My only company this early in the morning was the dog that kept barking at me when I stepped out on to the street. I promptly retreated back into the compound.
The dog’s compadres on the nearby streets also joined in the noise making. They might have been passing messages to each other. The only other person who was up was the owner of the store across the road. She will soon start washing out her store front, a ritual that she has probably been doing for most of the years of her life. The Kolam will be the final step in the process that gets her store ready for the day’s business.
I never really overcame the jet lag of the trip completely. I am up very early in the morning with almost no exception. But it is OK. I try to make up for the early start with a nap during the day. The early start for the day gives me an opportunity to clean out the house before the rest of the neighborhood comes alive. Chennai dust is special. You just have to wait a couple of days for a layer of the dark stuff to collect on any untouched surface. The dust is relentless. It is fine enough to enter the house through the screens covering the doors and windows. You find yourself cleaning the place regularly. And then there are the fallen leaves that need to be swept up from the yard every other day.
Early mornings also give me the opportunity to go up to the terrace – before the sun is up.
The crows are the most common birds that you will see in these parts.
Crows are said to be very social animals. I sometimes see them gathering in large numbers on the cellphone towers that are close by.
I have noticed that some of these birds clean and preen themselves excessively in the mornings.
This is a White-throated Kingfisher that visited the yard,
and this is probably a Shikra.
There was surprise guest in this picture I took at the time of the sunset. I do not know what it is.
I was talking to a friend over the phone while in the house when the rain began. I heard the sound of a loud thunderclap. The power went out. I lost my phone connection. Pretty soon it was coming down in buckets. The rains did not last too long but it was enough to cause the street to flood. Here are a couple of shots taken from the front gate of the house after it stopped raining.
Today is another hot and sunny day. That is what you usually expect in Chennai!
Splattered Brains 