By now, everyone must be heaving a sigh of relief that heavy rains had been pouring down on us after a long spell of aridity. I am one who love sunshine and blue skies, but even for me, seeing the first showers of the season never felt better!
It was getting quite worrying when we visited Botanic Gardens a fortnight back - only to be met with ubiquitous brown patches of dried grass and dangerously low water levels!
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| Botanic Gardens as seen last August |
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| The same spot now. All we see was brown aridity. |
We were quietly shocked, and strolled around the ailing gardens with heavy steps. The wildlife of the parks - tortoises, swans, ducks and pigeons - seemed resilient enough, but who can hear their calls of desperation when water levels dipped further? Already, we were able to walk on the former bed of the receding lake, and explore the riverbank by the rushes that the swans called home. How much is this parched weather going to cost for these animals?
Which is why I rejoiced when the rains came pouring down for entire days last week. Even at the expense of blue skies and sunny rays. For I am waiting to see the gardens turn verdant all over again!
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| Lots of tortoises sunning by the dry riverbank and greeting many curious human visitors! |
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| Little Bee standing by the rushes...the area on the left was formerly part of the lake and inaccessible to people. We took a walk over the wet, squishy former bed of the lake there. |
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| Despite the dry weather, there are still beauties all around us! |
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| Colours amidst the crude brown of aridity....these leaves were so pretty! |
