Gift from 'today' ❤️

 After my lunch at the millet shop, around 3:23 pm, I started walking towards the lake temple. I had my handbag with the notebook to journal and a wooden notepad, a hard ply sheet from home:)...one I use to use for my exams.

On the way, I brought some roasted native peanuts. The tiny and sweet ones.

Even though I was full to my neck, I gulped a few peanuts ... totally unapologetically :)

The idea was, after lunch, I wanted to go somewhere and be. A change of place and break from my overthinking mind and endless household chores.... especially after the inspiration from yesterday's videos on 'scarcity thinking'. 😃

When I reached the temple, I was greeted with the beautifully decorated pillars from the "vaikuntha ekadashi" celebrations. I felt happy. But the eco-garbage piled-up after celebrations was not a great sight and I couldnt stand there.

I started to walk along the periphery of the lake, a concrete walkway, towards the usual spot where I would love to do my Journaling and dwell deeper in my own truth.

But the overdose of food and additional peanuts made me bit slow and I decided to not do anything. For some unknown reason, my eyes were looking for a kingfisher and I always love to see them in flight against the green water of the lake and their blue wings are a sight to behold. And I believe it was just a matter of a second and I spotted one kingfisher...it flew in other direction and I paced-up towards it... Meantime, I also reached the bench and sat there peeling the groundnuts and eating them and also offering some to birds, fishes and squirrels. I love such stuff!! I feel so blessed to have this abundance surrounding me. 

I saw a white bird near the edge of the lake water and was standing so focused in search of it's meal and there it finds it! One small fish was gulped and I guess the bird burped too.

Sitting at the bench I was simply moving my head left to right...with my eyes searching for something, unknown. But then at a tree near me, I saw this Indian paradise flycatcher bird and my heart skipped a beat! The way it moves it's long tail is spellbinding. And I was looking for this bird since two monsoons, after being introduced by my neighbour, who spotted it on a lush green neighborhood tree, when it was raining.

I couldn't believe what I was just gifted with....I longed more and more to see it moving from tree to tree and branches to branches wading it's tail so beautifully.

I then lost it. But stayed still sinking in the beautiful magic of God's creation.

(Slightly hard to spot the Paradise bird)

After this, the sight was such - as if I was invited to a bird's party. I saw many tiny beautiful birds, chirping around, some came closer on a tree opposite to my bench and I adored them, the colors, the beauty and ease with which they too were looking at me...at a far off distance I spotted Brahminy kite in the most graceful flight. Then came a black bird with white stripes to jump and pick something from near me, I guess the peanut that fell off my hands....

My attention was interrupted by the sounds of duck chicks who were about to dash each other and later I spotted a beautiful kingfisher again crossing the lake in its beautiful flight, The trajectory was traced with vibrant colors i.e. brown hood, white neck and blue feathers ❤️

Now off to journaling...

Wish you luck and love Tan 💞 🤗