Saturday, December 23, 2017

Priceless Gifts


"Existence is a priceless gift and
 the beauties of nature are the priceless gifts of the existence."

~Mehmet Murat ildan

I didn't get out of the house like I thought I would yesterday. I stayed home. I was tired. Really Tired. Depression tired I suppose. You know... so deeply tired that you sleep for 14 hours, and get up, and after 30 minutes, or an hour, you are tired again, to the point you sleep another 18 hours. 

Tomorrow I will get up, and try it all again. I might get further, you never know, but at least when I do get out of the house, to roam the world, like last Monday, I find some beauty here and there. Even in some weeds, growing along the road.  

If that's all the photography I get done, I will take it! I can appreciate the simplest beauty, just as much as anything else in the natural world. The weeds in the photo above are obviously dry and fragile, so I didn't touch them, I just let them be, and appreciated their natural earthy beauty.

Photographing them made me happy, and that's the real point!

Right?

Mood: Hopeful
~Me
 

Friday, December 22, 2017

Ding Dong Merrily On High


"When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things...not the greatest occasions... 
give off the greatest glow of happiness."

~Bob Hope

I haven't done any shopping for the holidays. Not for Christmas eve, not for Christmas Day. Not for New Year's Eve. Nothing. But later today, as I force myself out of the house, I will be doing just that! Shopping, with a few minutes, here and there, to catch my breath, and pray Trump doesn't declare war, or fire Mueller, or embarrass the United States, with some weird speech. All of which are pretty likely to happen! That's what's on my mind right now, and frankly, I am exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. Depression, fear and the holiday spirit, do not do well together. 

They are like water and oil, but I am pushing through it, and like one of the best therapists I ever had once said, "Doing normal things, makes you feel normal" and right now, that's all I really want, to feel normal again, by having a nice boring day, although I'd prefer to find a little something about the holidays, that makes me smile and feel happy inside, but boring works too. It's sounds easy enough, but at the moment, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack! I guess I am feeling sorry for myself, because I want to enjoy the spirit of the holiday, but finding it is proving difficult.

But I'm trying to. I really am.  


I guess I will just see how the rest of the day goes, before I make up my mind that I won't feel any holiday spirit at all. You never know, perhaps hope is just waiting for me to recognize it. One never really knows about these things! Here is what I have planned for the day... I am getting my hair styled, then hit Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, for some organic roses and a couple pieces of fruit. Then it's off to the mall to do a small amount of gift shopping, and hopefully Alan and I will end the day in Berkeley at some of our favorite food haunts. 

Berkeley always lifts my spirits! So, at least I'm putting some hope on the "To Do" list! Now, I have learned that it's always a good idea to have a Plan B, and when it becomes obvious that Plan A isn't going to work, one should just go with the flow and not fight it. Some of my favorite memories worked around, Plan B, so, wish me luck as I venture out of the house, in search of Plan A... finding the spirit of Christmas!Either way the day goes, I will probably come home and watch Bridget Jones' Diary. It has become one of my favorite holiday movies, because what woman doesn't identify with Bridget, at least part of the time, and let's face it, the holidays are the most difficult time of the year to deal with!


But whether it be the holidays or some other difficult awful time
 Bridget always finds her way!




Mood: Curious
~Me :)

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Goodbye/Hello



"It seems everything sleeps in winter,
 but it's really a time of renewal and reflection."

~Elizabeth Camden
Until The Dawn

The Autumn Equinox ends today,
 and the Winter Solstice begins!



While I took both of these photos during autumn of this year, the one I chose to welcome autumn with, was taken during the last third of the season, on November 25th, and as you can see, the beautiful egret already has it's Winter plumage on! It's such a lovely bird, that I thought it would be a lovely, quiet way to welcome in Winter 2017! I will miss autumn, and mourn it for a while, and then I will find some new subjects, hopefully, that will see me through the necessary seasons until it comes around again next year! I am sure it will bring a lot of beauty, and life, and I just can't wait to see what it brings!

#21 Leaf Of The Day
December 21st 2017
Cull Canyon Park


Mood: Happy
~Me
 

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

On The Last Full Day Of Autumn 2017...

"Autumn that year painted the countrysie
 in vivid shades of scarlet, saffron and russet, 
and the days were clear and crisp under harvest skies."

~Sharon Kay Penman
Time And Chance

It's the last full day of autumn, 2017.
 And as such, it's not about me, it's all about the leaves...



"The gold and scarlet leaves that littered the countryside in great drifts whispered and chuckled among themselves, or took experimental runs from place to place, rolling like color hoops among the trees. It was as if they were practicing something, preparing for something, and they would discuss it excitedly in rusty voices as they crowded round the tree trunks."

~Gerald Durrell
My Family And Other Animals


I could have sat under that autumn tree forever!

#20 Leaf Of The Day
December 20th 2017
Redwood Road, Castro Valley

Mood: Happy But Quiet
~Me :)  

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Three Birds In One Late Autumn Day

Lesser Goldfinch
December 18th, 2017
Cull Canyon Park
"It was a beautiful autumn day,
 with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it."

~Diana Gabadldon
Outlander

Yellow Rumped Warbler
December 18th, 2017
Cull Canyon Park

We are nearing the last day of autumn. Just two more days to go, a day-in-a-half really, and most of my favorite trees have but a few leaves remaining! In my travels, however, I did come across one or two trees, that seem to just be just getting started, so I will be visiting them during winter, as much as possible. I like to continue photographing leaves for as long as I can, but they aren't included in each individual year's autumn leaf gallery. But this year, I have decided to consolidate all of my leaf photos, from all the past years, into one album, so the full collection is available in one place. I will post a link to it, when I have it set up, which hopefully will be sometime around New Year's Eve!

 Yesterday, while out and about, searching for the last little whisper's of autumn leaves, I came across some gorgeous little birds, with their winter plumage on, just waiting for that cold winter weather to begin! Maybe I will take on birds for a winter project. It's been chilly the last few weeks, but not winter cold, it has been autumn cold. Cold air, bright sunshine, and the deepest bluest skies Ive seen, since, well, since late last autumn! LOL. In other words, another season has come and gone, just like it should! I love finding new birds, and yesterday, I found three new ones for my bird gallery! That made me quite happy!

 There are plenty of places to go birding in the Central Valley, it's just a matter of doing a little research! The Delta is a great place to start, and I have heard that there is a large population of Egrets there! And there are also some rare birds to be found, so it's kind of an exciting thought! And while I am busy with my quest for pictures of the Summer Tanager, and the Vermilion Flycatcher, Autumn will be back before I know it! Just a mere three seasons from now, and I will be here, eagerly awaiting it's return, pretty much from the beginning of summer, but spring has all those gorgeous blossoms, so don't think I am forgetting that! So, with a little luck, I will be a busy girl with the camera in 2018! 

Lesser Goldfinch
December 18th, 2017
Cull Canyon Park

Society Finch
December 18th, 2017
Cull Canyon Park

#19 Leaf Of The Day
December 19th, 2017
 Castro Valley Community Center


Monday, December 18, 2017

Art About Town: Sacramento (Untitled) Dart Golden 1 Center

Untitled
By Gale Hart
Sacramento, California
December 11th, 2016

"It is good to love many things, for the therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Sacramento has an amazing amount of public art. I don't know why I don't get up there more often, but I am going to try to explore around the capitol in 2018. I know, I know, I have said that before, and then I get bogged down with other things, and I allow the depression to dictate what I do, but I love public art, and the truth is, San Francisco is a lot for me. The drive, the time it takes to get there... it's a lot for someone with Fibromyalgia. Sometimes the pain is more than I can take, and then I am flat on my back for several days. Usually it's worth it, just to be back in my favorite neighborhoods, and at my favorite places around the city that makes me so happy, but this past year, well, it has become apparent that I need to explore the beauty closer to my new home.

I think I have to make myself accept the fact, that I don't live in the Bay Area anymore, and I need to enjoy Sacramento for all the fun it offers, the comedy clubs, the bookstores, the Gold Rush history, the train museum, not to mention, the amazing public art, that makes me so damn happy! I took this photo last year, and this is my first time posting it. I am kinda glad I held onto it, because today, I came across it, while looking through my archives, and for some reason, I saw it through different eyes, than when I first photographed it. I had a new attitude I suppose! Life out here in the valley isn't so bad. It's not San Francisco, but it's got it's own charm, and I need to make friends with it!

Today's Leaf As Seen From Two Different Perspectives...

#18 Leaf Of The Day
December 18th 2017
Stockton, California

Mood: Happy
~Me :)

Sunday, December 17, 2017

At Christmas... Wrong Will Fail, Right Will Prevail

"And in despair I bowed my head;
 'There is no peace on earth," I said; 'For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!'

The pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, more doth he sleep!
The Wrong shail fail,
the Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!'"

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
 Christmas Bells

We did it! We put up some Christmas decorations! A little scaled back this year, but the tree is up, and the teddy bears are on the job, and we both feel a little better! The holiday blues are fading a bit, but we both know this coming week will be a bit hectic! We have some business in the Bay Area. Neither of us have done our Christmas shopping, and as you probably know, there is a rumor on Capitol Hill, that Trump will commit the ultimate act of Obstruction of Justice, by firing Robert Mueller!

So much is simply out of our control. We can't make Trump, suddenly give a flying Gingerbread Man about his country! If he makes a move to fire Mueller, it could very well turn into a Saturday Night Massacre, ala, Richard Nixon. The difference is,  more and more Republicans are bowing down to Trump, and ignoring the Constitution. Also different, Nixon didn't have it's own propaganda network, financing his delusions of innocence. And finally the scariest of all... Nixon was the leader of a cult, HELL BENT on accomplishing the Apocalypse or a civil war, whichever comes first! Not to mention, Nixon actually loved his country, Trump has NO IDEA what love is, be it love between family, or love of country. He is all about the money.

Merry Christmas!

I guess all we can do is forge ahead, and hope the rumors are wrong, but firing Mueller on December 22nd, is just the kind of pussy move Trump would make. He is the biggest coward to hold any political office, let alone the presidency. I guess when it comes to him ever being held accoutable for his misdeeds, we will just have to wait and see, and hope for the best outcome. I wish his cult followers could love their country, more than they do their fantasies of a neoconfederacy. Oh well, like my Ommy used to say...

"If wishes were horse, beggers would ride."

I guess the updated version would be...

"If wishes were horses, Roy Moore would have ridden well."

And, by the way, why hasn't that jackass conceded the election yet?

#17 Leaf Of The Day
December 17th, 2017
Knight's Ferry, California
Mood: Guarded
~Me