dry.....

I wanted to see the rice fields....and out by Yamuna there are so many ...

I so wish I could have been here in june when they planted it..

I have never seen it been done... 

 I now hope that I will see how they harvest it instead...

in about two months time

as usual we saw all these colourful ladies working in the fields

rice needs water....lots of water

at many spots all these wells where open just splurging out water into the fields...

at this particular spot the water was so clean..surprised me...

this particular farm is actually my drivers relatives and

he so wanted to meet us and invited us in...out...to sit down and treated us with 

 a glass of really cold Mountain Dew...

so cool to sit out there among the buffaloes and cows on an indian day bed 

drinking Mountain Dew....almost surreal !

 I made a  promise in may to this other farmer I met..

I promised that I would come back in august...

got to keep a promise...

he remembered me !

the chilli ( hot peppers ) plants that where small at that time where big and full of chillies

 we just had to get some...

and did we ever

I even tasted the green ones out there in the field !!

not sure what kind of bird that liked the chilli plants ?

love love love the colourful women I see all over

a sheesham tree...

I so like this particular brand of tree ....

our dining table and chairs are made of it

and it's so wonderful...

what a fantastic green day Kathy and I  had !

Ever felt like this in the morning ?

that's me in morning....

or in the afternoon because of the heat and humidity

well, I don't look like that every morning...I hope...

at the moment it's so hot and humid here that 

all I want to do is what these  buffaloes are doing...

well, I'm not up for a mud bath, even though I've heard that it's good for your skin...

no, I just want to lay in water...

and cool down....

preferably no birds om ny back !

I did have a workout in the pool this morning

felt so good....maybe I should go down again ?!

no....

my husband just offered me a cold beverage

so I will stay indoors and enjoy that instead

talk to you later...or tomorrow....??

Blister bugs

I didn't know that there was such thing as blister bugs

now I know

 I didn't find out the painful way either

yes, they give you big awful blisters...

yikes !

they are big....like 3 cm...and I think that's big for a bug

they seem to be all over at the moment

this morning I saw hundreds of them in a garden

and the other day they where all over a farmers crops

the other day I didn't know that I could get blisters from them

so lucky me

since I was trying to get a good picture

it's not like they are sitting still posing for you !

Did you know about this little bugger ?

Baya weavers must really like date palm trees

don't you think ?

look at all those nests !

we only saw them in this palm tree...

so it seems like they live in colonies...

sad to say we where to late for the dates...

they where ripe and ready to pick in june....

fresh dates are just so good...

but we did see all these yellow weavers....

the nests are quite intriguing...

lot of work goes into making these

 fighting off your neighbours when they get to close....

how cute... a mother looking out...

in action...weaving...building the nest...

this was a little one....a baby weaver....

working together....

at first I thought it was a termit nest that they boy was sitting on....

but it's actually a cut down palm tree !

looked like the date farm could need some attention... it was really dry ... and the dates needs lots of water... too bad...

 they sure are pretty looking palm trees 

it's friday and I've had such a good week...

meeting up with "old" friends again, meeting new ones,

done some good workouts !

and tonight we're off to an after work with the Swedish Chamber of commerce

at a new restaurant 

I'll let you new if it was a good one

take care and enjoy your friday night

I will for sure  

Building houses is

done somewhat differently here compared to back home

just outside my building these ladies,

yes, at the moment  it's actually mostly ladies I see working,

building a new house

their kids are there at the site all day long 

playing or helping out or just being

yes, even the smallest ones

really different 

they thought it was kind of fun that I wanted to get pictures of them

sometimes pictures turn out quite funny....

see what I mean ?

she's carrying all those high metal things in her bowl....

a short brake with the kids and then back to work...

some of them where so shy

hard work in hot humid weather

and very little pay....

today I gave the kids fresh water from home 

they never say no to that

I have found that this is one way I can do something good

I fill my empty bottles with water from home

and hand them out to.... mostly kids actually