GODDESS JUMPS OUT OF THE GROUND

GODDESS JUMPS OUT OF THE GROUND, WET GREEN AND VIRILE

The rains have come and the Goddess has jumped out of the ground with leaves and bushes and grass everywhere - - from dry and dusty to wet and unabashedly naked green everywhere. Suddenly the river is full again and there are rice paddies full of water promising the coming harvest of the staple of Asia. The night time, previously so quiet, is now a surround sound of chirping and throaty frog calls of various patterns and styles. Holes in the ground have appeared everywhere and we are told that the dormant frogs and crabs are coming out at night to feed and be captured by the local people who wander through the landscape, flashlights in hand, eager to catch a bunch. I could never get over a mental aversion to eating frog legs. Have you tried them? Like them? Rhoidas, our handyman and gardener says they are yummy, and crabs are the best. He and his friend bagged 200 crabs a couple of nights ago, so obviously they are here in numbers even though they are never seen during the dry periods. It continues to be rather shocking to look out and see the very intense green blanket of vegetation everywhere there was only dry grass stubble a few weeks ago.
TWO MONTHS LATER: The monsoon is essentially over now and the wetness of the ground is being baked out of the soil producing an exceedingly humid climate. The river is still high, but receding each day. Everywhere you look it is still green and lush, but the greenness is a little tattered around the edges and it is clear, the dry period will return within a month. Monsoon was so welcome. The green jungle growth and rice fields have been so enjoyable. Mount Mondagni has been swathed in a beautiful green sari of earth colors and most often she is cloaked with some misty clouds creating some mystery and intrigue. We counted 11 waterfalls coming off her flank in our view just the other day during a monsoon rain. A great variety of new natural wild edibles and non edibles have sprung up and we have learned a good deal about the vegetation here. Now we will attempt to keep our gardens alive and productive during the dry period using drip irrigation from our well and shade cloth to temper the sun overabundant gifts. Tune in later for more updates on acclimating to India.