<p>Compounds and gardens are becoming a rare commodity. So too are what grow and live in them. Plucking a nice ripe papaya or trying to reach out for passion fruit on a tall climbing creeper is a rare delight. But alas those joys too seem to be getting to be rare unless a lot of care is taken.<br /><br /></p>.<p> We noticed that from the happenings in the past few days in our compound, the passion fruit have been attacked, guavas are prematurely plucked and papayas get a sneak peek into how sweet they really are. Passion fruit as a rule is terribly sour and needs tons of sugar to make a decent, fruity syrup. But it is amazing how the birds and ants are venturing into sour sights. While the birds help in dislodging them from their sturdy creeper, sample half and throw the remaining down for the lesser mortals living below, the ants who come marching by walk briskly in and out of the half eaten passion fruit oblivious of its sourness. Surely the passion fruit must be exuding quite a bit of passion!<br /><br />About our guavas. Guavas, the key to much sought after vitamin C have become the choice fruit for the squirrel community. As this delicious fruit ripens the squirrels appear from far and near trying to get their best pick. It must be like farmers market for them. Picking the best from our organic collection of fruit and vegetables. <br /><br />This plucking of fruit from our carefully tended garden sure got our adrenaline racing. My mother quickly fished out the rat trap especially meant for the cheesy rat that thinks it can rule the roost. The trap was secured on to the guava tree and the vigil begun. A few minutes later, the squirrel arrived. Probably forewarned of the trap below, it deftly tipped the guava, dangling adjacent to the trap. Taking on an acrobat’s stance, conveniently avoiding the trap the squirrel nipped at the stalk and the guava dropped to the ground. It sure made us believe that the squirrel might have been a trapeze artiste in its previous birth!<br /><br /> As far as rats are concerned, they are a terrible nuisance sampling every possible edible and sometimes non edible goody in the house. But after venturing into the series of ‘Geronimo Stilton,’ we have developed a rare affection for the rodent family. So the trap sometimes is brought out and on second thoughts put by. Live and let live has become the philosophy of the day. There is plenty for all. While some fruits are eaten there are some remaining for us too, enough to share with family and a few neighbours. They have been living as our neighbours since many years, so we thought, ‘Let’s live it up and not deprive the others of enjoying nature’s bounty’. I guess this is the ‘Art of Living!’<br /></p>
<p>Compounds and gardens are becoming a rare commodity. So too are what grow and live in them. Plucking a nice ripe papaya or trying to reach out for passion fruit on a tall climbing creeper is a rare delight. But alas those joys too seem to be getting to be rare unless a lot of care is taken.<br /><br /></p>.<p> We noticed that from the happenings in the past few days in our compound, the passion fruit have been attacked, guavas are prematurely plucked and papayas get a sneak peek into how sweet they really are. Passion fruit as a rule is terribly sour and needs tons of sugar to make a decent, fruity syrup. But it is amazing how the birds and ants are venturing into sour sights. While the birds help in dislodging them from their sturdy creeper, sample half and throw the remaining down for the lesser mortals living below, the ants who come marching by walk briskly in and out of the half eaten passion fruit oblivious of its sourness. Surely the passion fruit must be exuding quite a bit of passion!<br /><br />About our guavas. Guavas, the key to much sought after vitamin C have become the choice fruit for the squirrel community. As this delicious fruit ripens the squirrels appear from far and near trying to get their best pick. It must be like farmers market for them. Picking the best from our organic collection of fruit and vegetables. <br /><br />This plucking of fruit from our carefully tended garden sure got our adrenaline racing. My mother quickly fished out the rat trap especially meant for the cheesy rat that thinks it can rule the roost. The trap was secured on to the guava tree and the vigil begun. A few minutes later, the squirrel arrived. Probably forewarned of the trap below, it deftly tipped the guava, dangling adjacent to the trap. Taking on an acrobat’s stance, conveniently avoiding the trap the squirrel nipped at the stalk and the guava dropped to the ground. It sure made us believe that the squirrel might have been a trapeze artiste in its previous birth!<br /><br /> As far as rats are concerned, they are a terrible nuisance sampling every possible edible and sometimes non edible goody in the house. But after venturing into the series of ‘Geronimo Stilton,’ we have developed a rare affection for the rodent family. So the trap sometimes is brought out and on second thoughts put by. Live and let live has become the philosophy of the day. There is plenty for all. While some fruits are eaten there are some remaining for us too, enough to share with family and a few neighbours. They have been living as our neighbours since many years, so we thought, ‘Let’s live it up and not deprive the others of enjoying nature’s bounty’. I guess this is the ‘Art of Living!’<br /></p>
