Silhouette of tree

Yes, I am a very funny and crazy man who always tries to look for the odd. I had in my mind the theme of the day, the silhouette of tree, during my hike at Cerok Tokun last Sunday. I spent my time locating the targets between those huffs and puffs during the ascending path, I should then collect them later during the easy and relaxing downhill trip.

Actually what are shown in the pictures do not really reflect what I have seen on the spot. The actuals were lush and green next to those bald trees. With the greenery around, you will not feel as gloomy as what you may feel right now, and this is not my intention. The reaction of camera towards the bright sky always distorts our perception.

No matter how, I like the way these trees appeared in the pictures, especially the fine details on the branches which added some softness if otherwise we may see only stiff big trunks. I would not want to exclude those trees stayed underneath for a more impactful picture of a lonely tree which own nothing. I was having a good happy morning hike.

Some of the trees stood just beside me, along the trail, but this did not mean they were camera friendly as they were surrounded by their friends, a clean view was not so easy. Those found far atop on the slope somehow made my job easier.

This last one though looked messy but it demonstrated a different emotion from others. Its richness of the branches definitely contributed to this.


It was a bright shining colourful morning, but what I have shown do not actually tell the truth. This is not my intention. The odd guy only tries to be a little different in his day.

Lantana camara

I did not have any idea on Ham 'n Eggs which spells like a Bacon and Eggs kind of thing. When I knew it is a common name for one kind of flower over here, then it really arouses my interest. Further research reveals that it carries other funny names: Spanish Flag and red (yellow, wild) sage. In order to confirm its Chinese name, I need to refer to shrub verbena or lantana.

Actually I have lantanas in my garden for years, I have safely kept the blossoms fresh in my hard disk long enough, unnamed. Having known its name by someone across the ocean was a great present to me in this morning.

Texas Lantana(L. urticoides)

Lantanas can be easily seen in the wild and along footpaths in my neighbourhood. The charming colours had attracted my wife for a long time until one day we found them along our jogging trail, we decided to upgrade them to one of our ornamentals.

No special care or attention was served to these lantanas after the promotion. Their inborn capabilities see the plants grow strong and blossom continuously.

Lantana camara blanca

One thing that I have overlooked, and only got to know by today, is lantanas are mildly toxic.

Anyhow, to have these little plants in my garden is not a bad idea, even the tiny bud looks so unique and funny in the picture.

Observation on An Unknown Creature

I had spent sometimes observing an unknown creature in my little garden.

I thought it was one kind of chrysalis initially, I was wrong by then after a long enough observation. It moved. I could not figure out how a chrysalis moved by my limited knowledge and the pair of helpless spectacles, until with the help of new technology. I previewed and zoomed in using my camera, there was a creature inside the chrysalis or, I assumed, a nest. If you look carefully, it appeared at the top of the nest.

I continued my observation and shooting which made me seemed like attending a high school biology class. Learned from the earlier hints, my focus stayed at the tip of the nest. The creature was camera-shy especially when the flash was on. Though it refused to be on stage, when it emerged, how could I let it go.

It moved inward, slowly, from the tip of the branch, like a acrobat.

Then it finally reached the end of the journey with repeated disturbances from a very busy body. The travel was short to us, yet it might be a tiring long distance to this tiny creature. I better left it alone for not to continue straining this pitiful one. Actually this was part of the reason, there were noises behind me due to my obsession on this part of the garden.

I found my friend staring at a Blackbird, I commented what a stupid idiot he was. I spent my evening bending towards an ugly creature, taking pictures of those unpleasant looks. Who am I???

Refresh Function

I need to refresh myself though it is not as easy as in Windows. I do not have a built in refresh button. I cannot also simply ctrl-alt-delete myself.

I walk through my hard disk, and hike from one folder to another, looking for some wonder to serve the desired purpose, to refresh my tired brain and body. I have temporary lost in the tug of war game to my bread earning priority.

This is the view from one of the pavilion at rainy Cerok Tokun. I somehow manage to locate one of my refresh button on the bamboo trees. It was the day during which heavy downpour had kept me inside the pavilion. The bamboo trees appear to me as a piece of painting where tranquility prevails.

I have my next button being located near to the bamboo trees, immediately in front of the pavilion, in the bush of greenery, on the little purple wild flowers which are showering in the rain. I need no any close-up in order to fully understand them but a distant view in the lush green is good enough to give me a break.

We always insist on going back to basic, I just want to go back to nature.

Grape Tree

You must have known my papaya tree very well. It appeared in my blog for a few times, but I am not going to talk about my papaya tree today, though it still looks so outstanding in the picture. So, please scroll down to see my grape tree.

My wife had shaved the tree to bald earlier because she believed this helped to force those grapes to show up and not to hide anymore. And the leaves returned fast. Between those leaves, I had then detected the first cluster of grapes in my garden.

This cluster of grapes brought some days of joyfulness to my family and I had recorded them in my history book, in pictures. It is so convenient nowadays to keep any memory in pictures and in the blogospehre, where our memory may fade over time but the pictures will be as new as the original.

This was our first experience with the grape tree, we did not know when they were ripen. When we had lost patience on waiting and guessing, we started to pluck one by one day after day. These grapes were not as big as the papayas, they were not as sweet as well.

Until one day, we found out they were actually purple grapes, however, the sour taste never disappeared.

My wife continues to shave the tree to bald when grapes refuse to show up again. It always works.

This is my simple story on grape tree which took months to be ready. It grows together with these grapes.