Autumn Symphonies

 

“Autumn colors remind us we are all one dancing in the wind.” 

 
~Lorin Morgan-Richards 

 

I heard a bunch of geese and cranes fly over my condo this morning, and you wouldn't believe how beautiful the sound was. It was a symphony. My beautiful autumn friends are here to heal the heart, help the ecosystem along, and bring me life. I can't imagine autumn not being God's favorite season as well!

 

The Sandhill Crane are such elegant birds. 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #41

 

“When the last leaf falls,
what will die within us?”

 
~Sheniz Janmohamed,

  Firesmoke  

 

Not to be morbid or anything, but things seem dull and kinda dead. My favorite month of the year is gone, and we are now at the midpoint of my favorite season. I am going leaf peeping soon, and that always lifts my spirits, so I am sure I will be okay. There is plenty left of autumn to celebrate. It's just sad to say goodbye, when I know that the rest of the year may bring unimaginable HELL. Oh my, just ignore me, I am Trump weary. We will navigate it all just fine. We kinda have to, right?

 

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."

 

~Friedrich Nietzsche 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #40

 

 

 

"Autumn leaves and pumpkins, please."

 

~Shutterfly

 

Doesn't that cute little leaf look like a Jack-O' -lantern? 

 

  Happy Halloween!

 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #1... I Can't Pick Just One

 

“Nothing on Earth so beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night.” 

 

~Steve Almond

 

It's October 31st, and I intended to pick a fabulous movie as my favorite for Halloween, but the closer I got to the day, the more apparent it became, that I wouldn't be able to chose just one. So, here are the one's I will be watching on Halloween. The one's that time will not allow for, I will watch on Saturday. You see, when Halloween falls on a Friday, you can still celebrate throughout the weekend. It's the law of fun. I am going to bake, carve pumpkins, and have a special meal out with hubby, and enjoy the kittens. And you? Do you celebrate Halloween? Do you love horror movies? If not, what's your favorite genre? If you feel like it, please share!

 

 

"The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of our past,

 the more we've come to need Halloween."

 

~Paula Curan

 

Happy Halloween 2025

 

"There is magic in the night

 when pumpkins glow by moonlight."

 

  ~Unknown 

 Aren't these bears great? The big white bear, and his trick or treating pals, sit on a post at the corner of, Clifton Court Forebay, and the, Old Byron Highway, in Byron, California. They watch over the road, and keep us all safe and smiling. I am sure they got their start as a memorial, but now they greet us like we're old friends. The bear has been there for months, and kinda steps in for the driftwood moose that sadly fell apart earlier this year. I took these photos on September 30th, and held onto them until now, because I couldn't think of a better subject for a post devoted to Halloween. Personally, I've become attached, so I always look forward to them, no matter what day of the year it is!

Happy Halloween!

 

 

"Ghoul's just wanna have fun"

 

~Unknown 

 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #2... Night Of The Living Dead

 

Johnny: They're coming to get you, Barbra!

Barbara: You're ignorant!

 

~Night Of The Living Dead

 

I saw this movie for the first time, only about 10 years ago! I have never been into the whole zombie genre, but I gave it a try after I saw a clip of someone saying that no self described horror fan could or would miss it! Okay... game on! And the rest is history! This 1968, low budget classic, reminds me of some of the newer low budget horror films, such as, Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, that went on to be big at the box office, and instant cult classics in their own right!  Oh my, how I love the old-fashioned horror movies that depend on the slow building of fear, through affective soundtracks, as opposed to the loud, giant flashing special effects and blaring sound. It's too easy to forget a movie, when there is no room for emotional investment, and all that remains is the special effects. I prefer a movie, with a tune that haunts me for days, and an eerie line like, "They're coming to get you, Barbra."

 

Autumn's October

“The Fall will always be yours and mine…”

 
~Jennifer Elisabeth  

 

Oh my beautiful October, I shall miss you. Here are just a few quotes about October, to hold me until you come back again. I hope it will be a gentle year while you're gone. If not, then I will have our memories.

 🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍁🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

"October, crisp, misty, golden October,

 when light is sweet and heavy."

~Angela Carter 

 

 "October is a symphony of permanence and change"

 

~Bonaro W. Overstreet

 

"Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves.

 We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!"

 

  ~Humbert Wolfe 

 

"October is crisp days and cool nights,

 a time to curl up around the dancing flames and sink into a good book."

 

 ~The Positivity Blog 

 

 "Then the trees, after their long silence,

 began to talk again, in yellow and red.” 

 

 ~Hope Mirrless,

 Lud-in-the-Mist 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #39

 

“October's Party
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.” 

~George Cooper 

 

The leaves aren't very bright this year. I have only come across a few that are showing off in the lighter colors of autumn. I don't know... it's like something, or someone, drained the colors from them this year. I will keep looking, because no matter what, I will celebrate autumn as long as it wants me to, whether it's smiling or not!

 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #4 & 3... Fearless Vampire Killers ...

 

"A castle without a crypt is like a unicorn without a horn." 

 

~Professor Abronsius 

 The Fearless Vampire Killers, Or:

 Pardon Me But Your Teeth Are In My Neck 

 

Need some fun, this will make you laugh, and that's a good thing. I don't want to say much about the movie, except it's a great 1960's slapstick comedy. How many vampire movies offer you that? Answer... not many... but I sure wish they did! 

 

Enjoy! 

 

Bonus Film... Leprechaun

Scroll to see my regular daily post. 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #38

 

“Autumn is my spring!”

 
~August Strindberg,

  A Dream Play

 

I love it when I find leaves with spring colors.

 Autumn is about every color possible.

 All autumn leaves hold the daydreams of a whole year! 

 

 

Autumn Rainbows And Leprechauns

 

“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 

 

What a beautiful surprise! A gorgeous rainbow over the neighborhood, just in time for Halloween week! There are a lot of legends about rainbows, the one I mostly believe in is that they're God's covenant with the earth to not destroy it with a flood ever again. But there are darker legends too, probably most common holds that there, at the end of the rainbow, exists a giant pot of gold and a with it, a leprechaun waiting to immediately steal it! That's a heck of a note, as my dad would say. Have you ever had your pot of gold stolen? Well, I guess I know the answer to that, haven't we all had that happen from time to time? I put those lean times down to Murphy's law of whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. But are there real life Leprechauns? 

  

You bet! They are called Republicans. And they serve at the pleasure to the president of the leprechauns, Donald John Trumprechaun. Health benefits are being held up, and as his form of stealing the pot of gold of the American people who depend on their jobs, their healthcare, their paychecks, and yes, the National parks we all need. Trump DOES NOT CARE because nothing we all depend on affects him. Karoline Levitt has said that his number one concern is the gaudy gilded 90,000 square foot ballroom he is building. He doesn't go without food. He doesn't visit National parks. He doesn't need healthcare. He doesn't need the SNAP program. He is the commander-in-chief and he gets paid, the military may or may not get their checks, we will see. 

 0

Please, if you can, donate to local food banks, and charities. So many folks are going to have a hard winter without your help. Just go through your pantry and find food that is not outdated, and give back to your neighbors, and possibly your friends who need help, but won't ask for it. Let them know you care. Please. I am so lucky, hubby and I have so much. We don't have to worry about eating... yet. But we have had difficult times in the past. In 2008, when Governor Schwarzenegger put state workers on furlough, hubby was docked three days pay every month. It doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it did! And to make it all horrific, my cat Elvis was dying, and we couldn't pay for his chemo care. We were lucky to have an understanding vet. Elvis got his care, and we only had to pay 50% of the cost. We had one last summer with our boy. How many have had to give up their pets? Please donate pet food as well!

 

 

This dog came to my doorstep last week. It's clear that he had a bad abscess on one side of his mouth. He was cold and wet and so sad, that I will never forget his face. I couldn't take him in, I have a house full of cats, but I talked to him a little bit, and then he ran off. I was hoping he was heading home. It's clear that he had a home, but for some reason, I expect it could be due to finances, they dumped him in the park I live next to. My heart is completely shattered. He was a really good dog. I drove through the neighborhood, but didn't see him again. Maybe he got out, and finally found home, but in any case, isn't he the face of the state of things right now?

 

Yesterday, hubby and I picked our Thanksgiving turkey, and an extra one for the food bank. My heart hurts. I am also giving a box of brand new clothes, so someone can get a new start. I am ready for the toy drives. Christmas isn't that far off, I can't deal with knowing their might be a child without a gift this year, so I bought two Barbie dolls, and I plan to get two gifts for a little boy. I might also throw in some stuffed animals, as that was my favorite present as a child. It's one of my favorite things. Goodness, you should see my stuffed animal collection! I have been blessed, and I need to share it! I hope you will too!

Please help me fight these Leprechauns!

These Monsters! Republicans!

 

And Donald Trumprechaun. 

 

Bonus Halloween Movie!

 

Leprechaun

Starring, Jennifer Aniston

 

 

 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #5... The Fog

 

John Houseman as, Mr. Machen

The Fog

By John Carpenter 

"Mr. Machen: 11:55, almost midnight. Enough time for one more story. One more story before 12:00, just to keep us warm. In five minutes, it will be the 21st of April. One hundred years ago on the 21st of April, out in the waters around Spivey Point 11:55, almost midnight. Enough time for one more story. One more story before 12:00, just to keep us warm. In five minutes, it will be the 21st of April. One hundred years ago on the 21st of April, out in the waters around Spivey Point, a small clipper ship drew toward land. Suddenly, out of the night, the fog rolled in. For a moment, they could see nothing, not a foot in front of them. Then, they saw a light. By God, it was a fire burning on the shore, strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist. They steered a course toward the light. But it was a campfire, like this one. The ship crashed against the rocks, the hull sheared in two, masts snapped like a twig. The wreckage sank, with all the men aboard. At the bottom of the sea, lay the Elizabeth Dane, with her crew, their lungs filled with salt water, their eyes open, staring to the darkness. And above, as suddenly as it come, the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean and never came again. But it is told by the fishermen, and their fathers and grandfathers, that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea, out in the water by Spivey Point will rise up and search for the campfire that led them to their dark, icy death."

🎃

I've loved this film since I was a kid, well, 18 or so. I fell in love with John Carpenter films all the way back then, and I am now an old lady of 63, and doggone it, it just wouldn't be Halloween without a marathon of my favorites, and yes, Halloween, tops the list, with, The Fog, being number two, but to be honest, these two movies switch ranks depending on my mood. You can bet, I will be watching a lot of John Carpenter the rest of the week, and a lot of other movies, it's all things horror for until next Monday, because Halloween isn't just one day, it's the Halloween season, right?

 

 

Autumn Eyes

 

 

 

  “It was one of those sumptuous days when the world is full of autumn muskiness and tangy, crisp perfection: vivid blue sky, deep green fields, leaves in a thousand luminous hues. It is a truly astounding sight when every tree in a landscape becomes individual, when each winding back highway and plump hillside is suddenly and infinitely splashed with every sharp shade that nature can bestow - flaming scarlet, lustrous gold, throbbing vermilion, fiery orange.”

 
~Bill Bryson,

  I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away

 

I spotted this gorgeous, White-tailed Kite, and it's mate, just lazing in the very top of a tree, surveying for their lunch. Those red eyes are both beautiful and frightening to me. I remember the first time I saw one, I though it might just be the most graceful devil I had ever seen! Autumn eyes.

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #37

 

 “October air, complete with dancing leaves and sighing winds greeted him as he stepped from the bus onto the dusty highway. Coolness embraced. The scent of burning wood hung crisp in the air from somewhere far in the distance. His backpack dropped in a flutter of dust. He surveyed dying cornfields from the gas station bus stop. Seeing this place, for the first time in over twenty years, brought back a flood of memories, long buried and forgotten.”

 
~Jaime Allison Parker,

  The Delta Highway

 

 

 

Halloween Countdown Film #6... The Mothman Prophecies

 

 

John Klein:

I think we can assume that these entities are more advanced than us. Why don't they just come right out and tell us what's on their minds?

 

Alexander Leek:

You're more advanced than a cockroach, have you ever tried explaining yourself to one of them? 

 

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Based on the book by, John Keel

 

The Mothman Prophecies is loosely based on the 1975 book, which is based on the actual events that occurred in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in the 1960's. Who doesn't love a story, based on a story, based possibly on real events? Personally, I will take it any which way, because I love horror stories, legends, and fictionalized accounts of spooky things and places. So, as you might imagine, I am a big fan of this story in any form. It's a big winged creature, that has big red eyes, and may or may not be a harbinger of death. You probably know the legend by now, so I won't yammer on about it, but I will say, I would love to see one, one day. There was a reported sighting of one, sitting on top of the Tower bridge in Sacramento, a few years back. I look for it whenever I visit Old Sacramento, but so far I've had no luck. Which is a good thing I guess. But one day, with a little luck, it will be sitting high atop the bridge's golden tower, with it's big red eyes staring out into the night, and my camera will be powerless and my phone will have been absentmindedly left at home. So when it happens, and I come back here to tell you all about it, you'll just have to believe me.

 

But will you? Bwahahahahahaha!

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #36

 

 

“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,

  Wild Gratitude

 

 

Autumn Colors

 

Summer In Paradise Hibiscus

 

 

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”

 
~Lauren DeStefano,

  Wither

 

Acapulco Gold Hibiscus

  

I came across these gorgeous autumn colored Hibiscus on my travels the other day, and couldn't resist photographing them. I see autumn everywhere, not just in the slant of the sunlight, I pay attention to anything nodding towards the autumn sun, even if it's called, Summer in Paradise, or Acapulco Gold. They are lovely, and exotic, and I'll take it!

 

      

Halloween Countdown Film #8 &7 It and The Stand

 

 IT

By Stephen King 

 

IT: I'm every nightmare you've ever had.

 I'm your worst dream come true.

 I'm everything you ever were afraid of.

 

 

The Stand

By Stephen King

 

Mother Abagail:  "It's time now to give your will over to the will of God.

 It's time to make your Stand."

 

Once again, I am probably making a political statement with these choices, but that's all beside the point, I love Stephen King's books, and I thought these adaptions were horror perfection! They are great on a windy, rainy afternoon, but if you're watching it while suffering from Captain Tripps, Uh, I mean Captain Trumps, oops, I mean Covid-19, it can feel really surreal, like you've suddenly found yourself in a Stephen King book. but really, aren't we?

 

 

“This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.”

 

~T.S. Eliot,

  The Hollow Men

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #35

 “you return like autumn,
and i fall every time”
~L.S. 

 

If you've ever wondered where I get my quotes from, I actually get them from several sources, but my favorite autumn quotes are from Goodreads.com. You might see some of the quotes I choose several times throughout autumn, because they will fit the mood I am setting. Shrug. I try to not repeat them, and I tryto pick some pretty ones, because life is, well, stressful, no matter where the stress is coming from. Anyway, I hope you love the leaves and appreciate focusing on them. At the end of the season I hope to have something special. All I want is bring you some relief.