Autumn Leaf Of The Day #7/Movies And Other Stuff

 

“If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool 

Autumn day to freeze your lungs

 and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.”

~Kyle Lake

 

Last night, and all through the weekend, we are watching movie double features, starting with last night's movies, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones Diary. Tonight, hubby will take a turn, and Sunday night I guess we will flip for it! You see, in that Monday is October 1st, it will be time to begin the, 31 Days of October fest, and it will feature at least one horror movie each night until Halloween, when we will try to fit as many horror movies as possible in that 24 hours. Life goes on, there will be things to do, places to go, goodies to bake, so some nights might just be one short film, and then there's the traditional Godfather-athon and we always watch, Dark Passage, when we visit Marin County, which I hope to do on vacation. So there is a lot to do and look forward to. I am not as spry as I used to be, but it's our traditional vacation/movie month and I was to see and experience as much of autumn as possible, and then there's the birds. Whew! Wish me luck!

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #6/New Horizons

 

"Use what you have, use what the world gives you. Use the first day of fall: bright flame before winter's deadness; harvest; orange, gold, amber; cool nights and the smell of fire. Our tree-lined streets are set ablaze, our kitchens filled with the smells of nostalgia: apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself. The leaves as they spark into wild color just before they die are the world's oldest performance art, and everything we see is celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white silence of winter."

 ~Shauna Niequist,

Bittersweet:

 Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

 

I found a new spot at the, Cosumnes River Preserve, to look for birds, autumn leaves and nature in general. Well, actually, I did know that particular trail was there, I just wasn't able to do all the walking that was required to get the most out of the visit. The trail is approximately a mile in length, but with hubby pushing me in my wheelchair, I finally get to see some things I have been missing out on. There is a nice wetlands area that will be filled soon, and we heard some woodpeckers and some warblers. I have a lot to look forward to this year!

 

 

The Arrival Of The Sandhill Crane 2024

 

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock,

 then autumn would be the magic hour.”

~Victoria Erickson

 

They're back! And right on schedule! They came in, last week, but we were busy most of the week caring for Dylan, and therefore I wasn't able to be on Woodbridge road to see their arrival. Dylan needed me, in one way or another, and I wouldn't have had it any other way, it was all just bad timing. Anyway, they are here in great numbers, so I will have all season to play with them and do photos. I wish this one was more clear, but they were a fair distance away. Practice will make perfect, I hope. Now if my beloved, Greater White-fronted goose, would just come back. I saw a small group of them on Desmond road, maybe Wednesday of last week, but then they seemed to be gone. They will be back, no doubt, but I could use them now. I just love their beautiful faces.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #5/Green Is An Autumn Color Too

 

"There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air, and time is quiet and mellow,"

 

~Rudolfo Anaya

Bless Me Ultima

 

I spotted these leaves on a plant that was growing along the delta, and while the are a summer green, they have a gorgeous deep burgundy color in the center, and that struck me as being one of the perfect autumn leaves I have seen that brings the best of both seasons together! I wish I could have gotten closer to it, and I wish I knew what it was, but I just downloaded Google Lens, so hopefully that will do a lot for me in identifying a lot of plants and birds going forward this year. I am probably the last human to add Google Lens to their app collection, but better late than never!

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #4/It Should Be IlLegal

 

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” 

~Emily Bronte 

 

 Politics in autumn should be fucking illegal. Sheesh. I am so sick of everything right now. I went out yesterday and spent basically 3 hours in 100 degree weather and to no pictures worth editing. It was a complete waste of time, and to make matters worse, I have one of those late summer colds, that is currently driving me insane, but that I am grateful for, because at least it isn't Covid. And I'm grouchy. But all is not lost, we are going somewhere today, in search of something, I am not sure of where and what yet, but first thing, later today, I will be in the little red Mini Cooper on my way to whatever comes my way. Wish me safe travels, and good luck in finding something and somewhere amazing!

Let's kick this mood's ass!

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #3

 

"As long as autumn lasts, I shall have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see."

 

~Vincent Van Gogh 

 

We are only three days into autumn, and I see beauty everywhere! As if the leaves weren't enough, yesterday I was treated to a truly amazing sight of a large flock of Sandhill crane flying directly over the condo! There were two groups, one with about 12 or so, the other with a number closer to 20! It was the first day of autumn, and that magic I speak about was everywhere! Do you see it?

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #2

 

“Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly.

 They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.”

 
~Delia Owens

  Where the Crawdads Sing

 

A pretty orange flower to start the week!

September Midnight

By Sara Teasdale

Lyric night of the lingering Indian summer,
Shadowy fields that are scentless but full of singing,
Never a bird, but the passionless chant of insects,
Ceaseless, insistent.
The grasshopper’s horn, and far-off, high in the maples,
The wheel of a locust leisurely grinding the silence
Under a moon waning and worn, broken,
Tired with summer.
Let me remember you, voices of little insects,
Weeds in the moonlight, fields that are tangled with asters,
Let me remember, soon will the winter be on us,
Snow-hushed and heavy.
Over my soul murmur your mute benediction,
While I gaze, O fields that rest after harvest,
As those who part look long in the eyes they lean to,
Lest they forget them." 

 

 

The Colors Of Autumn

 

“But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.” 

~Stephen King

  ’Salem’s Lot

 

I spotted this little Dark-eyed Junco a couple days ago in Castro Valley. My favorite park is coming alive with color! My favorite tree is off to a good start, and in the shrubbery beneath it were a couple beautiful spiders to play with! It struck me that this bird offered the best of Summer and Autumn. Brown and black, with just a touch of red. It blended into the fallen leaves so well I nearly missed it! Had it not been for my favorite birding app, GoBird, I would have missed it! We picked up the sounds of several birds we need for the 2024 file, and all signs point to it being a great place to really get in touch with autumn. We still haven't found the Brown Creeper, but it will be this year's quest. In birding one needs patience and luck. Mostly luck!

 

   

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #1

 

“Aprils have never meant much to me, 

autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” 

~Truman Capote

  Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories

 

Can you believe it? We have finally arrived at the first day of autumn! A welcome old friend. I photographed this leaf in Castro Valley yesterday, after I dropped off some unused food and a test kit Dylan never got to use. Oh my. Autumn will have a much different feel to it this year, but as I have always said, and believe even now, autumn heals me like nothing else, and I am grateful for that! Hopefully it will fill my heart with every beautiful thing, and I will see beyond this overwhelming sense of loss. Sorry to be so maudlin, I won't be like this every day, I promise, but autumn is the season of letting go after a life well lived, isn't it? And all things in their time.

Autumn Begins

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024

5:43 a.m. PDT