Well…in alphabetical order, those are the letters that make up the word “sleeplessness.”

That’s the kind of profound thought that my brain manufactures, when, after sleeping at 11.45pm, I am wide awake again at just past 3am.

I debate whether to turn on the bedside lamp or not. Turn it on so that it doesn’t shine on the face of the spouse (who is lost to the world anyway, and who has to be prodded periodically to stop having “sound” sleep)…and finish the rest of the Saturday Deccan Herald and Economic Times crosswords. Some witty clues make me smile to myself.

I realize that the room does have at least a couple of mosquitoes, as the backs of my hands are itching…it’s probably what brought me to wakefulness in the first place.

I switch off the light again..I have to be up at 5am to go for a birding trip…and idly let my thoughts roam around the many household jobs I have been letting slide for the past week. This, and that, and that, and this…I know, in my heart of hearts, they can be done this week, so my thoughts move on.

I wonder how different life will be when I wind up (for a while) all my Bangalore- and India-specific activities, and concentrate on the GD2B (Grand Daughter 2 Be) who will truly take up every waking moment for the first few weeks of her life. I think it’s going to be fun…but I am going to miss home a lot, too, I guess. I have never stayed in the US beyond four weeks, ever….I am very keen to get back home after that, and generally do!

Could I switch on some music? Bad idea, for the same reason as switching on the light is a bad idea. I do not like the idea of stuffing my earholes with music, so I must listen to it audibly…so that’s out.

Of course, switching on the computer is a complete no-no, or the hours will pass by unnoticed and I will get no sleep at all.

Go and drink some water, and come back and lie down.

I wonder if I will oversleep and have to apologize to the several people who will be waiting for me in two and half hours’ time.

Fall into a doze in the middle of these thoughts, only to be woken by the alarm. It’s Sunday morning, and a packed day awaits me.

Birding with the children, and adults (and adultresses) of Nisarga Layout (it was fantastic, more about this after I have uploaded photographs!), a celebration of two saints of Carnatic music, and a few songs to sing at the event; a silver wedding celebration lunch to go to, then to the Canon Store so KM can drool over the Canon 5D, then a couple of friends from Pune are coming home, and then to the last event in the Attakalari Festival at Ranga Shankara.

I realize I am a very happy person. Even if I am Ms. Slee Pless.

OK, nuff said.

Here’s a picture of a bunch of beautiful new leaves on a tree in Bannerghatta, taken with my usual settings on the 20D.

And here’s the same bunch, taken on Manual mode, with the settings suggested by Mahesh , who is really knowledgeable about the camera and the effects it can be made to achieve.

Off for the martial arts/dance performance soon. I hope you all had a good weekend, or are proceeding to have one…

To me, the two images appeal in different ways. I love the bokeh in the first, and the dark background in the second. Mahesh does genrally prefer darker backgrounds, as he feels the image stands out. (his images are also outstanding in other senses of the word!)

Which do YOU prefer? and why? Answer in your own words, using only one side of the sheet, and no peeking (I typed peeing twice) at your neighbour’s answer.