A squirrel that has found a new nest

  "hey, can you come over to the pony farm..some people have been cutting trees and we have to do something.."
  "See you in 5," i respond.
  Reaching the spot where the tree cutting is going on.  Catherine and Jonah are there working out some money story that an Aurovilian had created to make some cash.
  i saw something move in the thorny bushes; i stared at it thinking it was a snake eating something.  Gave it a few seconds to be sure. It was a bunch of ants going after a baby squirrel.  I pocked my hand in the thorns to pick it up and shake off the ants.  That became my world.  Catherine and Jonah disappeared.  Forget the wood cutters.
  I was just saying, "there might be others like stuck in the air"  Looking up in the thorns towards the nest above; i spotted another but it was too late :(
  This happened all because a tree cut fell on the bush where the mama squirrel kept her babies.  They got shook out of their nest..
  "Don't touch it," i was told.  Later, i discovered from @Mirabelle that it is a myth.  She was kind enough to take care of it.  She knows what she is doing.  She rescues plenty of animals..
  I jumped on my cycle and went home.  No milk.  Actually i was advised to give it baby food like we did for the rabbits.  So, leaving the baby squirrel in a drawer with plenty of clothe to keep it warm and safe, i jumped on my cycle..
  The time i returned after my lunch, the squirrel was getting cold.  I was delighted when Mirabelle picked the phone.  She asked, "Does it have fur?  is its eyes open?"
  "Yes," i replied.
  "Ok, bring it."
  Phew.
  so i speed on Dhruv's bike praying it would survive the last league to her rescue.  A new nest.

2nd walk in the forest by non residents

  There are walks in Auroville being organised by the Green Centre.
  We graciously accepted as we feel a need to share and express ourselves in regards to what we are doing and being here in Lumiere and there is nothing better then actually coming in person :)
  So this Sunday, a good 20 people, walked from Dana (1km ~ 15 minutes walk) to the land that we renamed from Fertile Field.  It is open, there is a lot of light, wind and space to breath hence the name Lumiere which Ange actually suggested once upon a time.
  Everything that is here is because of Perumal.  He started the place in 1999.  We took the relay several years back..
  Tlaloc, a pioneer and returned Aurovilian, so happened to be on the walk and had lived in the area back then :) so he briefed us on the area..the Fertile dynasty of the past.  i.e. Dana used to be part of it..
  Interesting to have people over and ask questions.  I am a young forester and when fancy questions are asked and i dont know the answer i bluntly said, "i dont know."
  Barnabash, a Hungarian child, actually to be precise Bogi and Zsolty's son, trotted along with his newly learnt whistle.  it is their family tune that he practiced all along :)  sweet.
  i hope it was of interest for the walkers.
  Catherine gave a little talk on Carbon Initiatives..where a few did generously donate towards planting in all forests in the greenbelt for this year 2011!
  It is raining as i write this.  What a pleasure and a gift for the plants.  It will be a great boost for the passage through the summer..

Aji Rooth Kar Ab Kahan Jayega

It's been a long time

  Now, that has been a long time since we wrote anything on our blog.
  So much i have wanted to share and express..our last story has been our new hens.
  Our hen's have perished.  Three cocks are standing alive and flying!
  There has been 2 workers digging a trench.  I asked them if they could get me some country hens.  They willingly brought us 2 beautiful ones.
  1 week in the storeroom to get used to the place.  Yesterday, our lady Padma, from Bommayarpalayam, decided to leave the hens go and enjoy our roosters!  The day goes by she has to leave to get home..the dogs are running after the hens..one is in the tree another she has no idea.
  Over the phone, talking to her from Quiet made me nervous.  Luckily, Catherine was close by, we made it in record time to save one hen that was under the grass unreachable by the dogs and the other was simply not traceable..good camouflage.  By nightfall, the hen flies down to go up a tree with our cocks! phew..(sigh)

Michael our CS turned volunteer

  Michael came to us through our first WWOOF volunteer, Noah, from Lexington, MA, USA.
  Noah, met him at some evening gathering..Michael got in touch with me. 
  A young french traveller visiting India.  Self motivated, eager to learn and an energetic man.  Always asking what he can do.  Always informing us what he is upto to..leaving messages, sms' or calling.
  Everyday he did something which made me feel really comfortable, at ease and another work done from the thousands of things to be done :)
  From planting trees to cleaning the dishes, he was all over the place. 
  He left for Thiruvannamali today.  He has taken our Goenka Vipassana book with him; another subject that he is interested in..he will return to bring back to book though :)
  With all those lovely rains we have had in the week he has stayed with us; it was tough planning anything.  His adaptability was of help..
  We always welcome self-motivated, happy, smiling and courteous volunteers! :)

Fundraising details for the wind generator

For anyone interested in the wind generator project, here are a few more details (from Martanda):
I'm trying to manifest what I think will be a great project for Auroville, so I thought I’d start by speaking with you.
Our City of Dawn struggles with energy. We need it, but we’re not getting it in the best or most harmonious ways. Some people connect to the grid (which is harmful to the environment, supports an arguably corrupted system, and provides unreliable current) and others use solar (which can be costly and is not as eco-friendly as we’d like to believe). In cities around the world, from Boston to Geneva, I’ve seen small, domestic-sized wind generators provide adequate power without relying on the “system” or requiring costly replacements.
The best domestic wind generators are made right here in America by Southwest Windpower. Their latest model, called the Airbreeze, produces electricity with just 8mph winds! And it only costs $650. Wow.
I intend to bring domestic wind power to Auroville, proving that these inexpensive and more eco-friendly turbines can compliment or replace our dependence on solar or grid energy. I would like to do this by bringing one generator back as a pilot (I'm in Boston until the end of October), then carefully measure its production based on wind speeds, and release to Auroville at large the findings. Yes, there are bigger wind projects in Auroville—but they are outside our plateau and for others. Domestic generators could provide for Auroville within Auroville at an affordable price. I’m confident the pilot will exceed expectations.
I have already found several individuals who are willing to make financial pledges towards manifesting this project. Unfortunately, several will only donate after I’ve secured the rest of the funding.

I appreciate any help you can offer.

Domestic Wind Generator - Budget for Pilot System

Airbreeze wind generator $649

Tower $400*

Wind meter $85 yo $165

Amp meter $32

Circuit breaker $17

Lightening arrester $100

On/Off switch $16

TOTAL: $1299 to $1379


* I hope Aureka will build a tower at a discounted price for this project, but I have not yet reached out to them.

A beautiful text

“Why does the tree grow upward?

What makes the flower blossom in beauty?

When the sun sets and all becomes silent, sit down for a moment and put yourself in communion with Nature: you will feel rising from the earth, from below the roots of the trees and mounting upward and coursing through their fibres up to the highest branches, the aspiration of an intense love and longing- a longing for something that brings light and gives happiness, for the light that is gone and they wish to have back again. There is a yearning so pure and intense that if you can feel the movement in the trees, your own being too will go up in an ardent prayer for the peace and light and love that are unmanifested here.”

- The Mother

Walking alone on red foot tracks through forest is an absorbing experience for me. Thoughts are controlled  as they traverse across mind's corridors giving me a poise from where to choose which to entertain and which to let pass. I became contemplative this morning, as I was walking through the maze of barks under the canopy of the Auroville dry evergreen.

In and about the world

  Well, as you can see we have not written in a while.
  Palani, Raja and Mani are taking of the land in my absence :)
  You can follow us abroad: http://martandabroad.blogspot.com

Cashew season 2010 over today

Another cashew and i will go nuts.
  This just reminds me, dont ask me why, but do you know the expression - not religious nuts but spiritual fruits :)

  We've reached the day where the scavengers (villagers who have the right to pick everything we miss) politely have asked when we/the trees would slow down; which is today.  Which concludes our harvest :)
  17th of April, the season really began.  At first you will have the odd tree given fruits before others at small numbers.  Progressively, it would increase first in quantity and then the trees itself would increase the yield.

  What astounds me is the quantity of fruits the tree gives, all to reproduce itself.   why so many?   

  Bending down picking the fruits is a task.  Walking with the bucket in your hand and walking bent down; filling up slowly getting heavier - makes your back work :)

  We start early morning, around 6am, before it gets too hot. The way the land is laid out and the way the cashew trees are spread out on the land, we eventually made parts of the land and collected those parts every other day.  Everyday we would collect easily 4-5 wheelbarrows! by 10h30ish we would have our pile of cashews under some tree in the shade to seperate the fruit from nut.
  Sitting on a brick or directly on the ground crossed legged, seperating the fruits goes on and on and on..and on! shifting position, stretching and sighing in between :) There are these little gnats (flies) that fly around the fruits, quiet friendly bees come too, small bugs in the thousands are all over, they creep on our hands and try to climb as far as possible or lost on our bodies; ticklish it can be if not irritating :)
  The scavengers, just passed by the house this evening.  I dont like it when they come close to the our house. 

  Yelled at them, nicely and friendlily, to go around.  Once they are on the spree finding any nut that they can under the leaves/still hanging on the tree/green as it is - that marks for sure the end.  No stopping!
   Thank you cashew trees for this years harvest!