Christmastime In Autumn

 

"Christmas, children, is not a date. It's a state of mind."

~Mary Ellen Chase

Castro Valley Boulevard, Castro Valley

December 9th, 2025

Please consider donating to the following charities if you can.

One Warm Coat

Toys For Tots

Feeding America

Autumn Leaves Like A Koi Pond

 

“October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split pea soup. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins. O autumn! O teakettle! O grace!”

 
~Rainbow Rowell

   Attachments

 

Beautiful October! My favorite month of the year! Our wedding anniversary is tomorrow, our made up holiday, "Family Day" is coming up on the 23rd, and of course, Halloween is just 2 weeks away! There's so much more about October, and autumn in general, that make this the best time of the year! It's all there, just waiting for me! The rain brings me new opportunities with lighting and colors that my camera has craved. We had a brief rain a couple weeks ago, and I went leaf peeping afterwards. I found these leaves curbside, and right off, to my imagination, they reminded me of Koi pond! What do you think? Soggy leaves, or Koi pond?

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #3

 

“The autumn leaves remind me of my own faded memories.
The leaves hold their own precious stories,
which drift about in the wind,
finding a new place to settle
and continue to exist.

The bare branches of the elm tree
still stand tall and strong, like I do.
It is a reminder that life still continues
even during the most adverse times.

As I land gently on the grassy plain,
my attention is drawn to the sight of fallen autumn leaves,
floating across the steady stream of water.

Sherwin has presented me with
many of these beautiful leaves in the past.
They are symbols of our steadfast endurance as a couple
and bring warmth and joy to my heart.”

 
~Susan L. Marshall,

   Fleur of Yesterday

 

Go visit a park. Spend time in your garden. Visit a river, or the beach. Sit on your front or back porch and study the world around you. See the colors. Listen to the sounds. Just step out of this life we are forced to endure. There is so much more than the stupidity of the moment. Stepping away from it all, is the best way to be in the here and now. Make new memories by letting go for a little while!

 

 

When Every Leaf Is A Flower

"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."

~Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost

Here we are. But how did I get here? LOL. The last five months have been a blink. A BIG STUPID BLINK. Oh my, it's such a long story. And I will be sharing what has led me to own a house in Stockton, but not right now... maybe in a few days... I want to think on things before I begin to share the details. For now, lets concentrate on autumn. Yes, I know, it's not officially autumn for about 10 days or so, but you know me, I am usually in a big hurry to start my favorite season! This year is NO different. I am seeing the first colors of autumn everywhere. In the sunlight. In the twilight. In the flowers and the cool, crisp mornings, but of all the signs around me, the leaves are still what makes my heart sing! 

I am planning to do an autumn leaf album on Flickr, like the one I did last year! And to get this year off on the right footing, I went leaf peeping this past week, in the Bay Area. I was in the East Bay for a doctor's appointment, when I found myself with some extra time, so I paid a visit to my favorite Liquid Amber tree, which is in Cull Canyon Park, in Castro Valley. Too my delight, my tree is beginning to show off the color a little early! Oh my. Isn't it beautiful?

How lovely is that leaf?

Stay Tuned, There's More To Come!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)