flowers

Sri Lanka is blessed with various micro climates due to its various seasonal and mountainous variations. This week at the cricket in Dambulla, the bougainvilleas in the stadium drive were in full bloom and was a riot of colour.

Similarly the anthuriams in a home I recently passed in the Dankotuwa area with different hues and shades were similarly profuse. I took the photo here at the entrance to my farm house in Godagama, with all stalks in bloom from one plant in a pot, and I don't think the plant has ever been fertilized or watered except for the excessive rain water we have received there in the past three months.

It is nice to appreciate and share what is beautiful around us in the hope it cheers one and inspires at the same time.

boys herded into the pick up for the return journey

trip to Dambulla to see the cricket

I obtained 15 tickets and 15 caps from Dilmah the sponsors of the Sri Lanka cricket team, to see Sri Lanka play England at the Dambulla grounds on Thursday October 4th. Actually there were 18 of us in total who came. 15 were packed in the back of my open Tata pick up cab. We got to the grounds just as the match started, and apart from myself, ( i had been to the inaugural match in Dambulla in 2001 where England played SL) no one had seen any international matches in their lives. So it was a treat for all. The grounds looked spectacular and from our covered M stand we had a super view of match and the rock ahead of us and as photos show our back was to the lake with two photos to show the changing light.

There is a photo of Percy our one man cheering squad with an English equivalent lady dancing together, which all made for a perfect day, except that SL lost for the first time in 25 years to England on home soil.I treated the boys to ice creams and then hot dogs, though I drew the line on dinner!! Needless to say the stadium has a strict no alcohol rule as the temple owns the grounds, but I could hardly see anyone in the section we were, including the MAS intimates staff who were not intoxicated.

Apparently in this country the saying goes that they cannot enjoy the dancing and music without the alcohol to give them the extra spark to do the baila twist. I lost my SL flag as one inebriated person from another clan, danced away with it. I guess a small price to pay for the day, and the boys from Hingurakgoda, had a day they will never forget in their lives. Thanks Malik for making it happen.

putting up a cadjan roof

I am putting up a kitchen in Hingurakgoda as we have been cooking on the open all this time. It was a family effort or neighborly effort in the task.

There was Gamini, Sudath and Amila from my side, there was Balasooriya, Rohitha and Rajah as neighbors and there were Chuti Nangi and her mother and her father Wije from accross the river all helping to put the roof.

some of the wildlife one comes accross

During my last weeks in Polonnaruwa I had the opportunity to see a baby Rock Squirrel and a Tortoise, (kiri ibba) See above

tsunami threshing my paddy

On wednesday night the Tsunami as the threshing machine is known came to thresh my paddy.See photos of the separation of the paddy stalks into hay and paddy.

construction of open air kitchen

Hitherto for a whole year we have been cooking in the open in a camp fire style and feel it is time we have somewhere proper to cook. So we are currently making our kitchen which will also be dining room in cadjan open to all four sides, and on one side make a covered space for a future hand tractor and trailer and to store firewood. The above are my staff assisting in making it out of scraps we have gathered from old chicken cages on the farm. The cadjan I bought from my neighbours who make and sell them from coconut palms woven at 9 rupees a pair. I need 250 to cover my kitchen roof. Just hope the roof does not go up in flames!!!