Photo Gallery: Sukhna Nature Trail 3

Registration Times:

I reached at 4.45am just as CAT Rajpal walked in too at the Lake and

helped me get the food cases to the assembly point.

CAT Juhi with CAT Kirti took charge of the registration process...

and soon the paws started pussy footing in :)

Quick Quick... Sign up... Pick up your name tag, little bag of munchies and the bottle of water...

Some last minute catching up going on between this gang of older CATS before we hit the trail....

Our Benchmark CAT DV performing the 'flag-off' ceremony when we started around 5.35am...

It's all in the family ;-)

Vandana is the torch bearer for this little sub-group..

Ritu also finally managed to convince her husband and mom to join in too..

See... the evidence that we were up before the surya-devta was!!

Jokes aside, though it was not a morning full of cool breeze,

the nature was painting breathtaking paintings for us to enjoy...

Qadam Qadam barraaye chal...

It was good to see the bonhomie between old timers and first timers...

the aunts and the nieces.. the mothers and the sons/daughters..

a beautiful family morning out for CATS :)

aur yeh dono honeymoon per the :P

Honestly, it was really nice to see CAT Preeti and CAT Naveen walking along the lake,

without a trace of anxiety in the world about their two sons :)

Such is the trust the group has self-built that everyone feels safe...

and this could not have been possible without everyone taking care of each other :)

Simmi, our birdwatcher of the gang spotted this pretty Kingfisher by the waters..

We later got to know that our own CAT Harpreet is also developing a keen interest in the birds :)

Speechless!!!

CAT Harpreet with our little CAT Ansh...
Forget the years, the camaraderie between these two is simply amazing :)

Do meet the youngest of the CATS from this morning...

Our 5yrs old Sachi, who will wipe off his cheeks, any symbolic traces of a peck

you might have blown in the direction in his direction ;-)

and do meet the charming and sot spoken mother of this little one full of attitude...

Our always smiling CAT Shilpa full of beans...

Shilpa was the only one who rappelled down a steep rock

TWICE during our summer break multi activity trip to Tirthan-Rohtang-Naggar last year!

Just as the dawn was breaking beautifully.. we entered the nature reserve area beyond the lake...

The path which led us to.... wilderness!!

Eho humaara jeewnaa - PART I
Whilst it was a fun nature trail for some... it was work as usual for others!

An old lady cutting grass as fodder for her cow early morning by the banks of the lake.

This point offers the complete length of the lake...

an area hidden away from the maddening crowds thronging the lake promenade every day!

CATS.. hoping to spot an odd peacock, cuckoo, night jar, myna, tree pie...

perhaps see a jackal, wild boar, spotted deer or a sambhar....

Every tree had a story to tell...

Some weather beaten and bent at odd angles... others still young and upbeat about life!

We tried to peer hard.. but all the animals eluded us..

perhaps because of the hot weather..

or perhaps we were making more noise for their comfort.

I still remember being surrounded by a dozen deer looking benignly at me

one fine morning not long ago.. and being a little afraid

when two sambhars decided to greet us on this very path!!!

Any ideas why this lot is feeling so excited??

The tree towering above us where lots of parrots, barbets,

an odd black drongo and a koel were playing hide and seek with us :)

The grand old ladies of our pack of CATS on the dirt track...

whereby CAT Nirmal took the honours of being the eldest of this trip with Sachi being the youngest :)

Can anyone invent laces which tie up by themselves??!!!
A perpetual hazard in CATS ;-)

Breathtaking... though I would not like to fall into it!!!

Riders.... remind me of Boxing Day each time we do this trail...

We are nearly done... as the first group of CATS crossed the Lake Club

to walk back towards the starting point or breakfast...

The last lot crossed the tennis grounds to keep up...

Hats off to CAT DeepInder for having quietly taken over the

task of being the 'Guard'. In other words, he ensured that all the CATS

of any shape, size, weight or height safely reached the starting point...

even if that meant that he had to carry our little Sachi for a while!

Who says goodness is done and dusted?

The view that greeted us at the Lake Club by the way!

Would you believe that these two had met for the very first time

in their lives literally an hour before this picture was taken??

They have become the best of buddies...

sharing the fashion news, hair styling tips to heaven knows what else ;-)

Eho Humaara Jeevna - Part II

The difference between being an old woman having to work hard

first thing in the morning feed her cow... to having the previledge of

being a gardner on the government pay-roll, perched on top of a heritage garden light!!!

Does it come across to you that we were hungry by this time??!!!!

Thanks to Mr Bir, we even had the luxury of chairs laid out for us

under the shady trees by the lake side. However, I must also thank

Mr Malhotra and Daniel for making it convenient for CATS each time

we hold an activity at the lake. Gratitude also for the team of CITCO

at the Lake Cafeteria who served us chilled water and lovely tea

which we relished with our packed breakfast.

81yrs old active athlete from Chandigarh, Mrs Bhoopinder Banta Singh

was the surprise package of the morning, thanks to our CAT DV.

This grand old lady won a medal at the veterans Olympics held last year in Europe for India :)

Eho Humaara Jeewna - Part III

As it was time to head home for us.. this row of SWANS silently formed a queue to tow the line to work :)

- CAT Supreet