As evening breeze sets in, the fragrance filled blossoms charm the night air

As the evening suddenly became cooler after the sun went down, and the day's heat has been replaced by cooler air from the winds blowing in from the Bay of

 

Bengal, hopefully the weather is changing! This evening appeared simply magical. Imagine why? When I went up to feel the freshness of the cool evening air, guess what? The special orange-scented white jasmines, or "Kaminis" were in full bloom, swaying in the breeze. And also now the 'Sheuli', jasmine buds were getting ready with their fragrance for night and set to bloom early in the morning. The cooler air and the fragrance filled night made it all feel, magical and mystical. Their perfumes were at there maximum, although the Sheuli buds, hadn't opened up or blossomed yet.  But the Kamini tree(jasmine variety too) was in full bloom, with no space to spare, it was filled with tiny beautiful, white, dainty flowers like the 'Swan Lake' Ballet's tiny ballerinas, in their dancing shoes tip toeing with delicate movements. The fragrance was powerful, sweet scented, magical and mystical or even enchanting, whatever or however one may relate to it, as it blended with the night breeze, it could sweep you off your feet to a fantasy dreamland, or make you with dance with the spirit of the tiny ballerinas in white.....

 

In  the morning it was again a play of many more whites, competing with themselves and the white clouds above, have a look!!

The white Plumerias, playing with the fluffy clouds, in trying

to reach them, high......

The October Jasmines lost in the sun

Well, the weather didn't get naturally cooler as we had expected. So, the sun did get harsh, and the pre-winter spirits were lost, and presently are fighting for time and space in its  last war with the summer-monsoon heat. I went up early to catch the with the Jasmine, locally known as "Sheuli" tree,  which was timely in its seasonal bloom, sweet scented, and fresh. But now, mostly the scented orange studded jasmines had dropped off in the warmth. They expected dew drops but now it was heavy sun. Even though they were rains during the night,  the sun took over. Yet, they were fresh, soft and delicate. Their texture is unique, their beauty still adorns many a festive times and festive moods at this time of the year. Atleast, they filled the tree but sadly easily fell off in the heat, as if we heard them come and leave with amidst their soft whispers.......

Balcony greens and rain creepers

"The Balcony greens" as I refer to them, this the best time of the year, they breed, grow and flourish....The creepers in small vessels creep all around the place or hang, if you use hanging pots. The orchids grow but flower at specific times of the year. This year, I happened to try breeding orchids in addition to my soil creepers and I succeeded to my utter surprize. I started from preparing the pots with dried hard coconut covers, stripping them and filling in the pots in between with semi-ground coarse red brick grains. I separated the orchid seedlings from my original plants. They need air and water and what better time of the year is there, than now, to find them both together!!  This was the best time. So, my balcony has been super-filled during the whole summer-monsoon season. The green of the leaves is the best at this time of the year too. Thus, this is the time for balconies to be made '

Green'. During the winter, in the mist and fog they wither away,  some even disappear. So enjoy them as I post their pictures.... 

As the tropical monsoon rains start to fade and the October sun works its ways.....

It has not been an easy monsoon this year and surely not the usual one either, may be better termed as a season, which has been more-summer-than-monsoon. Sometimes, pouring heavily at other times drizzling but in between it has been true hot summers and bright scorching sun. At times, it felt the soil was so parched that nothing would grow again. But the rain clouds kept coming back. I have posted some last bits of memorable snapshots catching up with some of the most spectacular sky scenes that tell you stories, from age old times to the new and lets you travel through time zones as you watch them grow and disappear like eventually the entire sky, turning into a wet canvas. Then appearing and soon filling up the entire sky from far and near. The heavy downpours and the in between less heated up times,  lets everything grow, If you have a look at my creepers you can tell how easily they climbed up to another rooftop through the rains, growing green and flowering
 bright yellow. Otherwise, the entire garden stayed quiet until the October sun came up, and started to take over with the yellows and magentas suddenly painting the spaces below with the vast blue expanse above being filled with cumulus clouds like huge fluffs of cotton extending to the horizons or even beyond to timeless zones. We hope that now the sun would be changing to a pre-winter tropical spirit to its milder version with its soft morning glow. Still, hoping the sun and rain would not keep playing this unusual game, that they have been exchanging this particular year so may be we get some smoother weather to look forward to in the days to come ahead.

The fabulous game of October cumulus clouds

The bright colours are coming back as the October sun appears

White blossoms on the lush green background compete amidst the summer heat and rain

The mystically scented ivory night jasmines are usually the first to bloom

The strong scented orange jasmines, kaminis too fill the night summer air...... 

Not forgetting the regular, sweet scented  most common true jasmines...

Then, there are the delicate lilies, which too have their special fragrances..

Then, the plumeria varieties in white and other exotic colours are seen...

And finally, our wonderful frangipanis that fill the tropical summer gardens with continuous happiness and joy with their creamy white, bunches of curves and curls.

This year the summer heat has broken all the scales escalating to its peak, and the norwester winds have brought heavy downpours, in more occasions than last year, with splashes of rain and gusty winds some, even tearing down villages and destroying man-made set ups, homes and settlements. Yet, when it all quietens and in the next few days, all the summer heat and sun is back again, you would expect your tiny garden to be all wiped out. Yet, when I went up, saved from the norwesters, in a rain-washed surrounding and competing with each other, against the backdrop of the lush summer green, we have the blooming summer whites, jasmine varieties, the frangipanis, the night jasmines which bloomed overnight, plumerias and ofcourse not forgetting the lilies. Nature through this season of tropical summer and the summer-rains moving on to monsoons, is something that many a poets including Bengal's noble

laureate, Tagore has been intrigued and moved by. His writings have inspired most people who have read his wrtings and at some point in their lives been guided and touched by his spirits, with a message of love, romatisicm, humanness in one's journey through childhood to eternity.  Through his writings and in his descriptions of sun-rain and riverine beauty, boats taking him through this wordly journey, from known to the unknown, and exclusively being inspired by nature and nature's blossoms particularly during the summer monsoons of the tropics. His poetic mastery in humanness, romaticism has not missed the names of most of these flowers in tropical nature of the summer monsoon season that I mention here which have touched our hearts and reached our souls to inspire us on a daily basis and learn to treasure the moments of love, happiness and joy. Their freshness and purity reminds us of our valiant, youthful spirits of the young that are so much more strong and courageous, capable of overcoming major hurdles and saddened plights and stand up to overcome, fresh and pure.  Watch them, their white purity, their softnesss, and being entranced by their strong mystical fragrance or their soft soothing smell that fills the air around as the summer air brushes by you in depth of the night. This particular season also celebrates Tagore's birthday, his songs and writings too fill the air, with nostalgia in many of our hearts. Enjoy the white touches amidst the summer green and the beauty that unfolds.....