Gaggles of geese and ducks abound around me. Paying no attention to me as I pick my way thru the throng, they are busy with each other. Gently clutching this tiny ball of fluffy feathers screeching his head off, I am casting my eyes around. There is so much flapping of wings spread wide. Necks ...

Summer nights of yore in a sparsely crowded Delhi, dhurries on rustic charpoys layered with cool white sheets, stars pricking in a darkening blue sky, Sudhir and I ready for our bedtime ritual with Daddy – an enduring childhood memory of growing up in Delhi! Delhi summers, unlike the winters, require a rare mindset to ...

It started with a ticklish throat. Allergy-like. Vague. Nothing to fear but the recent pollination of Southern California grasses. But in my heart, I knew the truth. After an international move, masked trips across Europe, government-mandated lockdowns, incessant PCR tests, and two and a half years of a global pandemic, I evaded the coronavirus. But ...

I am very lucky to have been adopted into a family that I can call my own. Like characters in a well-written book, my family was picture perfect. My childhood was carefree and happy. My family loved and doted on me. Our life as a family was predictable and full of adventure. We had extended ...

Travel for us has changed a lot over the years. Whenever the dynamics of the family change, the strategy for preparing to travel follows suit. Likewise, I’ve seen changes in traffic and attitude while traveling over the past few decades. While there have always been impatient and rude people, it seemed to be the exception, ...

Winter is the time of year that brings the birds together, making for the perfect backyard theater. We can fill the feeder on Monday, and by Thursday, it is nearly empty. The sheer number of birds that we feed is astounding. They come in hordes throughout the day. The tufted titmice and chickadees generally take ...

Scene Three – Autumn A Humming Goodbye: As summer slides into autumn, we say goodbye to some residents and hello to others. Inevitably, our backyard theater changes with the season. Heidi and Henry hummingbird take their last sips of sugar water by mid-September and migrate to their winter home. I like to keep sugar water ...

I cannot wait to fly and touch the sky Above the clouds, beside the Sun and Moon Where Stars stand straight in line and wave their “Hi!” Where Plough and Crux appear to watch me swoon   Where Birds adapt to fly beneath the sea Where Green Sea Turtle races Octopus Where Sally Lightfoot Crab ...

Once upon a memorable time, somewhere circa scrunchies and white Keds tennis shoes, there existed a little girl who loved reading in all of its glories and forms. That little girl was me, and picture books were always a hit. Oddly enough, one of the more impressionable books of my early reading years was a ...

SCENE TWO – SUMMER A Tufted Family: One highlight of summer is my back patio. It is the perfect setting for our backyard theater. We have two grills for cooking out, a table with an umbrella for shade, and many flowers. Sitting outside in the evenings is most relaxing. Many of the nesting birds have ...