Are cows everywhere in Sri Lanka?
Um, yeah, pretty much. Not in Colombo itself so much, but where we are, in Nugegoda, which would be the…
Sri Lanka
Polkichcha or Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
I’ve decided to make Fridays a Flying Friday day. That means that I’m going to showcase some kind of flying…
Cows snacking in the next door lot
Every now and then, I’ll hear a really really loud MOO! That usually means that either a cow is eating…
Witch’s Brew, also known as Paspanguwa
When Fahim or I or, well, anyone else in this house, starts coming down with a cold, out comes the…
Common Tailorbird doing a fashion shoot
Here he is, the Battichcha or Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), getting ready to pose… And here he is with wind…
Birds of Sri Lanka
This isn’t about all birds in Sri Lanka, but rather, birds that I’ve seen and photographed. I’m keeping a general…
A chameleon on our doorstep!
A few days ago, Fahim called to me from downstairs, telling me to hurry and bring my camera. He wouldn’t…
Teeny tiny little greenish bird
This bird is a frequent visitor to my garden. In particular, to the trees and area outside my kitchen window,…
Growing – and killing – mint in Sri Lanka
You know how, whenever you bring up that you’re growing your own mint, suddenly all sorts of people pop out…
Transporting an elephant
In Sri Lanka, there are many elephants. There’s the elephant orphanage, there are elephants at the zoo, elephants are used…
Recycling in Sri Lanka
Our municipality changed how garbage collection is being done a couple of months back. We now have to separate out…
The latest lizard to invade my garden
This guy was smallish. I say small-ish because, at about 2 1/2 feet long, this lizard isn’t all that large….
Sri Lanka’s Colombo Crows
We were visiting Fahim’s brother’s wife’s family in Colombo when I spotted these birds. Of course, everyone laughed at me…
Provincial Council Election Ballots in Sri Lanka
Elections are done a bit differently here. No surprise there. But there was a surprise – to me – when…
Noise Laws in Sri Lanka
About a year or so ago, I remember reading or hearing about new noise laws that had passed in Sri…
Transporting Furniture and… People?
This is a more common sight in Sri Lanka than you might think. When goods are transported, be they furniture,…
A Squirrel and A Bird Come Visiting
I frequently see birds visiting the trees outside my kitchen window. They’re a welcome sight. I enjoy watching them flit…
Crafting/DIY As A Form of Self-Defense
I’ve always been a crafter/DIY kind of person – it’s the way we were raised. It’s part self-sufficiency, part economy,…
Purple-Faced Langur Monkey Travelling the Power Line Highway
I took these pics of our neighborhood gray purple-faced langur monkeys yesterday afternoon. It started with a noise up on…
Student Riots And Closing Universities In Sri Lanka
Yesterday, there was another incident of students rioting at a university here in Sri Lanka. It happens with a frequency…
The Yellow-Billed Babbler and Other Birds of Sri Lanka
Confirmed again, I am a geek. <a href=”http://pics.laurieashton.com/2009/20090209-17.jpg” target=”_blank”></a>Also confirmed is that this bird is the <s>Jungle Babbler (<i>Turdoides striata</i>)</s>…
For Your Entertainment. Cows And Garbage And Empty Lots.
Garbage is a problem here. Sometimes, the garbage collectors skip a week. Or two. Sometimes, when they usually come on…
Teeny Tiny Little Cute Froggy Napping In My Lime Tree
When I went downstairs to make lunch, and water the plants and such outside, I noticed a teeny tiny little…
The Papaya Mealy Bug Infestation Saga Continues
I pruned off more of the lime tree. It has about 1/8th the foliage left. All is damaged (the entire…
Garbage and Recycling in Sri Lanka
About a month ago, we received notice that garbage pickup was changing. We now had to separate out our compostables…