Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Haunting Desmond Road

 

"It was that time of dusk when there is a—deepening of the interior shadows. It is a melancholy time: all you need do is switch on one lamp and the inside and the outside will separate, held apart by the reflections in the glass, and evening will begin.” 
 
~Rudolph Delson
Maynard And Jennica

It was getting dark, so it could have been most any bird that haunts Desmond road, but I really believe it was the Red-winged Blackbird, that was sitting on that fences post being silhouetted against that dimming light of day. Photogenic, and singing so beautifully. I have come to love those birds, who are always the highest in numbers of the perching birds. Spring fills the air with the sounds of the last migrating birds, and then becomes deafeningly silent for those depressing summer months with nothing to do, but dread another day taking place. I think I have mentioned this before... I hate the spring and summer with a great passion! The upside, however, is that we are a season away from autumn! I don't count the season I am in when counting. That sounds a lot better than it's 4 months away. 4 is more than 1. Anyway, here are some other photos I have done along Woodbridge and Desmond roads and on a recent trip to Knights Ferry.
 
Woodbridge Road
Desmond Road
Knight's Ferry


It's really lovely out here, but I wish it was already autumn.



Sunday, May 14, 2023

A Third Of The Year

 

"Don't waste time beating on a wall,
 hoping to transform it into a door."
 
~Coco Chanel
 
 

So, it's been almost two months since we have last talked, and in that amount of time a lot has happened. One of my favorite things, which actually might be one of my favorite things for the rest of my life, Donald Jessica (John) Trump was finally arrested by the District Attorney of New York City, Alvin Bragg. In this  case, there are multiple cases against him at the moment, involves the hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels, during the 2016 Presidential campaign. He cheated, of course, but this time it is all coming back to haunt him.The next case, which will go to the jury next week, is the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. It will be a part of history soon, so I don't want to go into detail right now. I have the full complaint against him, if I can get it to embed in this post. I am not terribly savvy at that kind of thing. But all of his arrests are important to me, as will be his subsequent arrests and, I am sure, convictions!
 
 
So, why is this particular thing so damn important to me, that I am writing an entire post about it? Because I have been waiting to see this lawless criminal have his day. The chickens have finally come home to roost, just as they did for Rupert Murdock and Fox News, in the defamation suit brought by Dominion!  Trump lied about the election having been stolen, to their network, and then FOX new anchors repeated them on air, despite knowing and in some cases believing it all to be a lie. LORDY, there are tapes! Carlson is gone from the network now, a huge relief for the truth, why Laura Ingram and Hannity remain is a mystery! Perhaps they will be removed when they reach the lawsuit brought by the other voting machine company they disparaged, Smartmatic. Here's hoping they will be brought down. It's possible Maria Bartiromo, the other Fox news liar will be fired next. There is nothing behind her eyes anymore. She is simply a Trump cultist, and that's all that remains of here "soul".
 
Now, let me explain why there is a lovely Bonaparte's gull at the top of a post like this. You see, he represents hope. I have been doing a lot of birding since January. There have been a lot of birds that I didn't find last year, and in fact so many, that recently I exceeded my number from last year. Presently, I am at 136, besting last year by four. So I know I will end the year with many more, because there are easier to find during the summer and fall. Birding has healed me from a lot of the bad things that have happened the last few years, and really the decade. The first move, the hideous depressing second move, the mental break I suffered, Covid-19 (Omicron) the loss of taste and smell and other LONG-COVID symptoms from last year. The stress of purchasing the condo, and the sudden loss of money we had in the account we had saved from the sale of the house.

We are okay. We have fun birding and finding a bird as beautiful as the Bonaparte's gull excited me greatly. I had never seen one, and so it is always a thrill to discover a bird I haven't seen before. Despite finding so many birds, there has been a dreadful bird virus devastating the bird populations, but it seems like they are fighting back because I am finding more and more of the species that have been most affected, so that's awesome. The Pacific Flyway is closing for the year, but I am sure when it begins again in September, there will large numbers of my favorite avian friends. September is a glorious month for birding. I will never forget the sound of 4 Sandhill cranes arriving in Lodi, over Woodbridge road. It just filled my heart!

While DJT remains in the news, and will for some time to come, I have found some peace. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers that have been arrested for their part in the January 6th attempted coup, have all be found guilty and that is a healing event as well. Perhaps we will hear GUILTY in regards to Trump as well, but if we do, it will be a while off from now. There is still a long way to go, before I am completely me again. But hey, another big step forward is that my eating has returned to nearly normal. I am able to have salad again! That was huge! And we ate out at Red Robin the other day, another victory! The fish and chips were amazing. To make a long story short, I am beginning to feel alive again, and I owe my bird friends, and all their beauty for helping me along the way. Well, that and the occasional GUILTY verdict!





 






It's all good. And Autumn is only a season away! We are two thirds through 2023, there is a lot more to come.
 

 
Me