As we drove to Lake Erie from Niagara memories of the last visit , our walk through Drummond hill cemetery and monuments . There we meditated in front of the monument in memory of Laura Secord ( 1812-14 war) who walked over 20 miles to warn the British of an impending American attack.

ATHPULA AT LODHI – 2001

As I remember some walks of yesteryears this picture with the Athpula at Lodhi gardens – a bridge with eight pillars- one of the few monuments in Delhi surviving from the times of the rule of Emperor Akbar ( 1556-1605) , helped me revisit a part of our lives . On a warm sunny afternoon we would drive to Lodhi gardens and see the different nuances of the Tombs, rose gardens, or paths. I first started coming to Lodhi gardens regularly in mid 1980 s , when I was studying in Maulana Azad medical college, and staying in 194 Old Boy’s hostel- Bahadurshah Zafar Marg.

Revisiting Lodhi with different family members has been a source of reflection, renewal and remembrance of our biological and spiritual ancestors .

NIAGARA RETREATS

As the snow warnings cane true, we saw a partially frozen Niagara river flow with the ice into the falls and again freezing in the subzero conditions.

As we went through some essays on art and photography of Raghubir Singh , how he gave a visual expression to the Post Modernism of Calcutta( Kolkatta) Ganga, Rajasthan, Bombay ( Mumbai) our readings of yesteryears at Niagara came to mind. When Sagar was studying in Grade 10 – in Glenforest Mississauga, ( 2015-Summer) we had come here and read from Chris Bonnington’s “ Quest for Adventure” in which he gave examples of Strike and Siege style approaches to mountains . The difference between the Alpine and Himalayan expeditions

A FEW STEPS AHEAD OF RATTRAY

In June 2019 – Sagar went to China for over a month. On the eve of that journey we went together to Rattray Marsh , Port Credit, Mississauga, and spent some quiet moments reflecting on our many journeys together. On returning, he showed pictures to his visits to the Great Wall of China, the memorials of Nanjing, and the waterways of Shanghai.

We have taken a few steps ahead from Rattray Marsh, Port Credit Mississauga or the Athpula of Lodhi , Delhi where we started our journeys .

Happy Birthday Sagar.

Like Snowflakes, we are all unique.