Flowers in the home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

A Giant Squirrel, Karandana, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

I spotted this high up on the branches of a tall tree at Karandana, a rural village. I have seen these squirrels kept in circular cages where they keep running and rotating the cage. The cage was mounted with the axis of the circle mounted horizontally.

Giant Squirrels

“The Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is called Dandu Lena in Sinhala and Periya Anil in Tamil. Giant Squirrels are also known as Rock Squirrels.

This species is found in southern India as well, where it is called the Grizzled Squirrel. The grizzled giant squirrel's common name comes from the gray to brown colouration highlighted with white at the top of the tail, giving it a grizzled appearance.

The rest of the body varies in colour geographically and may be brown, red, gray or black, but the fur on the underside is always lighter than the back.

This agile climber is adapted for life spent almost entirely in the trees, and has a very long tail for balance, broad hands for climbing and large claws for gripping branches. The ears are short and round. They have a tail that is about the same length of the body. They are very colorful mammals.

The colouration of the three sub species, found in Sri Lanka, varies. The Highland Giant Squirrel or Long-trailed Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura macroura) is called the Kalu Dandulena in Sinhala and Malai Anil in Tamil...”

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/wildlifesl/articles/dn_squirrels.htm

The dogs looking up a tree where a squirell has escaped, home garden, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

In Tamil there is a phrase 'ANIL ERAVITTA NAI POLA', meaning 'like a dog who has missed catching a squirrel which has scampered up a tree'. This epithet applies to a person who has just missed reaching his goal.

Flowers in the wild, Kosgama, Sri Lanka.

'Touch-me-not' - Mimosa pudica.

Ixora.

Yellow 'Temple flower.

A 'Dhana' awaiting the arrival of Buddhist Priests, Manikkawaththe Pansala, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Sri Jayawardenapura Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A kitchen and outside hearths, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

A kitchen hearth. Clay 'Chatti' and an aluminium kettle, a coconut shell and steel ladles, a GI pipe to use as a blower and a coir rest for the pot. The hearth is made of brick and clay.

A hearth outside the kitchen.

Tending the meal cooking on the hearth.

Rice being cooked for a large crowd. Note the impromptu hearth on three cement bricks, the large aluminium container and the dried fire-wood.