An Unusual Experience with J Snail!

It is an unusual experience that I had the other day!

I have been doing some close up shots of insects & bees the last few weeks. Last evening at the nearby park I was scouting for something interesting to capture when I saw some kids running around with excitement on something.

As I walked close I saw a group of snails crossing the sidewalks and the kids were trying to touch and track that.

As I saw one fully retracted inside its shell -thought it might be a good subject to watch it come out of its shell and started calming the kids and started taking a position for its visit out of its home.

Some of the pictures I took were giving me an unusual feeling and excitement about what I was watching. Looking through the eyes of a Macro certainly gives a different perspective of even that slow moving snail!

After a good set of photos I was ready to call it victory and stepped to a park bench to review the snaps I had taken.

I was happy - but also know that i could have done better with different settings. As I was debating whether to revisit the snail - i saw a kid running to me and she started telling me that the snail is dead!

I re-assured the kid that the snail is playing dead to be safe - and the kid insisted that it is dead! So As I walked closer to the snail the kid said she knew who squished it!

For a moment I was stunned hearing that- as I had just become so close to that Snail! As I started seeing the set of pictures that I had just minutes ago taken - i felt more uneasy about what had just happened.

Suddenly it became personal and sad!

I am sure growing up every kid would have done the same - and I wouldn't have been any different.

But today with such close up photos and watching it in close quarters - it became very personal and difficult to digest what had just happened.

I just wanted to post these set of pictures not as a random set of pictures - but as portraits of a known Snail, who became unusually close after the shoot!

What was a casual outing for a close up experience became a somewhat sentimental experience with a different set of portraits!

Coffee , Latte , Cappuccino & The Southern Delight!

COFFEE and the Addiction!

Walking through aisle 7 looking for coffee! My brand, in my size wasn't on sale! Saw a shade darker and a brand from across the ocean that was a tad cheaper! Mmm A dollar saved is …I guess a Dollar saved!! Thinking through decided its ok to be dumping my 10 years loyalty and venture a bit for a buck or so!

my eyes and nose wake up only to that brewing aroma! New! Dark! Mmm...not so bad! I could really get used to it! Bitter! maybe some sugar..nah will get used to it!

An hour or so later - I see my pulse racing and I am feeling a bit restless! My immediate reaction - should I see a doctor? May be will wait! Thinking rapidly - anything to cause it? Lack of sleep? Too much stress? Running late? May be the coffee - a tad darker and a bit European- can it be? Naah- I have been Starbuckking for years now and cannot be the dark tone from across the ocean! It passes after about an hour or so! Decide to watch the next day!

Same! Same feeling! Another day, Another dose! Yes same!

finally lower the quantity and settle for the same feel with no jittery outlook! must be the age - I tell myself as I start understanding the East coast days when people used to frown when offered coffee after high noon!

This made me look at coffee differently after taking it for granted for so many years!

Before Starbucks - living in Philadelphia a stronger coffee meant going a bit late to Dunkin'Donuts and scrape the bottom of the pot!

No one I recall in East who would drink coffee after mid-morning!

When I moved to the Bay Area knowing I was a coffee drinker my friends recommended San Francisco as a place to be if you want some good coffee! Then came Starbucks and started taking things for granted!

once sitting in my usual
Starbucks off Embarcadero I look across the street and to my surprise I see another Starbucks right across the street! Crowded as this one!

Surprised - as I didn't notice for so long!

Surprised - it is as crowded as the one across!

Surprised - when it occurred to me that we follow a pattern in our behavior- even walking on the same side of the street! As all these days getting off the Bart I have always walked on the same side, crossed at the same signal and picked up my morning bagel at the same place! And of-course parked myself at the same chair for that shot of caffeine;

Surprised - Starbucks noticed it and opened for those who walked on the wrong side too!!

From Starbucks to Denny's there is a pattern and consistency in what you get.

Before Starbucks opened all night coffee shops - I had learned a few tricks from friends on how to make a lazy man's gourmet coffee;

Breaking them into what we need?

Coffee
Water
Milk
Froth
Fancy items

Looks simple enough! But not when I am half asleep in the morning. Instant coffee seems to be very under utilized category – so convenient and enables me to embrace laziness with ease!

The idea is to create every fancy forms with just stocked items from a nearby grocery shop and either a stow top or a microwave!

Step 1: Take 3-5 tablespoons of water and boil it

Step 2: Add instant coffee to it and stir it very well till it becomes a thick paste/liquid

Step 3: Heat/Boil Milk in stove top or microwave after diluting milk with water to suite taste.

Step 4: Take a bowl and pour the boiled milk into the bowl from about 2-3 feet high- this will form froth to the top of the milk. Do this 2-3 times till you get enough froth. If you need to vary the froth quantity change the water to milk ratio.

Step 5: Mix the content to a coffee mug in the following proportions based on what type you like!

1. Latte

After Step4 pour milk (3/4 Milk) to Cup with coffee liquid/paste

Add froth to the top to suit taste

2. Cappuccino

Same as above but less boiled milk(1/4 milk) and more froth

3. DLS - Southern Delight ( Specialty )

Add Milk (1/2 Cup) to a Glass Coffee Mug/Cup (make sure that the glass is capable of holding the temperature of milk/coffee)

Add Froth to the top of the Milk ( Note: based on taste vary the milk to froth ratio)

Gently Pour the coffee to the Mug/Cup against the wall or centre – this will form a ring separating the milk from the froth.

This concept applies to any variation of coffee/Mocha/Etc.

Add cinnamon or toppings to suit the taste.

All of these can be varied by using any instant flavor. This does not need any coffee or express machine. With the different varieties that are available in instant coffee- a few trials will get you the spot that is sweet and sensational to your appeal.

Using the DLS - Southern Delight could really be a surprise to your guests!

Anyone want to do the same for Tea? The way Starbucks did to coffee?

Are we there yet....?

Just a Minute Early!

Another Minute or So!

Not just another Minute!

Its amazing how the morning drive is cluttered with speeding parents trying to cut corners and yet not lose it on the way to the school.

Marginally driving over the limit or rolling past the stop sign - yet carefully eyeing for any flashing red and blue!

With just a couple of miles to go one way - stealing that minute is all it takes to feel accomplished!

Why do I get that Polite driver in front of me - giving way to other drivers and people on the way - making me miss that much needed Greenlight! Making me plan with no room to miss a light or hold a bit too long at a stop - was all I could with my dated noodles - as this day seems to play like any other day of the year.

Watching kids rolling into school! Driving on the way to school with the Sun still in its early morning blues reflecting the sentiments in my car - it is nice to see batches of kids with a boat load of books toiling toward the school. Looking at the expressions on these kids -Some with anticipation for a new day..Others picking on friends..And some with absolute mysterious look!Looking at the budding fashion statements being made- seem to have some correlation to the size and grade of the kids!

Parents dragging their little ones hopping along the way like a pony! Yet others valuing the time speed walking to skip that minute or two in order to avoid the tardy slip! Helloing parents speeding to jump a car or two in the parking lot in rushing to work!

With music floating from the band practice mellowing the morning rush as some others drag back in catching up with concerned teachers!

Watching those kids do jumping jack as they try and wake up for a little stretch take me back through rusty memory lanes!

Sitting behind the wheels as I jump the engine, I lean over to look at that clock in my dash- doing a quick math realized that I need to beat a light or two to be on time for my 9'O clock!

They say its never too late!

But -It takes only a minute to be early!

As they prepare for the Memorial Day

shut down it was nice knowing we are only a few weeks from the long well deserved break after a year long struggle to keep pace with the Kids and the school!

Yes...Another School Year comes to an End!

When its here I am sure I would feel that its Not a Minute Early!

Watching a Flower Grow!

My first project was an easy cop out on the flowers. It was just a controlled environment where all i needed to do was keep a close tab on the growth cycle.

This was a few days long project!

When I saw the plant budding and ready to blossom - decided to be patient and start timing the growth of the flower.

An interesting thing I learned about Wind and Flowers! It looks so appealing behind the viewfinder to shoot. But gauging the wind's impact was impossible - till you see the result. Thanks to the advancement in Digital technology - now the lag is minimal. In the early days - it was just a crap shoot as all these cameras had such a huge time lag - one has to be very lucky to really get what he or she planned for.

In a controlled yet time intervalled shoot - it is really painful to assemble all the gadgets - from holding the steps to having the right tripod to avoid creepers!





From bud to flower though it took a few days - it was really fascinating to watch the various stages it grows through. Looking through the close up lens gave a very different perspective.

Designs - Shades and Granularity reflecting the magic of Mother Nature!

With a good lens and solid tripod - a single layer of a petal looks beautiful and looks amazing from differing angles. Sun plays its magic on shades and reflections.

Now Wind - certainly there are times in the day when it looks like modern art! Nope - just enjoyed the walk and returned with no shoot.

Even though its been only a few years since we started getting some decent cameras with immediate play back - excellent memory capacity & battery packs -

I had forgotten how difficult it would have been without any of the new developments and gadgets.

With the light shining from different directions gave me opportunity to see how it actually develops and directs itself to the direction of the sun light.

When it finally reached a full growth stage I was hoping to see a bumble bee nearby to make the cycle complete! No such luck- but it was really rewarding to watch it grow and see them in digital form.