Pet Hito

Dr Abe V Rotor

Hito raised in garden pond, starting as juvenile, may reach two feet long and easily weigh a kilo each, in less than a year. Catfish can grow up to five feet and weigh half a ton in open water, such as the Mekong River in Vietnam, and Yangtze in China. It is a relative of the popular kanduli, a native of Laguna Bay.    

There is one problem though.  Hito may turn into pets, and children would not let them end up in the frying pan or charcoal grill. 

How to raise hito on the backyard, a pamphlet said it's easy to keep;
we extended our garden pond twice longer and dug it a meter deep.

We bought a dozen live hito, choosing the juveniles by look and size
from a fish peddler, and the expert that he was, gave us some advice.   

By the book and advice, and some experience we released our fish
to their new home, assuring them care, and sending off our wish.  

Days and weeks passed, and months, they grew big and fat, and happy,
what joy to see them everyday, for food, and the children's company!

The talisay, its crown spreading over the pond attracted many birds;
On their perch they sang melodiously, or danced like the fantail bird.

The pond turned emerald green, fresh with algae, moss covered the wall,
adding coolness to the garden, as our fish quickly grew big and full.   

Time came to harvest our fish, I announced having bought a new grill;
it was a special Sunday on the backyard by the pond - oh, what a thrill.

But the pond was unusually calm, and the children could not be found;   

the pond was creaseless and eerie, the fish knew - not a stir, not a sound. 

To this day the grill remains unpacked, our hito just grew long and round,
what a joy to see them everyday, their whiskers rising to greet every one.

Each has a name, by its whiskers known, its jump, its little eyes, too;
the birds perch on the talisay tree singing, oh, how we love the hito! ~

Frolic - Children's Game

Dr Abe V Rotor

Frolic, Photo by Choanne Nikki Sucgang

Fight for joy or fight for gain,

     It is everybody's game,

victory or loss, or pain,

     children in frolic the same. 

Wish yesterday were today

     the child the grownups envy,

who has all the days of play,

     to bring back the peace in me.~    

The Child Scholar

Dr Abe V Rotor

The Child Scholar Photo by Miss Janine Pascual 

All alone she owns the whole wide world,

      a kingdom she rules in innocence ,

move over do not distract her thoughts,

      wait at the other side of the fence. 

And knowledge she too, owns all alone,

     through joy and imagination spawn,

immeasurable and soaring free;

     wait until she explores the unknown. 

And into the world she discovers

     more mysteries than what she had known

like climbing to the top of a hill,

     away from the kingdom once her own. ~ 

A Corner of Eden - Painting and Poetry

Painting and Poem by Abe V Rotor

Hidden Valley in acrylic, AVR 2011

Let time stand still in these lovely huts
By the gentle streams and rivulets;
Let the breeze comb the green slopes,
And sing with the hills and rocky cliffs;

The birds fly over the meandering brook
And come to rest from across the bay;
Let the wild call the language of the free, 
And signal the coming of night and day.

Here Beethoven composed a lovely song ,
And Schumann added a poetic flare;
Rustic would be Amorsolo’s version
Of this hidden valley fair.

Here by the pond Henry Thoreau
wrote a treatise, Man and Nature;
Here Schumacher praised the small,
Small, he said, is beautiful.

Here is respite, here is retreat,
Where the sky and hills ever meet;
Here’s life far, far from the busy lane, 
A resort for tired souls and feet.

If life has not been lived well enough
And freedom like a genie chained;
Take it from Milton in his blindness,
He saw a Paradise regained.

And here as in our ancestor’s time
Lies an Eden, lofty yet sublime,
Where there is no need of calendar
To mark the passing of time.

Photography: Capturing Emotions

Dr Abe V Rotor

Even without caption there are photographs such as this that are filled with emotion - feelings and moods often associated with personal experience. We often observe this scene during Holy Week. Real feelings however are extremely difficult to capture in photograph and in words. Great skill is needed to be able to succeed.

Crucified Christ, St. Paul University QC Garden.

Nature Photography 1: Faces of Animals (Birds and Fowls)

Photos by Marlo R Rotor

Duck challenging an intruder. (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Bird that wears a peacock's tail as its crown (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Peahen , Avilon Zoo, Rizal

Peacock in relaxed mood (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Barn Owl (SPUQC Museum)

Philippine Hawk, Avilon Zoo, Rizal

Male Turkey

Redface Fowl, Avilon Zoo, Rizal

Nature Photography 2: Faces of Animals

Photos by Marlo R Rotor

Porcupine (Tagaytay Zoo): front and rear

Sumatran Tiger (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Fruit Bat (Tikob Lake, Tiaong Quezon)

Pet Kulit at Home

Lynx, Avilon Zoo, Rizal

Malaysian Tapir (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Old Lion, Tagaytay Zoo)

Llama (Tagaytay Zoo)

Mouse Deer (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Wild Pig (Avilon Zoo, Rizal)

Pet Nikko, a Doberman, at home

Bunny at home with stuffed playmate