Rhododendrons and Parking

Yesterday at lunchtime I walked down below the back gate to Fern Oaks to photograph a rhododendron tree. Every time we are here in the spring I am thrilled to see these gorgeous trees. Although they are clearly rhododendrons similar to the shrubs we see in America, they have two distinct differences. They are actual trees, not shrubs. And all the blossoms are bright red. I remember people used to gather the flowers, painstakingly remove the petals, and use them to make jelly or juice concentrate. I don't remember the flavor being anything that special, but it was probably good. About 1970 I went on a women's hike to Nali; ostensibly the purpose was to gather rhododendrons, but the real reason was bonding and getting away from work, family and responsibilities. Diana was the leader and I still remember the last bit of the path in the dark, with her saying "I think this is the right path..."

On my way back up the ramp to the rear entrance of the school, I decided to photograph the scooters and motorbikes parked there. It appears that most of the school employees now own motorized transport. There are also many scooters, bikes, and cars parked in the front gate area.

View upwards from Tehri Road to kitchen entrance

A u-turn, and the path continues upward; it's steeper than it looks

At the top of the path is another parking lot, usually crammed full