Inhuman Monsters

 

"Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters."

~Stephen King

The Shining

It's October 31st, the day I love most to fear. Halloween. Otherwise known as my favorite holiday. This is a special Halloween, than any I have spent in my life so far. See, not only is Halloween, but tonight is the second full moon of the month, making it a blue moon, and it will be visible in all three time zones! That hasn't happened since, October 31st 1944. This year the holiday, is mostly lost to Covid-19 and Donald Trump. He has taken yet one more thing from me, and all adults that are still children at heart, but with any luck, Tuesday will be the beginning of the end of his failed, miserable career as a politician, and the beginning of his career as an inmate in whatever federal prison is lucky enough to find themselves burdened with him next year at this time.

 Maybe I am hoping for too much, after all, the black cat is out of the bag, he doesn't plan on going anywhere, he will cheat his way into staying in the Hell of his own making. What a sad human he is. In the human place of politics, he really is the inhuman monster, completely created out of other peoples desires, and ambitions. Hatred and greed. Sometimes I think Stephen King is more of a prophet than author of horror. But I imagine Mr. King would say... who didn't see that evil coming one day, it's not like humans listen to their better angels. No matter, Trump may have caused Halloween to sit a year out, but he can't change the cycle of the moon, and if past full moons are any indication, he will have all the bats, in his mind's belfry, dancing the Time Warp for most of Halloween. 

 

Happy Halloween! 

 

Carly

Stockton, California

October 31st 2020

 

 

Autumn 2005... Revisiting The Lady In The Quartoscope

 

"I try to remember when time's measure painfully chafes, for instance when autumn flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing to stay... how everything lives, shifting from one bright vision to another, forever in these momentary pastures."

~Mary Oliver

American Primitive

I went tiptoeing through the archives the other day, and I was happy to find a file from 2005, that I thought I had lost years ago. It was of our trip to Nevada, in autumn of that year, and specifically our visit to Virginia City, although I think I enjoyed Carson City more. Virginia City is a strange place. It can feel really laid back and welcoming one year, and downright hostile the next. I don't visit there much any more, I got a distinctly hostile vibe in 2016, with Trump signs here, and Trump signs there, and sideways glances at us. I guess we were putting out a liberal vibe or something. Don't take me serious, that was a joke, but it didn't feel like the cool "old west" novelty town that it once did, instead it was more like a town that just wanted to be left alone.

 

It's a shame, really, because I found some really cool stuff to photograph all over town. Historical stuff, and the cool touristy stuff like a really awesome kettle/caramel corn popper, and the lady you see in the photo above. In one of the "Olde Time" museums, was an antique Quartoscope, that showed a blush worthy movie, which played out on mechanized flip cards. A very cool thing from the late 1800's... I believe... and hopefully, one day, I can own one. I love antiques, but I'm not really into the "Old West" style, although living in the Central Valley makes it almost impossible to ignore, but quirky coolness will always be interesting to me. I think I posted about that lovely lady before, but when I came across her, it was like finding an old friends photo, in a box of photographs you didn't know you had. Hey, I am a cinephile, movies matter to me, even slightly racy ones done on a Quartoscope. Hey, that's a bit of history too!

 

Here is an example of one, and how it works. 

Carly

Stockton, California

October 30th 2020

 

37, 38, Autumn Catch-Up

"For art, she had thumb-tacked hundreds of autumn leaves on one of the cracked walls.

~Eleyne-Mari Sharp

Inn-Lak'ech

 

Leaves. That's all. Just leaves. I didn't get to do a post yesterday, because of painting my office, so this a day I will spend getting caught up. Pictures tomorrow or Saturday of my newly redecorated office, but for now, Autumn leaves.

Leaf Of The Day #37

Leaf Of The Day #38

~Carly

Stockton, California

October 29th 2020

 
 

Autumn Be Still

 

 

"After the keen still days of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth... the maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic red torch. The oaks along the carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. Everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her... In October any wonderful unexpected thing might be possible."

~Elizabeth George Speare

The Witch Of Blackbird Pond

Feeling: Quiet

 

7 Days To Go.

 ~Carly

October 27th 2020

Stockton California

Then The Trees...

 

"Then the trees, after their long silence, began to talk again, in yellow and red. And the days began to shrink under one's very eyes."

 

Mirrlees, Hope

 A little later today, I will be painting my office, Behr Color #MQ4-59 aka Purple Gladiola. I bought the paint five years ago, but because of assorted nasty incidents, I never got the project done. That's all behind me. It happens today, and by tomorrow, my office will finally reflect my taste and that I am finally home. I live in Stockton, and that's not the death I once thought it was. I am incredibly lucky. I have friends. I have love. I have my cats, and Alan. I have my own office, in the house I fell in love with, on an unbearably hot day, in early August, 2015. And then come to find out that it was first sold on June 29th, 1962. My date of birth! I am pretty sure it has been waiting for me. It took me a long time to let go of the life I had in the Bay Area, like someone who passes away, and then clings to the mortal coil. But finally, I made my way to the light of a this new life and I am okay. In fact, I am better than okay. I am home. All that time passing it on the freeway, when driving to and from the Sierra to do photography, it was waiting for me all along, and to think, I tried to push it away. We were meant to meet, and be family.

 

~Carly

October 26th 2020

Stockton, California

Mid-Century Cocktails, Cafes, Bowling And Life

 

"Autumn is an honest month; it does not delude man like spring does! 

It shows him the dark face of life, the tragedy, the rot, the separation, the sadness!"

~Mehmet Murat ildan

 Two new examples of Mid-Century excellence! I have been eyeing this first awesome building, since before we settled in Stockton. I first noticed it when we were still looking at properties. We passed it one day, when we went to see the magnificent Elm st. mansion. What a cool that place was! Two stories, with gorgeous turn of the century crown moulding, and chandeliers throughout. Not usually my style, but it worked in this place. A full-sized wood carved bar off the living room, and a really nice private office that faced the street. It was impressive at $200,000, and it was in our budget, but it was too much house for us. The stairs would have been hard for me, given my arthritis, and it was right on the street with no yard, and if that wasn't enough, it was right near Harding, which is a really loud street. It was just all wrong. Ultimately, we ended up across town, in a really nice mid-century, ranch style, with a pool and really great early 1960's charm. Perfect... for us! But this building, with the cool sign was never far away from my thoughts of doing some photography, once I got settled. I bet this was a snazzy bar back in it's day, it seems closed now, but the cool sign lives on!

 

This one is the second of two bowling lanes in Stockton. Situated a little closer to where I live, it's a bit newer sign than most of my previous ones, but this one has some fairly cool lines all the same. Places like this are still closed in San Joaquin County, so I have never seen the inside of any of the buildings I have photographed so far, but maybe one day I will be able to venture in, to see if there is any original advertisements or decor. That would be really fun to find and photograph! I love that the sign is shaped like a bowling pin. I know it's pretty much a given, but it's making me happy inside somehow, I don't know, I am just happier over all these days. Shrug. Maybe it's being able to get out with the camera, or perhaps because I have found so many terrific subjects to photograph, I am not sure, but I am doing better, and for that I am grateful. I will hold onto that as long as I can, and continue looking for autumn leaves, and mid-century life, and try my best to not live in the past, except for when it comes to my love for the kitschy styles of the 50's and 60's.

~Carly

Stockton, California

October 25th 2020