10 November, 2022

The mountains in New Tehri are dotted with clusters of pine, towering over the surroundings like silent sentinels, creating a green filigree amidst the infinite azure. The air is fresh and nippy, redolent with the woody, musty scent of pine (‘cheedh’ as they are locally called), the cones making their first seasonal appearance. But quite like their southern cousin – the eucalyptus – pines absorb a lot of water from the soil, often leaving the flanking shrubbery, parched and jaded.

Breaking the monopoly of green, we have a few pink flowering trees bursting into a last riotous bloom before they make way for the white, wintry wonderland.

We have a lot of greenery in and around the property, too – the haunt of many birds, especially parrots, koel, Indian nightjar and sparrows. It’s a delight, watching and hearing them tweeting and flitting around all day long… pecking at berries, nibbling, crunching, sharing with their mates (an important lesson for all) and then flying away in gay abandon. Only to return and perch on the same tree, after a while. And repeat the cycle of their sylvan symphony.

The seasonal flowers are on their way out – drying, wilting – the last vestiges of what had been a colourful, verdant summer. Fall is so beautifully evident in these parts, in mellow shades of amber, gold n russet. It reminds us of the art of letting go, of moving on, of preparing for a long hiatus….only to come back recharged and rejuvenated, so imperative for human beings, too. Nature, so effortlessly, fills us with hope, and the promise of a better tomorrow, just as Shelley had famously penned – If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

#tehrigreens  #pinewoods  #birdsong