country side

dry lands

rolling hills

gathering clouds

windswept trees

resting horses

wild flowers

showered in morning dew

Black sand beach was very peaceful with a lotus pond on one side and ocean on the opposite side. 

As we drove through Big island the terrain kept changing quickly without any caution. We didn't expect to see as many dry lands with shrubs and rolling hills of grass, as there are green forests. We also came across many kinds of tiny wildflowers that we haven't seen before.

Finally, my souvenirs from the trip. .  cotton fabrics from a Japanese shop called Dragon Mama in Hilo which had a great selection of teas and tea sets and small section of fabrics and other home goods from Japan. With so many pretty things around, I found it hard to limit my purchase to just these two cuties. ( ^ _ ^ )

Thank you for cheering me with your sweet comments! Kalyan and I are very happy to share our memories of this trip with you!

textures

prickly leaves

velvety moss

crisscrossing bark

tickling sand

feathery fern

clusters of fruit

foaming waves

cat's whiskers

sun baked earth

melody of an evening

Kalyan took these pictures in Hawaii. I am taking advantage of his busy work schedule and imposing my voice on his vision. I hope he doesn't mind ;-) 

We went to a botanical garden near Hilo which is a must see for plant lovers. It resembled a rain forest with lush tropical trees, all kinds of mosses and exotic flowers.. in every direction we looked we were treated to a kaleidoscope of textures. It was overwhelmingly hard to commit even a drop of what we saw into memory as it kept getting overwritten by the next scene and the next sound. We felt very grateful for a chance to visit the garden and this magical Island. 

Thank you so much for indulging me with your visit. If I am not boring you, I would love to share one more post of pictures :) 

Have a Happy Halloween!  ( * W * )

Hawaii

We went on a much needed holiday to Hawaii earlier this month and just returned home feeling refreshed, already missing the scents of this beautiful island.

a glimpse into our days during this trip..

walking on lava rocks

sandy shores

surprising showers 

but mostly sunny skies

  dusty hikes and shaved ice cones

tropical flowers and friendly people at every turn..

Our old camera is reaching its retirement, so Kalyan took pictures on his iPhone.. more to share and write about our time on Big Island. Nice to be home before these autumn colors faded, hope you are enjoying pumpkin treats and snuggling warmly under cosy quilts ( ' v ' )

california sun

Last month we made a little trip to California after a decade long break. We were excited to be back in the Bay Area visiting our long lost friends and also to eat out at some of the best Indian food joints anywhere in the US. This trip was also special because we also got to meet our new friends, Maureen and Andres for the first time. Here are some pictures that I like to share with you.

 Driving on the coastal highway 1 to Ventura

 Elephant Seals at Hearst Castle

Brown hills dotted with Oak trees on the way back to San Francisco

Presidio Palace of Fine Arts

Very cute houses around the palace

Grackles playing in the puddle

 Hiking upto Golden Gate Bridge

Finally, my favorite California poppies :)

Thank you for looking! Have a great week!

Welcome!

Hiiii, Welcome to the home of Laku and muki, two cute but mischievous crows.
Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to visit them!!

I am excited to tell you about their story and how they settled in this new place ( ' v ' )

Whenever I visited our home town for holidays, every day was like a mini adventure with them. There was my Aunt’s kitchen in a corner, separate from rest of the house but not too far. In few seconds that it took me to walk with a breakfast plate of hot pooris across the porch to the main house, a clever crow would swoop down and make off with one of the pooris leaving me with a sad face!
...it is same with the biscuits, or any munchies we would find in the evenings. And I used to get lot of scoldings for not being more careful.

They were always eagerly waiting on the roof for any chance to steal a sparkly spoon or colorful soap bar if not a snack. So, often times I had to stand guard by the dishes near the green hand pump in the backyard until my Aunt could attend to them. There was never a dull moment and almost every day  a neighbor would walk in with a naughty crow story to tell!
I still feel very nostalgic when I hear crows cawing. They are one of my favorite birds.

When we started to think about a new blog, I wanted it to have a cute and funny name as I really enjoy making cute things that make someone smile. I felt it would be nice if the name reflects that. Then Kalyan suggested Lakumuki which actually means a kingfisher bird in our native language. That’s how Laku and Muki got their names!
We hope you have a nice visit here before the day gets too hot! ( ' x ' )

So long fall

Though I did not go on my ritual tour of fall foliage, skimming thru my old albums quenched my thrist for wanderlust. Wanted to share these pictures with those who missed your favorite fall drives and for those who are not in the North East region.

A tiny being and 3000 miles trek home - it is the season of Monarch

Brilliant and peaceful - Forest Hills Cemetery, MA


Spectacular scenary, I would go here anytime of the season - Lake Willoughby, VT




Charming and lovely country side - Craftsbury, VT

Fall driving piligrimage - Smugglers' Notch, VT


Carpets of color - White mountains from ME & NH border



Somewhere on the backroads of VT



Hidden jewel close to home - Walkup and Robinson Trail, Westborough, MA


Hope you all had a wonderful halloween and hope you have a great week ahead.

~ Kalyan