this is the view of my backyard. (as you can see it's not really 'my' backyard, more an open space skirted by my neighbour's driveway, which is also the main thoroughfare to the back gate - which is the shortcut to town and the markets, and used by people constantly. the building you see on the right is where my office is; yep, just a hop, skip and a jump away; set the alarm back to snooze, honey; we ain't no need for hurry.)

i managed to get a quiet shot one afternoon after work recently - after i had made the marathon trip home. we've hit the dry up here; haven't had rain for a week, which is nothing like when i first arrived (hours; daily). look at that freshly mown grass (just look at it! ah); raked, too. It's an avocado tree parked right in the middle. The tree sheds quite a few leaves (and some avocadoes, but they're not the best). When there's more than a week's worth of leaves, as I lie in bed at night i can hear the security guards crunch by.

The beeps of their little walkie talkies as base checks in is a motif I know I'll never forget; it's like the sound of the alarm clock, it's become so ingrained I don't quite hear it anymore, it's not separate but part of. i'll always regret not having something to record the sounds of India when I was there; there aren't as many here, but that is itself one of the things i enjoy: the quiet of this strange little mountain home.