In mother nature's lap

 Nature's nature is to heal us. It's naturally designed to heal our mind, body and soul. You can try artificial means, but nothing beats the feeling of nature soothing you, same as nothing else can ever match the calm and comfort of a mother's hug. Same goes with mother nature.

Yesterday afternoon after doing some yard work, I was sweating profusely. I could literally feel our Odia DHAGA (Proverb) - "MUNDA JHALA TUNDA RE MAARI" (sweat from your head touches your mouth) - means "doing hard work". My feeling vindicated the popular Odia adage. After I was done cutting the grasses, bagging and putting them against the curb I stood under the Maple tree on my front yard, letting the burst of cool air caress me, drying my sweat. 

I stood there in the shadow of the fresh oxygen exhaling tree, could smell the freshness in the air. I have experienced before drying my sweat by facing wafts of cooler air conditioned air inside the comfort of home. But nothing feels more refreshing when you let your sweat dry under a tree. The law of Physics says "Evaporation causes cooling". We need to tag an addendum - the cooling effect due to the evaporation of sweat caused by nature's breeze is far more soothing than evaporation caused by AC. Mother nature's lap is so comforting.

While letting my lungs aerate with the fresh oxygen supply from the Maple tree, I stood there, watching the spotless blue sky with intermittent chunks of snow white clouds fleecing by. Loved watching the bees humming and chasing each other near the rose bushes, whizzing past the flowers sucking nectar. Thanks to their help in pollination I get a fruitful harvest from my backyard. 

Two squirrels kept chasing and out running each another, trying to catch each other's tails. Chirping little birds crisscross the sky as an array of Pelicans passed by, cawing PAON PAON. Far above in the sky two commercial jet liners crossed over, painting a thick white tailgating strip, forming a gargantuan X sign on the sky.

Nothing beats the pleasure of getting closer to nature. As another burst of soothing breeze caressed me, bringing in a lung full of fresh air, I found my memory tracing me back to this song from movie EK BAAR PHIR (1981) and murmuring..

YEH PAUDHI YEH PATTEN,

YEH PHOOLEN, YEH HAWAYEN.

DIL KO CHURAYE, MUJHKO LUBHAYE

HAI MAN KAHE MEIN JHOOMOON

MEIN GAOON.

The flora, these leaves

These flowers, the air.

It steals my heart, tempts me

My heart tells me to sway and sing.

Welcome to Spring in America's South, the Dixieland !!!