The Colonies

Lets take alook at the insects social life... while some of them are loners, others are not so. They would either live together all the time, or huddled together while they are young, or it is "the time" of the year...


The (not so) white ants - busy moving to new home. The farm is infested by them and their favorite is the sugarcane seedlings... They attacked the seed and made it rot faster, leaving new shoots fragile with much less roots to grip the ground.


The strange looking "ants". I have not seen them before. But after a week, I found out that the ants are actually...



...babies of these fellas... Woi! buat apa tu! Hmmm... patut la ramai sangat... You notice the threesome? hehehe



The Planthopper (bena putih). Pure white powder covered with silky hairs... But they are deadly, attacking the new batch of tomato trees. The first batch was not so effected by the planthoppers... Need to try Rosnah's prescription of neem leaves juice as a natural pesticide - one of these days maybe...



The dull looking bugs on the "white" chilli...

It Rained, Alhamdulillah!

It finally rained heavily yesterday. Everybody in the farm was jumping with joy.....
Hooray! say the tapiocas



Hooray! say the brinjal seedlings.


Hooray! say the tomatoes.

Hooray! say the ginger...

Hooray! say the bananas...

Alhamdulillah!

Turmeric Flowers

How many of you have seen the turmeric flower? Maybe some of you have seen it, but do you take notice of how beautiful it is?

Just "angelic".... But do you notice the "fang" inside?

In harmony... White and soft yellow combination against the light green background...

The blossoms emit sweet fragrant of "turmeric" kind... hahaha! sorry, am no good at describing the smell. If you can get hold of fresh turmeric root, you might get the idea - the flower smell is similar to those of root's, only milder, sweeter and heady...

The whole stalk...

Even the stalk is formed like a big blossom itself...

Wild Flowers Pt 1

Like other ladies, I love flowers. When I was a young girl, I would plucked and examined the grass flowers - most of the them are small in size thus would go unnoticed. However if you examine closely, they are really beautiful... See for youself, as I now have the opportunity to capture it in pictures and can share it with you...



Radiant white flowers - so common but too bad I don't know it's name...



The common "semalu", Adeline was so fascinated about, shaking up the tree so that its leaves closed up...



The "bayam peraksi" seeds are much more attractive than the 'bud' flowers

This is the carambola flowers - I put it under wild flowers as this type is really "wild", for the taste is so sour that it is almost inedible. However, midwives prescripe for women who are not able to conceive - boil the whole tree (parts) and drink warm...

Still No Rain!

Still no rain. I don't know how much longer can the trees withstand the heat... I only water the 'weak' plants. Looks like the stronger plants like banana and tapioca are showing signs of dehydration...






The cracks are getteing more widespread. How the chili sapling (at the centre) is going to survive, only Allah knows...








Blue sky with no hints of rain coming... This, actually is a failed attempt to capture the butterflies and dragonflies fluttering in circles around kuini flowers, at the top of the towering trees and send the flutters to my heart... Maybe I should let the larvae grow after all??? If you click on the picture, maybe you can spot the tiny flying dots against the blue sky not far from the tree top...

Caterpillars and Other Larvae Pt 2

The banana trees are infested with the "ulat pisang", building it's cocoon with the banana leave and wait until it transform into butterfly, or whatever... Some banana trees are badly infested, leaving only the unfolded shoot untouched - that is until it open up... hehehe...


The exception - still uneffected tree, what is the secret???



The neat roll - I have been wondering how such a creature is able to do that...


Beautiful work of art, in single...

...or in pair...

...not quite as intended, I supposed...

Caterpillars and Other Larvae

Insects and small animals are abundant in the farm. For reasons I stated before, larvae has dominated my picture collections of fauna... Once captured in pictures, by close inspections, I am growing to admire and appreciate them more. Look at the images below and you will understand why...

The silver white haired caterpillar - reminded me of the most talked about sultan lately...

Ain't she beautiful? Uniquely with the 4 "jambul" on her back



I found this one crawling quietly among the grass. With long needlelike hair, nothing dare to harm her...

It is more vulnerable for the hairless... if your appetite is not turned off by it look! Allah the Khalik creates in perfection... cleverly camouflaging the weak into bird's droping...

This one will get any birds fooled I guess... eeewww...

Chillies, Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Nasi Dagang

Somebody was "mengidam" for the "nasi dagang"... We just pluck the veggies from the farm and throw it into the pot and bowl.

Delicious fish curry! Can you spot the chillies, tomatoes and "belimbing buluh" (also from the farm). We prepared the dish, with dear friends in our minds - those who are no longer nearby to share...

100% organics and fresh. Notice the "kemetot" cucumbers that were due to the insects and dry spell. The "acar" was never so sweet though...

The Mammoth Moth?

I found an odd looking moth in the farm. This one sat still for a change... hehehehe She was either resting or dying, I cannot tell...

The hairy moth, wing span about 6in, end to end.




Reminded me of that stealth air craft...




A close-up. Like some abstract drawings...

The Tree Tall Story

There was a apple mango tree in the tiny strech of space next to the drain of my house. The tree eventually outgrow the tiny space and we have no much choice - either to cut the young tree down or move it to other place i.e. farm. We opted for the second option, taking a risk that the tree might not survive, given its size and age (she was about 8ft tall). I must say that it was over my mum's insistance (as usual). Weak as she is nowadays, she started digging the tree half way, for she knows I would continue where she left, and she got her way - as always.


With the tree uprooted, the next challenge was logistics. I moved very quickly for I do not want other people to witness and ask silly questions hehehe... I shouldered the sizeable tree and enter the house, get out from the kitchen door and stuff the tree into the car. The car's backseat is collapsible - there goes the tree, its roots touching the dashboard and the other end hanging out of the boot, sweeping the already clean road...

That was about 1.1/2 month ago, I was crossing my fingers and pray that the tree would survive. It dried out after 2 weeks, and its leaves started falling. At one time I thought I have lost her, until one morning, new shoots started growing from her trunk. My heart sunk again when the first batch of new shoots dried out - only to be replaced with others...

The dying tree

...but there is still hope...

The shoots struggling to survive, amid the hurt, the leaves are brittle and uneven shape.

Newer shoots looking healthier. God's willing, she will survive...

R.I.P

The drought has taken its toll on the plants. I was away in town to attend to other business yesterday, and skip the watering for a day. Consequently, I lost the fruiting brinjal and a couple of other trees. The scorching sun is unforgiving... Innalillahiwa innailaihirajiun...

Even the stronger trees are also begging for water, I don't have the heart to see them suffer... especially the 'manja' durian saplings. May Allah pour its mercy and send the rain...

"...Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: it is like the rain which We send down from the skies: the earth's vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the wind do scatter: it is (only) Allah Who prevails over all things. Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world: but the things that endure, good deeds, are best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and best as (the foundation for) hopes." - Al-Kahf 18:45-46

Low Hanging Fruits

One of the favorite catch phrase in the Twin Towers circles... But these are real low hanging fruits...


One of the three long brinjal trees, one dead and another one was heavyly infested by spiderlike pest and recuperating.


First batch of cucumber - however, you don't want to see the 'para'... asal tak rebah jer... hehehe


New batch of cherry tomatoes - the young trees started to bear fruits...


Red Chili Pepper - don't know if it will ever turn red, or drop before ripe...




The young angled bean - crunchy and sweet...

Tough Time...

This year's weather is a little different from the past. Chinese New Year normally bring rain with strong wind. But this year, there is drought instead of rain... My brother used to be the one who water the plants during dry spell, but now he is busy working, or getting bored of the farm? I plan to arrange for tap water, but in the meantime, it is well water at the bottom of the hill.

We are aware of the wild boar and monkeys in the vicinity and expected them for sometimes now... Now is the time... when they give more attention to the farm than the usual "tumpang lalu" hehehe. The fencing is not meant for the wild boar - it is just not strong enough. And I have no enough time to mend and improve the fence. So, the sharing concept still apply...

The earth started craking... I have to admit that collecting weter from the well is no easy task. I do not envy Jack and Jill...

U notice the pegaga is still well and green despite the cracking earth? So does the grass...

The corn trees just started producing baby corns...

When they were flatten by boar or monkey, I cannot tell...

Long expected, but it is still not a pretty picture...