Harvesting... Thinking of this a storm of thoughts fills my mind, I’ll try to pour them into form. The day starts by my father rechecking on the harvesting machine status, the workers, tarpaulin and tractors. The workers will start by cutting the paddy plants which are too close to the fields boundry like where the machine cannot go and just put them in place where it gets access. I have been there as a child and also during COVID the difference was honestly when I was a child it was the excitement and curiosity like how the paddy fields are getting harvested and how the paddy is getting seperated from the plant and getting collected. So basically, as a child I always thought the big tire machine was good, but it turns out I was wrong, because rice is grown in wetland soils. The crawler is the best it just goes like floating. After it has became full there will be 2-3 tractors waiting for collecting it and go to the Dippo where all the peoples rice are stored as a heap of rice and covered with tarpaulin for safety. So everyday till the lot comes we will just go there in the morning and bring the tarpaulin down too get the paddys to dry since the newly harvested one will have moisture content and this when kept close down will bring down the quality of the paddys in longer period of time.
Also we will bring some amount of rice to our house for our needs. So here the process is we will let paddys dry for 7-10 days. During these days there will be flock of birds starting from crows, sparrows, and some other ones as well it will be fun to watch the sparrows because these will be at the size of the palm of your hand and these will be the ones who just make noises more and make you wake up by 6. You don't need an alarm when these stay around your house. It will be a fun to watch because if one or other will always tease each other. Since these are small these just do a thing, like these just go to the paddy spreaded area and find where there a small heaps of paddy and they make a small hollow by crouching and spreading their wings, almost like they're nesting. When they do this a few grains of them fly in air and go fell on the other ones and they just fight on this.
So after it has been dried they will be stored in sacks. The older the paddy is the better the rice will be. I think still a few people doesn't know difference between Pacha Arisi and Pulunga Arisi. The difference is that Pacha Arisi is directly milled without boiling it. This is the reason these rice will be looking like half broken and obiviously pulunga arisi is a boiled and milled. The process is after a few months once we need it we will boil the paddy in a giant vessel at home and now for drying it should be done in a shadow place(to prevent breaking) and if you like the smell of rain, petrol I am sure you will also like the smell of the newly boiled paddy. But once dried up the same smell will make you sneeze as well. After that you milled down you will get the rice seperated from husk and the husk will be given to cattles by mixing it with water and once they drink water with this taste they will never drink water without it. Because I have seen them they might had water in the farm after bringing them to house they still drink the 2 full kudam(said this to relate it) of water and clean the thali with toungue and if we leave them near the sack of husk by mistake thats it you just need to use full force to get them back. And it will be mostly the little calfs who are harder to take control they just run like anything. Sometimes just missing those days in the morning and evening times just watching them run and there were time my clever dog who just bring them to me just by taking rope in his mouth and bring it to me and makes the job easier. I also give him the treat by giving him the fresh milk from cow. Yep I have been caught by my father sometimes and he just gives a look and scolds me which by the way I don't take into my ears. I would still do that even now. It's after all my friend who came with me where ever I go.
So the quote was You cannot name a price on everything. I think you understand the meaning of the quote just by reading it, but if you want to understand it with a movie, go watch The Ultimate Gift. I watch these types of movies out of nowhere and these type of movies brings me back to my senses(I mean the way I look at life) and I mean it just pulls me from the different world and everytime I would say to myself that I should be remind of these(I just cannot put it in words its the feeling at that moment). The flow of my ink is getting slower so stopping it here...
