In the company of tall green trees under the blue sky

Howdy, folks! While I eagerly wait to see the results of the ongoing work, by our much anticipated and rigorously researched helper, Mr. Dishwasher, hired in order to ease the effects of 'maid induced stress' syndrome, typically found in Indian women, let me start this yet another page of my Uttarakhand diaries, to divert my attention towards something that's truly pleasant!

   

On our way from Mussoorie to Kanatal, we visited a couple of places, the first one being Dhara Eco Park, Dhanaulti. Dhanaulti is one more quiet and beautiful hill station in Uttarakhand and has many tourist places. Talking about Dhara Eco Park, it basically is a hillock covered with Oak and Deodar trees, and is developed into a tourist spot by the Divisional Forest Office (DFO) and the natives of Dhanaulti. 

The atmosphere of the park was tranquil. There were hardly any visitors when we reached there. We started following the trails leading to the top of the hill. Kids enjoyed playing under the trees using the play equipments installed along the trails. With the kids busy playing, sitting under a tall tree, I got some quiet time to reflect on these lines: 

There is more to life than measuring its speed

Let me look upward into the branches of the towering Oak

And know that it grew great and strong, because it grew slowly and well

Slow me down Lord and inspire me, to send my roots deep into the soil of life's enduring values

- Author Unknown

As we reached the hilltop, we witnessed the panoramic view of the Himalayas, the same gratifying view of terraced hills cradling snug misty little houses, that accompanied us throughout the trip!

We rested under the shade of a well-sited hut attuned to the surroundings. It elegantly framed the views of the beautiful landscapes for us.  

 

I love to dwell in forest wild, where giant pine trees pierce the sky;

A beauty spot where nature smiled, a fitting place to live and die;

- E. F.  Hayward (a poet  and a philospher)

Remember that geography was one reason we wanted to visit Uttarakhand? Not just geography, but the pine trees in the park allowed us to experience the science behind the adaptation of conifers (coniferous plants). Want to know more? Let's shoot the breeze.

Pine leaves

Oak, Deodar, Spruce, and many other trees having needle-like leaves and bearing cones are called conifers. They are adapted to grow in very cold environments. Their sloping branches help them shed snow in the cold winters. The snow slides off easily from the smooth, waxy and needle-like leaves, without causing them any harm. As discussed in this interesting video, the leaves also have an ability to push the water out of their cells towards the gaps between them, to ensure that the tree cells are protected from the water when it freezes during the cold weather. 

Pine cone

Conifers bear cones instead of fruits. Do you know why? Fruits, which play a key role in the survival of plants by protecting the seeds, cannot endure the extremely cold temperatures. Cones, in contrast, are woody and hence capable of protecting the seeds from the cold temperatures, the winds, and the animals. When the climates get warmer, the cones open up to release the seeds. Isn't that interesting? We brought along a cone, an eco-friendly and a truly priceless souvenir from the Himalayas. Let me share some simple but interesting lines about the pine cones that I found here:

Pine cones are little treasures

that drop from the trees

and wait like new friends to be found. 

They show us that we are all different, all beautiful,

all perfect in our imperfections

Starting from Dehradun lying at the foothills of Himalayas (640 m above the sea level), now we had reached Dhanaulti, which is at much higher altitudes (2,286m). Nature has subtler ways of indicating this change. With the trees changing into conical shapes and the dogs getting covered in thick coats, we knew we were at significantly higher altitudes and that Dhanaulti must be getting snow-covered during the winters!

Well, enough of rambling. It's late in the night. Let me check out the work of art from our new helpmate! Please wish me a good luck for the same. That said, see you next time, with a new page of the diaries. Till then, as the American actor David Faustino says, 'Enjoy life... that's what we are here for!'