It Was A Very Good Tuesday

 

"We begin to read each book, 

not knowing if we will see a peacock's feathers, or a baboon's arse."

~Kevin Ansbro

Hubby and I took a ride to Tracy yesterday, just to check out the range on the new EV, and while there we decided to check in at the Clifton Court Forebay, to see what new and wonderful birds might be lurking about. We first found about 100 or so swallows, cliff swallows I think, flying around the first bridge on the road. There may have been a couple different species of swallows, they were flying so quick I couldn't quite get a shot of them. I need to come back in the early evening, when they are slower and ready to roost. You can spot them on the telephone lines sometimes. Next, to my delight, we came across a flock of Caspian Tern. I love those birds, and I was afraid I wouldn't get to see one this year, but happily, there they were, flying on both sides of the forebay! I only wish they could have been a bit closer, my camera is feeling it's age, but still, I'm not really complaining! It was nice. And it was nice in general to get away from all the drama of worldly events. As irritating as those worldly events were, finding, photographing, and being able to enjoy the beauty of those beautiful birds erases a lot of bad! And to make it all that much better, I had a delightful dinner with my hubby, a Jersey Mike's sandwich, and a Habit Burger Garden Salad. Yep, it was a pretty good Tuesday!

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 

 

 

The Last Love Of 2023

 

“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...” 

~Alfred Lord Tennyson 

 

 

It's the almost last of the year 2023. Well, what I mean is, it's December 30th, and that means it's time to clean up my desktop, and put away the last of 2023. My files. My photos. My compilation of the trumpiness of Trump. And it's a last chance to put the past in, well, the past. The picture you see above is the last of the autumn leaves of 2023. It's raining now, and we are well on our way to storms that will rob me of any bit of autumn that endures, but hey, what a way to go! I kinda love the soggy cereal look of the leaves and I sorta look forward to that stage of things. You must solider through the work of the year, to arrive at a time of fun and splendor. Of autumn leaves and sweaters and hot chocolate. See, I am not mourning autumn 2023, I am looking forward to, and planning for, autumn 2024! But back to the photo portion of this post. Below you will find some final impressions of 2023 that I photographed. I hope they make you smile. 

 

 

Beauty On A Dreay December Day

 

“I love the freedom of my wings. I love the empty space above the ground. I rejoice in my freedom. Freedom is my religion.

 Peace is my God. Love is my worship.”

 
~Banani Ray,

  World Peace: The Voice of a Mountain Bird

 

It was misty yesterday, but we went to the forebay anyway because there is a lot of rain predicted for this week, and that was our best chance to go. The Atmospheric River is opening. But the birds did not let me down. Present mostly were gulls, Ring-necked ducks and the gorgeous Snowy Egret, my favorite bird! It was the best way to spend an otherwise dreary December day.

 

 

 

Not Previously Posted

 

“On my canvas of life, you bring colors of love and joy,
Just like in winters,
The setting sun brings beams of red and purple to the sky.” 

~Hareem Ch,

   Muse Buzz

 

There were a lot of photos that didn't make it into my blog, but that I have decided to save to my Google album, as an accurate look at what I saw on my travels through 2023. This is one of the first photos of sparrows that I took this year. This picture was taken at the Clifton Court Forebay, last January. Ducks, Osprey, and all kinds of perching birds were flying around, but this bush belonged to these Golden Crowned Sparrows. A beautiful sight! I saw a lot of pretty things this year, and here is a small sampling. I will probably do another sampling before the end of the year.

 

 

 

Happiness In Autumn

 

"Seamlessly, like an autumn leaf change color,

 my will switched powerfully."

 

~Aspen Matis

Your Blue Is Not My Blue:A Missing Person Memoir

 

 The picture above is not the first I took that day, but of the two that apply to this post, it is my favorite. This gorgeous Snowy Egret had a series of rocks along the Clifton Court Forebay that were his, and his alone, full stop! I watched as he chased away little birds, big birds, other Snowy Egrets, and once even a grebe! He found a home and he was happy on his perch, on the pretty rocks. Who could ask for more?

 

~Me :)

 

 

Autumn Picnics And Todays Autumn Leaf Of The Day #9

 

Still

By Jaakko A. Ahokas

 

In the fall, I believe in poetry again

if nothing else it is

a movement of the mind.

Summers ball together

into sticky lumps,

evenings are glass beads from one mould

for standard-size youth

winter a smooth heaviness, not even cold.

But the mind trembles

here, on the brink 

the mind trembles

there is life, after all,

there is life, still

unbelief left. 

 

A mother, father, and two baby Clark's Grebes frolic in the warm afternoon sun, in early autumn. The father swims a short distance away, and returns a little bit later with the perfect meal for their picnic... a shiny silver colored fish. He hands it off to one of his children, and floats over to his wife to give her a kiss. They are a happy American family, enjoying life in their home, the waters of the Clifton Court Forebay, in Byron, California. There is just something deeply magical about the sunshine in autumn, that no other season enjoys.

 

 

 

Today's Autumn Leaf Of The Day...

~Me

 

 

Goodbye/Hello

"It seems everything sleeps in winter,

 but it's really a time of renewal and reflection."

~Elizabeth Camden

Until The Dawn

The Autumn Equinox ends today,

 and the Winter Solstice begins!

While I took both of these photos during autumn of this year, the one I chose to welcome autumn with, was taken during the last third of the season, on November 25th, and as you can see, the beautiful egret already has it's Winter plumage on! It's such a lovely bird, that I thought it would be a lovely, quiet way to welcome in Winter 2017! I will miss autumn, and mourn it for a while, and then I will find some new subjects, hopefully, that will see me through the necessary seasons until it comes around again next year! I am sure it will bring a lot of beauty, and life, and I just can't wait to see what it brings!

#21 Leaf Of The Day

December 21st 2017

Cull Canyon Park

Mood: Happy

~Me

 

Winter Plumage

"In November, so 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 lie ahead. Hard times. All berries will be treasures."

~Cynthia Rylant

 In November

We went out for a ride yesterday, we were going to go to Berkeley, to Tilden Park, where the Carousel is. It's been a tradition for Alan and I for years! We always buy our ornaments for each other, the day after Thanksgiving, at the amazing Tilden Carousel! But this year we could barely make it through the Altamont Pass, it was packed with cars, and by the time we reached the Bay Area, it would be too late, so we decided to head back home, by way of Highway 4, which goes through Byron, California.

As we were driving along, I spotted a tree, just off the road, with an Egret on the very top of each branch! There was nowhere to park along the road, so I could get some photos, so we had to make a U-turn, and find a place to park, directly across the street from the tree, to photograph the birds. The tree had mostly Cattle Egrets resting on the branches, but there was one Snowy Egret, which just happens to be my favorite bird, unfortunately, by the time we got back, the Snowy Egret was gone, and all that remained was the Cattle Egrets, which was fine, because they were beautiful! And look, they already have their winter plumage on!

It's turned cold, and it was a tiny bit foggy yesterday! Rain is due for today, and it's a cold hard fact, the season has turned, quickly to the cold, bare bones of autumn, despite having over almost a month left before it's officially winter! The trees with crimson and cinnamon leaves, are becoming more difficult to find, and my body hurts. But, like a quote from a previous post reminds us, there is a little of October in November, and a little bit of November in December. All seasons, blend together, but it always feels like autumn get's less time to shine, than any of the other seasons do.

#26 Leaf Of The Day

November 26th 2017

Knight's Ferry, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)