Side A And Side B

"What's meant to be will always find a way."

~Tricia Yearwood

 

With the exception of the Leaf Of The Day, the pictures in this post are from 2016. I took them on vacation, on a spur of the moment trip in our new backyard, the California Central Valley. While we moved here in 2015, the summer and autumn of 2016 was the first chance we had to check out our new hometown, and the surrounding area. 2015 was a very busy year, and it had some demons in it, but things had calmed down by this point last year. The struggles I had last year were mostly about being tired, and still unsure of our financial situation, having just bought a new house, for the first time, in our mid 50's. Let me tell you, buying a new home is terriying, when you have been a lifelong renter. I never really appreciated the difference between renting and paying a mortgage. I do now! 

There are good and bad sides to that story! The good, is knowing after a hard day that the place you come home to is yours! The good is being able to put your unique fingerprint on it, as far as painting and landscaping go. The good side is the money it actually saves you. Believe it our not, you do actually get to keep a lot more of your own money, and if managed well, owning a home makes you feel much more secure about your old age! I have second guessed our decision to purchase many times, because of the circumstance that led us to purchase, but I am more sure now than ever that we did the right thing. The downside... oddly enough is also financial, in that I worry about whether we will be we able to fix the roof, should the shingles go flying or what to do if a mouse should find it's way into the wall, which as it turns out, it did one night!

The mouse story is actually pretty funny, but I will share that in a different post. This post is about owning a house, and the stress involved. And again, stress has different sides. Something can be extremely stressful, and funny as hell at the same time! Like going to a horror movie, that is unintentionally funny! Anyway, last year I was all over the place in my state of mind about my my personal life, and then I was pretty much freaked out about Trump, and the possibility that he could actually win the presidency. With both my waking worlds in turmoil, I think my photograhy suffered. I found solice out in the world with my camera, but I definitely wasn't seeing the world as instinctively as I had in previous years.

But it's a year later, and autumn, and I am heading back out with the camera, and yes, I took a decent photo or two of the full Harvest Moon, and I think, that so far, my Leaf Of The Day project is coming along okay, but I am fighting full on depression this year, so how will that be reflected in my photography? Will I be seeing only cynical darkness? Will the colors look different? Will it actually make my photography better, because I will have to make a greater effort to not just go out and take photos, but I will need to make careful plans to do so, sometimes forcing myself to complete the goal? Our vacation officially begins next Thursday, but I am going for a short ride to the small towns of the valley later today. It will be a chance to stretch that photography muscle. I don't know what I will come home with, but I am just going to load up the cameras, and hope for the best! What else can I do?

 

 #7 Leaf Of The Day

October 7th, 2017

Stockton, Ca 

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :) 

The Things I See...

"You say freak, I say unique"

~Christine Baloga

One of the best parts about being an avid shutterbug is that I see things in the world that I might have missed otherwise. Take this lady for example. I found her quite by accident one day, while at a stop light on Ashby avenue, here in Berkeley. I must have driven past her a thousand or so times without even noticing her, then one day, while waiting in a traffic jam, there she was! Suddenly the traffic I had been cursing, turned into a fun and intriguing circumstance. Life has a way of doing that!

Question: What do you think she's pointing at?

:)

Leaf Of The Day

 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

My Friend Silvia

"Friendship is born at the moment when one man says to another, "What! You too? i thought that no one byt myself..."

"C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

I visited my archives for this post because I wanted to post a photo that had been inspired by my friend Silvia. She's been my neighbor, and pal, for... well... as long as I can remember. She hasn't lived on the property as long as I have, but somehow it seems that see has lived in the cottage in front of mine since before I moved in. She is funny, and nice, has a big heart. She is the kind of lady who lives her life as fully as she can, without stepping on anyone to do it. Unfortunately, when the property we live on sold to new owners a few years ago, the new landlord, in their prejudice, took an almost instant disliking to her... and now she is leaving, having grown tired of the abuse.

The same thing happened to another dear friend and neighbor a while back, and I feel like soon the owners will begin their assault on me. I am a bit more savvy about these things, I don't mind consulting a lawyer if need be, but I would rather not if it is possible. The whole situation is maddening. All so very unnecessary. Silvia and I will remain friends, but I will not get to see her smile daily any more. Maybe not even monthly. She is moving out of the Bay Area to Sacramento. A 2 hour car ride away. Sigh.

I am sad.

I wish I could change the circumstances.

I can't.

To make my friendship with Silvia all the more special, we share a birthday... June 29th.

:(

Tonight's photo comes from the archives of 2008. They are black sunflowers that I planted along the fence my friend and I shared. She always loved them for their individuality.

Mood:Quiet

~Me :)