I took a leave from the office for two days last week, Thursday and Friday. I attended our University Loyalty Day on 10 October for the much awaited bonding with batchmates and friends, getting older seeks the same age range i think! We had lunch and dinner, and the parade in the afternoon was exciting. Both the Ex Chancellor and the Now Chancellor are batchmates, and they marched with us. Bonding, talking, reminiscing, laughing and more eating happened from dinner onwards. A few of us even slept at a friend's house a bit at the rural side near a stream, furnitures looking like antiques. They turned their house to be a cozy restaurant and massage place using the traditional "hilot" massage. These services just started and presently they just cater to friends and friends' friends. Imagine having a wonderful massage with the natural music of the stream! So after a lot of bonding talks and massage, we had a wonderful sleep.
In the morning they dropped me at the Institute of Plant Breeding in the University complex. I had to get my order of hoya rooted cuttings. The staff arrived at 9:00am so i had one hour taking pictures around the research complex. If waiting for someone is not so exciting, this is the exact opposite as it seemed one hour is not enough.
The attractive and special vegetarian dish prepared by our equally attractive batchmate, Dr. Pam Fernandez. It is always the first dish to finish, not only because it's very colorful but because many are curious of the taste of individual flowers. Some didn't know that a particular common flower can be eaten.
Tuntungin Hill as viewed from the Institute of Plant Breeding.
These are structures that are built mainly for function rather than beauty, but they evoke lots of memories! Even these plants have been here for many years.
When i finished taking shots of the flowers, i saw these white things behind the hedges at the other side of the field. My lens didn't give much justice to them but that's fine, as I don't see them often. I am always inside a moving vehicle when i see them, and getting photos were not possible. This time only the lens is the problem, but that's fine as well. I am gathering memories.
Cattle egrets (
Bubulcus ibis) are called such because they are normally seen with cattles or big livestock. They are lazy feeders so they don't hunt food, but take advantage of the insects and worms around the livestock. Cattles are absent here but they are taking advantage of the newly mowed field. The tractor is near me, just finished mowing this whole lot. The tractor driver said these birds are getting the earthworms that surfaced after the mowing.
That was a wonderful morning, gathering a lot of things: memories, pictures, seeds and hoyas.
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for all the years i've lived in the philippines i haven't seem much birds.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you haven't travelled long distances when still here. They are common in wide areas, especially near swamps and rice fields, near carabaos.
DeleteSounds like a wonderful two days. Pretty scenery, good food, friends and I can not forget the pretty birds. I like the cattle egrets. Thanks for sharing, have a happy week!
ReplyDeleteI immediately thought about you when posting the bird photos. However, i didn't have the nice lens for birds like you do. Thanks for visiting.
DeleteWonderful pictures of the egrets - they are a very elegant bird.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I have read there have never been 12 sea stacks at the Apostles - well not when there were people who would have called them that anyway!
Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Wonderful photos again Andrea!
ReplyDeleteI want to dive in to that first photo and taste what is already a "feast for the eyes"!
ReplyDeleteAndrea , what a lot of cattle egrets and I too would like to try the edible flowers. I know which ones can be eaten in my garden but yours look so exotic. By nature I am a browsing and grazing animal and like to know what is edible in my forays.
ReplyDeleteGosh, so many egrets in one place, wonderful!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the Egrets, Andrea.... They appear to have found quite a bit to eat there!!!
ReplyDeleteSeems as if you had a great time... That night with friends --beside a stream and including a massage--had to have been fantastic...
Hugs,,
Betsy
I love the photo of the flower dish!! SO colorful, and delicious! You captured those egrets beautifully, too!
ReplyDeleteThat flower dish photo is beautiful. They did a great job on putting that together. Some great shots of the Egrets.
ReplyDeleteCher Sunray Gardens
Yes Cher, my batchmate friend is a vegetarian and she makes sure bringing a big dish for all the batchmates. It always finished first among the dishes. She has a big garden for her food.
DeleteWhat a beautiful platter that is with all the flowers. I would be trying them too.. I am glad you had a good time and you gathered some good memories to share with Nature Notes...thank you Andrea
ReplyDeletethanks Michelle, yes the flower salad is uncommon but wonderful. It will do you good if you eat it more often. Thanks for hosting Nature Notes.
DeleteThe flower salad dish is most stunning - just wondering what dressing goes with it.
ReplyDeleteHi Elsie, the normal salad dressing are used too. But i prefer the vinaigrette with it, just like with my other common leafy salads.
DeleteGreat shots of the egrets, and I would be curious about the taste of those flowers, too! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHi Beth, i thought at first that the reproductive parts would be a little bitter, but the one who made the dish said these are the most important parts specially the pollen, the health parts for humans. Each has a distinct taste too, subtle differences.
DeletePretty photos - I love how lush and green everything is.
ReplyDeleteif the plate is for eating it is almost a pitty. So beautifully arranged.
ReplyDelete