Autumn Leaf Of The Day #42

 

I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow, its tone mellower, its colors richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow and a premonition of death. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor of the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content. From a knowledge of those limitations and its richness of experience emerges a symphony of colors, richer than all, its green speaking of life and strength, its orange speaking of golden content and its purple of resignation and death." 

 

~Lin Yutang

 

 

Our Future, Our Fate

 

"There is no season when such sunny and pleasant spots,

 may be lighted on and produce so pleasant effect

 on the feelings as now in October.

 

~Nathanial Hawthorne

 

I want to think about autumn, but things like this keeps happening...

 

Trump's campaign is trying to throw this "comedian" under the bus, by saying his "humor" does not align with their values, but they vetted him, and they loaded his jokes into the teleprompter, so once again, as far as Trump's little MAGAt posse goes, Trump gets a pass. He had nothing to do with the grotesque jokes made by the comic, and we should all just ignore the fact that each of his surrogates said pretty much everything Trump said was in the same vein as the vileness this guy spewed. It was one racist, misogynistic, lie after another. So make NO MISTAKE, that rally Trump held at Madison Square Garden was a political NAZI rally, not an American political campaign event. They are now saying the quiet part out loud. Nazism is running for president, and it's hidden in a cult of personality. So how do I get in touch with the autumn inside me, when this might be the last free election we spend as Americans.

 

 One week from today will decide our future. Our fate.

 

 

With One Foot In Autumn

 

   

“She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new 

language. And birds fluttered around her, writing “yes” in the sky.”

 
~Monique Duval

 

The Sandhill Cranes will depart sometime around March or early April as they continue on their migration route. Can you feel my sadness? They will return sometime in the Autumn, but sometimes the summer can make for a long wait, despite what the calendar says. I love them. I need them, and I am already missing them. Only two more weeks left in 2023, and it will be time for a new start, and that's a good thing I think, but I will always have one foot in Autumn.

 

Autumn Light, Winter Light...

 

“Come, little leaves," said the Wind one day, "Come to the meadows with me and play. Put on your dresses of red and gold; For Summer is past, and the days grow cold.” 

~George Cooper 

 

 

Light is really strange this time of year. A little bit of the waning gold of the Autumn sun, meets the clear white light of Winter in a fantastic hand off. Not only did the light at Yolo Bypass bring me happiness to see it play with the gold still left in the trees, but to my delight there was still some spider silk to be found just about everywhere I looked and the sun played with that too! The spiders from October and November, that flew in big strands across the sky, found a place to land, and has survived the cold and rain. The silk covered Yolo Bypass like spun sugar! And the best part is that under all those strands of silk, live some tiny spiders that will big spiders eventually, and my camera can't wait! Maybe I will meet another Boris one day!

Autumn On A Late Autumn Day

 

 “One brisk morning I stood in a field chilled frosty by autumn’s touch. Suddenly, the hordes of geese that surrounded me lifted off into the sky in a thunderous roar of nature on a grand mission. Standing stunned and awed in a field now fallen silent, it dawned on me that something is most powerful when it believes in its mission and rises without hesitation to achieve it.” 

― Craig D. Lounsbrough 

 

The Winter light is really pushing Autumn around, everything has that particular and peculiar glow to it, but Autumn isn't giving up without a fight. She whispered to the trees and they are displaying their magical colors. The Greater White-fronted geese have finally arrived, and their numbers are impressive! I love those geese with all my heart.Truly, they are all my friends. And all of them are named Harvey. Harvey, he's the best!

Western Bluebird And The Slant Of Light In Autumn

 

"Leaves doesn't wait for autumn to shed,

 they shed when they are ready,

 bad experiences doesn't wait,

 they leave when you are ready."

~Pushpa Rana

Just The Way I Feel

 

Monday was a beautiful day, filled with a lot of light, but also the shadows that are so unique during winter and autumn. I found a beautiful combination of lighting opportunities, but late in the day was my favorite time. I was visiting the East Bay, Castro Valley, specifically, and decided to visit the park at the Community Center. It has a beautiful slant of cool, filtered light in the afternoon, due to the natural filter of the trees, and the slopes of the terrain of the park. I took the photo above at about the same time I photographed the Western Bluebird at the top. It was lucky that I just happened to be in the parking lot, which sits in the center of the park, which allowed me to photograph both lighting opportunities at once. I was happy with the time I spent there. It was a good day.

 

 

Note: Current Results Of The 2020 Election As Of 4:50 PM PT

 

 

 

 

~Carly

Stockton California

November 5th 2020

Somedays Just Leaves

 

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 every thing was grand

Miss weather led the dancing

Professor Wind the band." 

 ~George Cooper

Just leaves today. More words tomorrow.

 

 

   

~Carly

Stockton, California 

October 19th 2020

Welcome To Autumn 2020 And The Leaf Of The Day

"But when fall comes, kicking summer out on it's 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 the things he has done since last he saw you."

~Stephen King

Salem's Lot

Finally... we cross over. It's autumn. I feel safer, and yet I have never been more frightened. Worldly events make it seem and feel like if I go to sleep, I won't wake up. Killed at the hands of a madman. I kinda like a world with autumns. Where I can have my cats, my familiars, my photography and home. My love. My morning sun. This is the autumn I need to heal me. But maybe it's too much pressure to put on this one season. Still, if all goes well, I will get a six month nap, and I never sleep better, than I do in autumn, so there's that. But hey, we are here now, so I am going to enjoy the autumn light for as long as fate allows it.

~Carly
September 22nd 2020
Stockton, California

The Ducks Of Victory Park

"In November, some birds move away and some birds stay. The air is full of good-byes and well wishes. The birds who are leaving look very serious. No silly spring chirping now. They have long journeys and must watch where they are going. The staying birds are serious, too, for cold times like ahead. Hard times. All berries will be treasures."

~Cynthia Rylant

In November

It's November 1st, and it's about 1:30 AM, and as I sit here typing this post, I am absolutely freezing! Summer's hold on autumn is definitely gone, which I couldn't be happier about, but my goodness, when the cold weather turns really fast, like it did this week, it makes me grateful for warm sweaters, hot tea, pie, and warm days like the one you see in the photo! The picture is of Victory Park, here in Stockton, and it was what I think will be the last day of truly warm weather. It was the kind of day when you didn't really need a sweater, but there was just enough of a chill in the air to remind you to get your autumn and winter clothes out, and put your short sleeve blouses away! 

Anyway, I went to the park to photograph the beautiful rose garden they have there, and I did do a few photos, but I ended up spending most of my time, photographing the inhabitants of the crystal clear duck pond on the right side of the park. There were more ducks in the park than I remembered being there on my first visit last year! Bigger ones too, and they were making quite a ruckus, they wanted my attention! They must have been used to folks taking their photographs, because a few of them were definitely mugging for the camera! I enjoyed my visit with them very much, and it felt good to photograph some wildlife. I love finding new birds, and while I had seen a few of this variety before, it's always nice getting in some quality time photographing an active subject! 

It was a nice afternoon.

The Mallards

The Moscovy Ducks

So beautiful. And just look at that late afternoon autumn light!

#41 Leaf Of The Day

November 1st, 2018

Photographed October 21st, 2018

Ione, California

~Mood: Happy/Quiet
~Me