Saturday, October 18, 2025

Another New Autumn Critter... The Mule Deer


 “And every year there is a brief, startling moment
When we pause in the middle of a long walk home and
Suddenly feel something invisible and weightless
Touching our shoulders, sweeping down from the air:
It is the autumn wind pressing against our bodies;
It is the changing light of fall falling on us.”
 
~Edward Hirsch,
 
Here is another cool critter, the Mule Deer. We spotted it in Marin county a couple weeks ago, on a trip to Bodega Bay. We stopped to consult where we were on HWY 1, and there is was, standing in a field of dry grass! It was a few yards away, just standing in the autumn sun. He posed for a few photos, then went slowly along his way. Mule Deer are fairly aggressive if approached, not that I would approach any wild animal, but I am glad I got to learn about them anyway. Sometimes I like to put the camera down and study about all the amazing beauty that's right in front of me! I wonder what amazing critter will come my way next?
 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #27

 

“Great artists come and go; they are born and they die; but there is one exception who has been living for thousands of years and still continues creating new works, new beauties every year: The Autumn!”
 
~Mehmet Murat ildan 
 

 

Halloween Countdown FIlm #16... Practical Magic

 

 
"Can love really travel back in time and heal a broken heart? Was it our joined hands that finally lifted Maria's curse? I'd like to think so. But there are some things I know for certain: always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck, and fall in love whenever you can."
 
 Sally Owens (character)
~Alice Hoffman
Practical Magic 
 
Practical Magic IMBD page.
 
I read the book and I saw the movie, and both just happen to be stand alone masterpieces. Practical Magic is actually just one story, in a series of books by, Alice Hoffman, which spans centuries, and tells the story of the Owens women. The story goes all the way back to their ancestor, Maria Owens, a beautiful and tempting woman, with the ability to make magic happen! The books are a fascinating read, although it's dark and deep, but great for this time of year. 
 
By contrast this film, while portraying some of those themes, also celebrates the very best of life. Family, community, friendship, loyalty, discovering who you really are inside, and romance, while embracing the magic we all possess. I know that there is magic in my life, and moments when I have experienced so much of it, that I had to wonder if I was a witch. Like knowing things about people, before I meet them, and having the occasional dream that comes true, almost immediately after I wake up from it.
 
Call it intuition. Call it magic. Call it plane old coincidence, none of it should be ignored because it's a gift to me grateful for, and embraced. So watch this movie, and feel all the emotions it throws at you! And if you enjoy it, there's good news, because the sequel is on the way next year! There is a lot about the Owens woman, just waiting to be told! 
 
The original music is by, Alan Silvestri, and is amazingly beautiful! 
 
Amas Veritas  is one of my favorite songs.
 

 

Friday, October 17, 2025

Halloween Countdown Film #17... Benny Loves You

 
 
Hell hath no fury like a teddy scorned.
 
What do you do when your beloved teddy bear friend goes... apeshit? Well, I guess like with any friendship gone stale, you work on the relationship, right? But sometimes, you have to work really hard, and bring a lot of patience. I mean my gosh, it's not easy dealing with a homicidal teddy bear, is it? This is hands down, one of the funniest horror movies I have ever seen. Truly strange, and oddly heartwarming, grab your favorite teddy bear, and watch it together!
 
 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #26

 

“It’s a beautiful fall day. Gentle wind teases stubborn autumn leaves. Some defy the gentle wind and sway. A taunting dance. Come with me and look at the magnificence of the last dance.”
 
 ~Fidelis O. Mkparu,
 

 

Autumn... The Election Season

 

“The Lord is my shepherd. 
I shall not want for nothing.
 He makes me lie down in the green pastures.
 He greases up my head with oil.
 He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen” 
 
~Stephen King,

In case any rabid MAGA nutjob is reading that quote, and the words in this blog post, firstly, FUCK YOU, second, I believe the quote fits the not just the way I am feeling right now, but also the overall theme of this post.
 
 SO DEAL WITH IT!
 
 
We are planning on attending the, "No Kings" rally in Sacramento. We have decided we must take a bigger stand than bitching on social media! So, we are leaving the house early, and with blankets and sodas, and we are off to the event. Hopefully parking won't be a drama, and we can just focus on exercising our constitutional right to make our voices heard. It's called the First Amendment. It's precious, being it's being shattered, raped and degraded. 
 
Soon, Trump will be sending ICE into San Francisco to threaten and intimate. All as an excuse to disparage one of the most beautiful cities America has to offer. It's a big city, so yes there has been crime, but the crime rate has been steadily falling for years now. It's nonsense to invade the city, based of the whims of Elon Musk, and other tech assholes. I live in the San Joaquin Valley, but San Francisco will always be my home. Trump is an unimaginable liar and I hope whatever photos I am able to get will reflect that. 
 

Also, have you heard about this nonsense of putting him on a coin, with his likeness  after he was grazed by a bullet? And about that, why have we been given so little details about that day? It's clear something is being hid from us, shrug, I don't care enough about him to care, and yet at the same time, it's curious, isn't it? I don't deal in conspiracy theories, but with all the money he has made off that incident, it makes one wonder if it was actually all staged, but then it all went terribly wrong. Someone died. Remember that. Someone died.
 


Finally, I am going to be voting YES on Proposition 50! It's time we fought back against Trump's obvious rigging of the upcoming, 2026 midterms, which, of course, could and probably would, lead to the Republicans winning the White House again in 2028, all based on gerrymandering. I can't do much about all the political chicanery, but I can vote, I can attend protests, I can stay informed, and you can bet your ballot, I will do just that!


Thursday, October 16, 2025

A Twilight Visitor To My Door In Autumn

 

“His eyes reflected the open grey of the autumnal sky.” 

~Juliet Marillier,
 
The Praying Mantis is such a delicate creature, and yet does so much work in the garden, devouring naughty little creatures, such as aphids. This one is a California Praying Mantis, and it's gorgeous! Harmless to humans, it simply visited the corner of my condo, posed for the million pictures I took of it, and quietly went about it's way. Praying Mantis do most of the hunting at night, and that's kinda cool. I guess that's why I rarely see them in the daylight. I am enjoying discovering new things to photograph, especially the critters I would ordinarily run from! I am becoming brave in my old age!    
 


 

Halloween Countdown Film #18...

 
Captain Daniel Gregg: You must make your own life amongst the living and, whether you meet fair winds or foul, find your own way to harbor in the end.
 
~The Ghost And Mrs. Muir
 
This movie is a ghost story, sure, but it also a romance that will have you in tears! I like it when horror, mixes with unexpected emotions. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is also a wonderful tv show, starring, Hope Lang. It's available on YouTube, so watch that too if you get the chance! 
 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #25

 


“October proved a riot a riot to the senses and climaxed
 those giddy last weeks before Halloween.”
 
Keith Donohue 
 
I am starting to find the colors of autumn which tend to get little attention. Purples, blacks, and burgundy.  I love arranging with those colors. And I love finding them hidden in big piles of brown! There is never a bad day to leaf peep!
 

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Autumn Leaf On A Mossy Tree

 


“Autumn burned
Deep red and amber,
An inferno of intense
Terrifying beauty,
Devouring feverishly
Everything in
Her path.” 

~L.S. 
 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #19... Rosemary's Baby




Rosemary Woodhouse: Tannis anyone?
 
Rosemary's Baby 
~Ira Levin 
 
A few years back, hubby and I went to see this movie at the Orinda theater. The audience was packed with hipsters and their parents, and it was a fun crowd to watch. As the movie progressed the young ones reacted like they had never seen this terrific horror movie before. By the groans, it was clear, they hated Rosemary's husband. And who wouldn't? He, in my opinion, was one of the top ten movie jerks of all time! When the movie was over, there was a great audience interaction with the owners of the theater. As it turns out, 80% of the hipsters had not seen the before! Adding to the fun, Cupcakes were donated by a little bakery shop around the corner. The cupcakes were arranged in the shape of the baby Rosemary's baby carriage and I won the right front wheel, for answering a question about the author of the book, Ira Levin.
 
Question: What other book of Ira Levin's
 was made into a horror movie, released in 1975?
 
Easy!
 
Answer:  The Stepford Wives!
 
The rest is history. So, if you have never seen Rosemary's Baby, I am not going to spoil it for you, but please watch it. Truly, it's one of the best horror movies ever! 
 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #24

 

“And I feel as I always do that Autumn is loveliest of all.
 There is such a sharpness with the sweetness—”
 
~Katherine Mansfield 
 

 

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Halloween Countdown Film #20... Dark Shadows

 



"His name is Barnabas Collins, and he was the finest man the family ever knew."
 
~Elizabeth Collins Stoddard
Dark Shadows
 
When you were a kid, did you run home from school every day, to watch what would happen next in the town of Collinsport, Maine? And at Collinwood, the stately home of the Collins family, specifically. There were ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves, and more, running around that town, but that was the series that aired on afternoon tv, This movie is about the main guy himself, Barnabas, and the tragic love triangle of he, Victoria Winters, and of course, the witch, Angelique Bouchard. Barnabas did have his troubles, didn't he? This movie doesn't take itself as serious, as the series did, which is a good thing. Dark Shadows was, well, dark, and odd, this movie brings the humor, as it makes fun of all the things, that made Dark Shadows odd. Like, why was there no modern music, or any references to current events, politics or cultural art? Hell, I was just so busy waiting to see what spooky thing might happen next, that I never noticed that something was missing. So watch this movie for the nostalgia, but also for the stuff that we never knew we needed... fun!

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard:
What do you think of the President?

Victoria Winters:
Never met him.

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard:

What do you think of the war?

Victoria Winters:
I don't watch television.

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard:
Do you think the sexes should be equal?

Victoria Winters:
Heavens, no. Men would become quite unmanageable.

Elizabeth Collins Stoddard:
I think we're going to get along fine.

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #23

 

“Every story begins somewhere, some in the rain of forgotten yesterdays
 and some in the scent of autumn leaves...” 

~
Jayita Bhattacharjee 
 

  

My Love Of Baking, Especially In Autumn

 

“The measuring and mixing always smoothed out her thinking processes - nothing was as calming as creaming butter - and when the kitchen was warm from the oven overheating and the smell of baking chocolate, she took final stock of where she'd been and where she was going. Everything was fine.”
 
~Jennifer Crusie,
 

I wanna bake. I love baking in autumn. Always. And I got a renewed love for it during the beginning of Covid-19. We were all on lock down, so doing photography was tricky, so I got out the cookbooks, attached myself to baking websites, and binged The Great British Baking Show. That show inspired me so much. I learned to make Pavlova, and scones, and a green tea cake! I even learned to make Christian Dior's Apricot Mousse! It's light and delicious and makes a terrific dessert for after a heavy meal. It's very special. Click the link, and try the recipe! Since I got Covid in late 2021, I have done very little cooking, hubby does it, and he's an amazing cook, he does all his own recipes, but I really miss the creativity of taking ingredients putting them together, and coming up with Nirvana. Its time to get back on the horse! I am looking for something new to try, will it be sweet, or will it be savory?
 
Wait and see! 
 
Pavlova
 


Pastry Swans with Sweet Cream
 

And sometimes I make Dinner 
 
Beef Pot Roast With Sweet Basil Gnocchi
 






Monday, October 13, 2025

Happy 35th Anniversary, Baby, I Love You!

 

“You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep
 because reality is finally better than your dreams.” 
 
~Dr. Seuss 
 
Happy 35th Anniversary, baby! I love you more and more with each passing year!
 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #21... The Haunting

 

 


You know, all my life, I have been waiting for an adventure. I thought it would never happen to me. I mean adventures are for soldiers or for bullfighters that women fall in love with. Now, here I am. Paintings are moving and strange voices are calling for me at night, and all it cost me was five gallons of gas!
 
~Nell Vance
The Haunting
 
Yes, yes, I know, it's another ghost movie, but it's a ghost movie with Liam Neeson! But if you need another reason to watch it, it also stars the fabulous, Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Owen Wilson! Plus, it will scare the crap out of you. As will the original film, starring, Julie Harris. The Haunting (1963) was quite groundbreaking, as it portrayed the character of, Theo, as a lesbian. In this version she is played as a bisexual character. A gay character in 1963 was, as you know, unheard of. I am so glad movie making progressed, both versions are spooky, atmospheric, and will give you chills! Ordinarily I am a purist when it comes to movies, but both versions will have you mesmerized. Just watch it!
 
Heck, the trailer might scare the crap out of you! 
 
 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #22

 

“Autumn is a love affair with the earth, where every leaf is a love letter.” 
 
~Jayita Bhattacharjee 
 

Sunday, October 12, 2025

Halloween Countdown Film #22... Salem's Lot

 



Ben Mears is a haunted man. Haunted by his past. But it's not a ghost that's haunting Ben, but rather misplaced regret, and the monstrous grief we all face at one point in our lives. As Ben returns to his home town of Jerusalem, to face those fears and regrets that have left him a deeply damaged, he begins to realize his was right to the voice deep inside that told him to RUN!
 
“The wind makes you ache in some place that is deeper than your bones.”
 ~ Stephen King,
 
“The town knew about darkness.
It knew about the darkness that comes on the land when rotation hides the land from the sun, and about the darkness of the human soul”
 ~Stephen King
  'Salem's Lot 
 
 

 
 “If a man dethrones God in his heart, Satan must ascend to His position.”
~Stephen King,
 
 “The basis of all human fears, he thought.
 A closed door, slightly ajar.”
 
~Stephen King,
 




Autumn Leaf Of The Day #21

 


“I was drinking in the surroundings: air so crisp you could snap it with your fingers and greens in every lush shade imaginable offset by autumnal flashes of red and yellow.” 
 
I found these in Yosemite Valley, at a beautiful little picnic spot, under El Capitan. It was surreal how absolutely perfect the day was. Yosemite is stunning, and I was lucky to be there!

~Wendy Delsol,