Autumn Sunset 2019 #1

"May you fall in love with October

and all the beauty it brings,

May your life be as colorful as

the turning of the leaves

On each blessed autumn day."

~Charmaine J. Forde 

This is the last few moments, of a stunning autumn sunset I managed to capture last Thursday, just before Alan and I drove over the Altamont Pass. We were on the way home from a disastrous attempt at attending a movie in Orinda. I will say more about that vacation adventure later in the week. For now, enjoy this autumn sunset, courtesy of God. 

#22 Leaf of The Day

October 14th 2019

Berkeley, California

Nikon

~Mood: Happy

~Me  :)

 

Joy And Pain On An Autumn Day

"You must remain. I must depart.

Two autumns falling in the heart."

~Busan

I felt that way yesterday, as I sat on Grizzly Peak Boulevard, in Berkeley, just staring down at my gorgeous love, San Francisco. I was thinking about how much it always hurts to say goodbye. I miss it so much. I miss it like I am leaving a part of my soul behind, every time I leave. When we moved in 2015, I still believed I could visit any time I wanted. We were only moving 90 miles away, after all, but I soon learned that 90 miles might just as well have been 9,000 miles away. Things will never be the same, and I have accepted that, but oh my, like with any broken heart, there are times during the break that hurt so bad, you wonder how it is that it doesn't actually kill you? But then you have days when you know, deep down, San Francisco misses you back, because that town knows how to mug for the camera! I wonder, do goodbyes hurt a little deeper in autumn?

#17 Leaf Of The Day

October 9th 2019

Berkeley, California

(Tilden Park Little Farm)

Nikon

~Mood: Okay

~Me

The Colors Of Autumn And Of Love

"Ah, lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir."

~Peggy Toney Horton

I don't know which I love more, an autumn sunrise, or an autumn twilight! Yesterday afternoon was beautiful, but it was an autumn day, so how could I not feel that old familiar love story, especially when I also wake up with Alan? Alan is as much a part of autumn as the falling leaves! We fell in love in autumn. We got married in autumn, and we adopted our fur babies, all in autumn! Every year we take our vacation from the middle of October, to the middle of November! We take little trips all around Northern California and Nevada. We leaf peep. We walk around pumpkin patches. We have picnics. And there is car karaoke. We watch lots of spooky movies in our home theater. There is a lot of laughter, and a lot of enjoying autumn sunrises and sunsets together! 

We were supposed to take some trips this week, but I have been a bit under the weather this week, I had a bad reaction to a new medication, but I am on the mend, and later today, Alan and I are off on another car trip, to seek out beauty of autumn and snuggle under a big autumn tree! October is almost over with, and my heart is sinking, as I think about waiting another 11 months for it to come around again! I am thinking about doing something different this year. I plan on writing my future self a letter, with my predictions for the coming year! From the first day of Winter 2018, to the first day of Autumn, 2019! 

What will the year bring? I am almost afraid to speculate about national and world events. You know that our 'DEAR LEADER" will provide all the negativity he can muster, so there will be an exhausting amount of push back, emotionally speaking, but I will cope by checking maps, and requesting travel brochures from reliably autumn filled small towns we have never had the chance to visit, and do a lot of praying! It will be exhausting, but Autumn will come around again, and October will follow close behind, and before we know it, once again, he and I will be in each other's arms for hours and hours, under a big autumn tree!

My idea of Heaven, is a perfect Autumn day, that ends with a beautiful sunset in all the colors of my favorite season, and a nap in Alan's arms, where I feel safe, and deeply loved!

#35 Leaf Of The Day

October 25th, 2018

Tilden Park

Little Farm

Berkeley, California

Photographed October 11th, 2018

~Mood: In Love

~Me :)

 

The First Autumn Sunset Of 2018 And The Leaf Of The Day

"That old September feeling, left over from school days of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air... another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year's mistakes had been wiped clean by summer."

~Wallace Stegner

Angle Of Repose 

Okay, so, as it turns out, the Central Valley can put on quite a sunset that isn't half bad! I had gotten addicted to the sunsets in the Bay Area, especially as viewed from Ocean Beach, or the Berkeley Hills! Oh MY GOD... the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge was everything to me, but that's just not my reality anymore. And with Grandpa Crazypants AKA Donald John Trump, in the White House, who knows how many sunsets we will get! Right? 

Wait, I promised I wasn't going to dwell on His Orangeness, and anyway, I'd rather concentrate on the stunning sunset nature treated me to, on the very first day of autumn! I took this photo on the way back from a car ride to Ione, my new spirit spot in the valley. The ride out there from Stockton lets me process my thoughts and feelings, provoked by the world in general. I grab my cameras, put some tunes on the playlist and off I go!

I saw my first owl ever, on last nights drive! There he was, just sitting by the side of the road! Too bad I was passing him at 55 mph and didn't have the camera in my hand! LOL Anyway, I will see another one eventually, I am in the Central Valley now, and life is full of barn animals, GIANT SPIDERS, and glowy sunsets, just not sunsets over the Golden Gate Bridge. No, it's not HEAVEN out here, but it's not HELL either. It's somewhere in-between... like purgatory!

By the way, is there anything more lovely than sunset at a decommissioned nuclear power plant? Damn romantic too!

Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant

Central Valley

September 23rd, 2018

Twilight

LOL. 

#3 Leaf Of The Day

September 24th, 2018

Stockton, California

~Mood: Encouraged

~Me

Mourning The Leaves

Autumn Sunset
November 13th 2013

"Speeding along I-10 last summer, heading west, I chased the sunset, thinking if I kept up I could extend my day indefinitely, or at least until I hit a major body of water."

~Jarod Kintz, A Story That Talks About Talking Is Like Chatter To Chattering Teeth, And Every Set Of Dentures Can Attest To The Fact That No...

I took these photos on the same day. Just look at that color! The swirling lines of autumn crimson! It sure reminds me of what I enjoy most about the last part of autumn, and the entirety of winter, the sunsets! When the leaves fall away, and the color is no longer in the trees, I swear the leaves live on in the sunsets! Maybe that's where the souls of the leaves go, after their earthly life ends. Into the heaven, to light the way as the cold winter days end early.

Isn't that a nice thought?

Well, I think it is. :) It makes mourning the leaves so much easier!

Autumn Leaf Gallery
November 13th 2013

Time goes by so fast! At least all those fast moving days end in gorgeous sunsets!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Last Autumn Sunset Of 2008

"I didn't ask for it to be over, but then again, I never asked for it to begin. For that's the way it is with life, as some of the most beautiful days come completely by chance. But even the most beautiful days eventually have their sunsets."

-Unknown

Last September, just a few days before the seasons changed from summer to autumn, I was on the San Francisco peninsula, doing some photos along the coast. We had the most beautiful sunset that night, so, in that I knew I was going to be busy the rest of the week, I decided to stop in at the Point Montara Lighthouse photograph one of the last summer sunsets for the year. It was absolutely spectacular!

As most sunsets do, that one inspired me. I thought about maybe doing a last photograph of each seasons sunsets, if the weather permitted. It was looking like I was not going to be able to capture the last sunset of autumn, do to all the storms we have had recently, but yesterday was completely clear, absolutely gorgeous. Warm, sunny, and lovely start to finish. The weatherman said it would be the day to get all the last minute holiday deeds done, because it was going to last only one day, the last full day of autumn!

We have everything done, so we used the opportunity to go across the bay into the city, to watch the ice skaters at Justin Herman Plaza at the Embarcadero Center. December has been such a blink for us, that we hadn't had the chance to get over there until yesterday! Actually, the ice skating rink has been there since mid November, but as I said, time has just been a blink! I will share those photos after Christmas, this entry is all about the sunset, and how it looked from Treasure Island, facing back toward the Embarcadero. I love it during this time of year, with the buildings downtown outlined like packages! I love San Francisco. :)

The Last Summer Sunset Of 2008!

-Carly
"Last Sunset Of Autumn 2008"
Treasure Island
Oakland/San Francisco California
December 20th, 2008
Sunset

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #15: Pizza Toppings

"Pizza is a lot like sex, when it's good it's very good, when it's bad, it's still pretty good."

-Unknown

Baby it's cold outside, but the good news is there is yummy, hot, delicious pizza in the world to chase the cold away. That leads us to this week's photo shoot assignment...

NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #15: Pizza Toppings.
Most everyone loves pizza, right? The other night I had a big slice of wicked good pizza! YUM! I don't eat pizza that isn't homemade very often, but Alan and I planned for it, and then just jumped right in. Cheesy, extra red sauce, pineapple, a few slices of ham. OMG. It was fabulous! Most of the time I prefer all veggie, because, well, I like my veggies, but if Alan is ordering for himself, it's all meat. I also love hot peppers, and sometimes pepperoncini. But that's just me. Show me what toppings you prefer on your pizza. If you don't happen to like pizza, show me what toppings grace the warm culinary bit of deliciousness you do partake of. An example would be a slice of cheese or bacon on a Slider, or onions on a hot dog. If possible, however, please try your best to keep to the original assignment of PIZZA TOPPINGS.

Extra Credit: Show me some pizza!

**PLEASE READ...

You have until next Sunday evening, at 9:00 PM ET to do the assignment, post it to your blog or website and comeback here with you link. No hyperlinks. It must be a link to the entry specific to this assignment. I would also appreciate it if you include a link back here to this entry, so other's will be able to find the challenge. If you need help in finding the correct link on your blog, drop me an email and I will be glad to help you. :) You can contact me at: Ondinemonet@aol.com.

Linking List for EMPS #14: Autumn Sunsets. 12/1/08 - NOW CLOSED!

In order of participation...


1. Greg

2. Karen

3. Vicki (No Link Provided)

4. Liz

5. Judi

6. Steven

7. Jama

8. Terri (here and here)

9. Connie

10. Suzanne
**Welcome New Member**

11. Martha

12. Mike


Good job everyone! GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! Go eat some pizza, just don't forget to photograph the toppings first, and I will see you next Monday with an all new photo shoot assignment. :)

-Carly
"Red Pepper Topping"
Me -N- Ed's Pizza
Dublin, California
July, 2008
Afternoon

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #14: Autumn Sunsets

"Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better."

Henry Rollins

THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS FOR PLAYING! :)

EMPS#14: AUTUMN SUNSETS.
Autumn only has a few more weeks left to it, and I haven't seen as much of it as I had planned to. Time moves quickly this time of year, so let's all stop for a moment to enjoy one on the loveliest times of day, SUNSET. Grab your cameras and show me an AUTUMN SUNSET where you live. If you are in an area with a lot of rain and clouds and not much in the way of sunsets, that's fine, show me how it looks just as the light begins to hand things over to the night. Show me as close as possible, the closing light of day. No archives for this one, I want to see this year's AUTUMN SUNSET!

Extra Credit: Show me a silhouette in a sunset!

You have until next Sunday, at 9:00 PM Eastern time, to take your photo, post it to your blog, and submit your link here. Please remember, no hyperlinks, and it must be a link to the entry in your blog specific to this assignment. Not a general link to your blog.

Linking List for EMPS #13: Turkey Day. 11/24/2008

Now Closed!

1. Jama... Sweet Memories

2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin

3. Julie... Julie's Photo Journey

4. Terri... Ways I See The World
WELCOME NEW PLAYER! :)

5. Liz... Visual Counterpoint

6. Tammy... The Daily Warrior

7. Martha... Menagerie

8. Connie... Far Side Of Fifty Photos

9. Mike... Everything Under The Sun
WELCOME NEW MEMBER! :)


We have two new members this week, Terri, and Mike. Be sure to go by their blogs and say hello, and see their entries. It's good to be supportive of each other! As always, I saw some really great photographic creativity this week! You all did a wonderful job with the assignment. I can't wait to see your photos next week! So, GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! I will see you next week with an all new photo assignment. :)

-Carly :)