On A Bicycle.....

After all these years cycling with my guests through the padi fields and village roads, I have finally taken a few photos of the scenes that I have always enjoyed looking at and always wanted to snap but never did!

As it happened, it was another beautiful morning on this Friday.  And even though it was the weekend, the roads were quiet and there weren't many people up and about as yet so it was really peaceful when cruising through the small country roads through the padi fields and villages.

As most of the padi fields had recently been planted, the contrast between the fresh green fields and blue skies certainly made it all the more scenic!  Green padi fields that stretched out to meet the foothills of Gunung Raya.  With cloud covered peaks and a swirl of clouds in the skies this morning, the whole scenery was exactly like it would be on a painted picture.  It conjures a rather dreamy feeling....

This next photo is of one my guests approaching a pretty looking cow for a better photo of the animal.  Both sizing each other up and both probably a bit wary and nervous at the same time.  Too bad there weren't any buffaloes to be seen this morning.  Buffaloes are another of my favourite subjects for photos.

And, finally, a photo of the rubber tree.  

This young rubber tree had been tapped this morning and the latex was still dripping into the cup.

This is why I enjoy doing what I do...........

Unpredictable Weather!

 The weather is rather quite unpredictable these days.  

Although it is still the South-West Monsoon season, which usually is the rainy season here, we have been getting a lot of hot, sunny days.  Not that I am complaining.  It's been great to have such beautiful, nice, warm weather and I am totally loving it!

 

  

It would be bright and sunny one day, and I would be seeing blue skies while out kayaking, and the next day it would be storming up!

Anyway, the sky is always interesting when it is stormy.  

 

The weather can also change really quickly.

 And when it's been raining and it gets all misty. 

 While the mangroves would always be evergreen.  

Such a contrast!

And if you've been wondering..... Yes, I did get drenched while out kayaking today!

Gray Skies

Another of Mother Nature's gifts and creations.

Even on an overcast, gray day, there is a beautiful painting on the canvas in the sky...........

 

I'd just gotten out the front door to leave for work and as a habit, I'd always look up into the sky and look at the hills.  And I'd totally loved what I saw......

The sun looked like it was just about coming up behind the hills then.
Quite a sight to behold!

On A Hot, Beautiful Day!

This picture does not do this enough justice.  

It really is a breathtaking view looking out into the the sea from here.....

On a hot day like this, all you want to do is get out there!

A Rodent

A rodent? 

As in a rat or a mouse?

What is so great about a rodent anyway?

Perhaps that is what you would ask.....

In the past, I have seen a rodent or two scrambling away on a mangrove tree, though it is a once in a blue moon affair, and all I would get is a fleeting glimpse of the tiny creature.  So, finally, after all these years of kayaking in the mangroves, a few hours each day, several days a week, most weeks of the year, I have finally gotten a photo of a rodent in the mangroves. 

And I am so totally elated.

I don't think this little quivering rodent expected any humans to come kayaking by in the mangrove forest in the rain and be interested in taking its photos.  Was it too surprised to scramble away or was it trying to stay as still as possible hoping that we would not spot him?  Or was it the rain and the high tide that made it decide to stay still in this safest spot it could find?

  

Indeed, I have the high tide and the rain to thank for these pics.  And even though there weren't any spotting of mangrove vipers or monitor lizards at all on this rainy day, catching sight of this rodent had made my day!

The mangrove forest will always be a magical place. To me.

When it rains, the limestone hills in the area get all misty, adding to the scenery and magical feel of the whole place.

Although getting drenched is not everyone's cup of tea, kayaking in the rain can be an entirely different experience to be savoured.  Personally, I love the sight of all these raindrops falling onto a sea of water.  Quite mesmerizing.....

And regardless whether it is a hot, sunny day with clear blue skies or a rainy day, the Kilim mangroves will always be one of my favourite places on earth. 

The Little Beauties In A Neglected Park

The Lagenda Park is actually quite a nice place for a walk or a jog or to just enjoy a few hours of nature. 

Lots of trees, particularly the spectacular raintrees, lots of birds and squirrels and dragonflies, lots of lotus plants, and lots more!  And there's even a little stretch of beach out there that's actually quite clean.  It may come as a surprise to you but this beach is actually cleaned up in the morning!  These are some of the reasons why I think this place is great!

But the park seems to be in such a state of neglect that it is quite SHOCKING!!!  In truth, the flora and fauna at the park is thriving quite well but the man-made structures are deteriorating.

This park was officially opened in 1996.  As this is one of the 'landmarks' on the tourist map, it is quite unbelievable that it would be left like this!  Some of the gazebos, a few structures, and mostly the light fixtures and toilet facilities are broken and in disrepair.  There are broken water wheels and bits of rubbish floating in some of the ponds, filled with what looks like murky, stagnant water!  What kind of an impression does it give of the park management or of the relevant authorities?

Such a shame!

I have visited this park on many occasions over the years.  For a morning run through the park, for a walk just to enjoy the outdoors on a beautiful day, for nature photography, for 'wildlife' watch and to observe dragonflies. 

Year after year, the state of the park keeps going down, down, down, downhill.

It is not that the park is abandoned.  The park grounds is not exactly small.  Granted, the layout and features of the park requires a lot of manpower for its upkeep.  There are security guards patrolling the area regularly on their motorbikes, more so towards the evening to ensure there isn't anyone loitering around after 7pm.  And then there is the landscaping crew at work most of the time.

I have often observed the handful of staff, probably contracted "landscaping crew", rake fallen leaves and rubbish on the grounds and pack them into rubbish bags. 

Sometimes, they would just be weeding . 

A lot of weeding.....

 

And sometimes, other staff would be cutting grass and the grass cuttings packed into rubbish bags as well.  Such that there is always this huge pile of bulging rubbish bags amassing outside the side entrance.  Then, from time to time, there'd be open burning in their attempt to get rid of all these rubbish.

When I see the park abuzz with all those activities, I can't help thinking that perhaps the maintenance budget is insufficient and valuable resources are being channelled to the wrong areas.  Those leaves are going to fall every day, throughout the day and night.  Each time there is a breeze rustling through the trees, more leaves will fall.  And each time it rains.....

But fallen leaves are all part of the natural surroundings.  If the leaf litter get to decompose on the ground, the process would be recycling nutrients back into the earth.  These leaves are not rubbish!  Whenever there are local visitors to the park, especially picnickers, there would be rubbish strewn everywhere!  Plastic bags and cups, styrofoam packs and cups and other non-biodegradable stuff.  Those are the real rubbish!

Imagine the amount of time and effort put into raking those leaves each day, every day!  It must seem like such a pointless, Herculean task to the people carrying out these jobs!  And I am also thinking, they must be spending thousands of ringgits purchasing all those rubbish bags and raking those leaves!  When will they even think about trying to reduce the use of these plastic bags?  What if these grass cuttings and leaves are mulched?  And composting is practiced?  What if they spend the money on maintaining the facilities instead? 

It seems that over time, more and more and bigger landmarks keep popping up in the Langkawi landscape - Marble Square, Book Village, Eagle Square, Infinity Bridge and the upcoming, massive Tower of Langkawi.  The amount spent on building these 'monuments' are astounding!  The trouble is that a few years down the line, these very same people who approved and lauded these project will then lament on the exorbitant cost of maintaining these structures and leave it to rot. 

But these same key people would have also gotten some money in their pockets by then so why would they care?

The estimated cost for building the 135-metre Tower of Langkawi is a whopping RM10 million.  At the very least!  What all these landmarks are is more concrete structures to destroy and mar the natural beauty of Langkawi. 

If there isn't going to be a budget for ongoing maintenance and upkeep in the long term, why spend the money to build it in the first place?

Will there be an end to this?

Just imagine if a fraction of that money is channelled towards the upkeep for these parks, instead of building another white elephant!  What a huge, huge difference it would make to these places!

I see the beauty of Lagenda Park in nature's little gems........

And in just a few hours, you would be feeling sated with the positive energies of nature!

These are the jewels of Langkawi.
Will these nature's gems be conserved and protected?

Why build more concrete structures that would just end up being eyesores?

Other Than Odonata!

It's been a great morning! 

And such a beautiful day for the outdoors!

I couldn't help myself and kept looking up to gaze at the beautiful blue sky!

I had wanted to look for dragonflies but apart from the Orthetrum sabina and two other species of damselflies, there weren't too many others about.  Instead of hanging out at the ponds, I took a stroll through the park to enjoy a bit of nature.

Getting to the park early in the morning had been a bonus. 
Not that I was so early and I caught the sunrise but early enough to be listening to a lot of bird songs.  A myriad of tunes from the Bulbuls, Orioles, Kingfishers and, of course, the Common Mynas.  The Starlings started their choruses a bit later.

This Collared Kingfisher has its hunting grounds in the ponds at the park.

 It took a while to finally get this photo of the Kingfisher.
Quite an elusive little bird!

As I walked along, a few Tree Squirrels were scrambling around on the branches overhead and stopping here and there to feed.  Then a pair of Tree Squirrels were playing peek-a-boo as they chased each other round and round and up and down a tree.
Playful and cheeky!

That was when I caught the movement of an insect flying smack into a tree.
I had to look quite hard to find it, but that was how I spotted this Cicada!

This large, brownish Cicada is quite well camouflaged against the tree bark!

It is usually difficult to find the Cicada inspite of their loud, high-pitched songs. 

Looking at the above photo, you can understand why.

This is not the sharpest shot, but it's the best photo of the two that I managed to take before it flew away!

Heading towards the shoreline, here's a view of Kuah Bay.

I was not alone on the beach though.

These crabs were busily feeding away!

The longer I sat there, the more crabs came out to feed once they realise I am not a threat.

A lot of these crabs faced away from me as they moved along to feed nearby.

Their mottled brown, algae coated carapace giving them a good camouflage on the rocky, muddy shores and making it difficult to see them.

After a while, some of the crabs turned around to look at me too!

The ones feeding a few meters away were not too bothered.

Even then, any sudden, abrupt movement will send all the crabs scurrying into their burrows and hiding under rocks.

Almost as if a predator was swooping down at them.

These crabs were not the only creatures feeding here at low tide.

A Little Heron was perched on the rocks at the edge of the water, standing still and motionless, while it stared intently into the turquoise blue water and waited for a catch.

The Great Egret was also out here catching fish.

It waded to and fro in the shallow waters, stepping carefully, stretching out its long neck to look into the surf.  From time to time, this Great Egret would retract its neck, then striking out into the water to catch a fish!

I sat there, enjoying the sun and sea breeze as I watched.

I watched the birds wading about and I watched the boats bobbing in the water.

Time stood still.

Eventually, hunger calls signalled lunch hour.

As I was walking back, I spotted this little brown bird perched on one of the branches.

The Asian Brown Flycatcher!

I think!

I hope I've got the id correct for this little birdie.

An awesome morning indeed!

In The Mangroves..........

It is already December.....  time really flies!

The last time I went out looking for dragonflies back in October had been rather disappointing.  Since then, I have been tied up with work and various other commitments such that dragonfly "hunting" trips have been pushed to the back seat.

It's been a few months.  And yet, there in the back seat it still sits!

Now that we are in the midst of the school holidays, I have put off going to any of these parks and ponds as I do realise that the last thing I will find during this busy period is peace of mind.  So why put myself up for more disappointments?

Fortunately for me, I can get close to nature at my work place and that has certainly kept me sane.  This is where I go on my kayak trips in the mangroves, several times a week, each week!

Yes, lucky me!

The Little Hill

I have often taken photos of this little hill when it is raining and all misty.
And though it had showered last night, the sky had cleared up by morning.
Before the sun breaks through and while it is all quiet and still.
The sky is in total splendour beyond this little hill.

It promises of a another beautiful day...

Or should I say... "red skies in the morning, a shepherd's warning?"

Love Is In The Air...

We often complain the day is too hot.  Until it starts raining endlessly for days and days.  And then we start wishing the sun would come out.

Soon, it is back to square one.  It is a vicious cycle.

When will we stop complaining?  When will we start being grateful for everything that we do have, be thankful for a good night's sleep and greet each new day with a smile?

Anyway, the sun came out early this morning.  And a lot of people took the opportunity to get out there and enjoy the day, including myself.

All those algal blooms in those dammed streams have been washed away and the streams are flowing as clearly as it should be.  The water levels are up in those ponds.  And a lot of creatures are rejoicing. 

Who wouldn't?

Nature reigns!

Anyway, I came across a few butterfly catchers, a "hunter" with a heavy pack on his back and a pack of faithful dogs at his heels, and many, many more.
One of the butterfly catchers, the wife, is seen here taking a lunch break, looks like a husband-and-wife team... and look at that big net.  They don't look like locals and there was a "Kasina" rented car in the parking lot as well.  I certainly hope they don't catch all our butterflies to extinction.  Unfortunately, there is nothing much to stop them and my presence did not deter them... quite unlike the Japanese student cum butterfly catcher several weeks ago who did a 180 degree turn each time wchinner walked up towards him.  Frankly, it was quite hilarious!



And this "hunter", or poacher?  ...with his pack of dogs.  A large monitor lizard practically sprinted and clambered up a tree at great speed to get away from those dogs.  Quite a scene... though only recorded in my mind's eye and not on film.

That lizard's heart would have been pumping and racing mad.  But... beautiful dogs!  These dogs had a quick dip in the stream too.  Ahhh... those picnickers taking a dip and soaping themselves downstream unaware of what's upstream... I had a wicked thought!

These grasshoppers were certainly celebrating too!

And here's a Five-bar Swordtail Butterfly that got away...

Also, I think I might have another dragonfly to add to my checklist for Langkawi. 

Yippee!

Misty

It had started raining last night. 

The rain had continued the whole of today too.  It was not a heavy downpour but just a constant drizzle.  And it just rained and rained and rained.

I stood outside on the balcony for a long time this afternoon.  To watch the rain.  To take in lungfuls of fresh air.  To feel the cool air. 

To listen to the rain.

And then I was watching this Common Myna that had taken shelter in the palm tree.

 

 

It sat there very still, with its feathers all fluffed up.  The trapped air between its fluffed up feathers provides insulation against the cold and helps keep the bird warm.  And I wondered if he was enjoying the fresh air as much as I did?

When I looked up towards the hills, I could have thought I was up in the highlands!  It was all misty.

 

 

There is a quiet and serene beauty to it in its own way.

The forests will definitely be looking fresh and green tomorrow morning.  How many people would actually appreciate the rain for what it can do for Mother Earth? 

I do realise that it could bring floods in many places too.  But a lot of the causes of flooding have been man-made and had been brought on ourselves by our actions.  After all, for every action, there is a consequence.

When forests are cleared of trees, we lose the canopy that had cushioned the impact of the rain on the forest floor.  Instead of drops of rain dripping off the leaves and slowly dripping and seeping into the ground, we now get a deluge of rainwater on the bare earth.  With the forest gone, we no longer have the tree roots that used to hold the soil together.  The rush of water down the exposed hill slopes then results in mud slides and flash floods in the foothills and valleys below.

Add to that, all the rubbish that had been thrown into the drains and streams and rivers and had caused the waterways to clog up, blocking the flow of all that rush of water towards the sea.

So... do you just blame everything on Mother Nature when it rains and it floods?