MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world

 in a conspiracy of love.” 

 
~Hamilton Wright Mabie 

 

Merry Christmas!

I hope your Christmas is filled with love, hope, and relaxation.

 See ya December 31st, with my last post for 2023!

 

 I just love New Year's Eve!

 

 

Grandpa Got Runover By A Reindeer...

 

I kid you not, it's real.

Sigh.

Dean Martin - "A Marshmallow World" - LIVE - CHRISTMAS

 

 

 

 “Music produces a kind of pleasure

 which human nature cannot do without.” 

 
~Confucius,

  The Book of Rites

 

“I want to be remembered as a damn good entertainer, nothing spectacular. A good entertainer who made people enjoy themselves and made them laugh a little. I want them to think “He was a nice guy. He did pretty good and we loved him".” 

~Dean Martin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve Variety Special: A Film to Enjoy Together

 

 

Your Hit Parade!

 

 “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern,

 is very simple: loving others.

 Come to think of it, why do we have to wait

 for Christmas to do that?” 

~Bob Hope 

 

Stay Tuned... There are more holiday posts to come, including this year's Elf Yourself video of Hendrix, Dylan and Joey! Some be sure to come back, there will be new postings throughout the day! I hope they bring you a smile!

 

 

How I Spent My Last Day Of Autumn 2023 (Part Two)

 

Life is like a train ride.

The passengers on the train are seemingly going to the same destination as you, but based on their belief in you or their belief that the train will get them to their desired destination they will stay on the ride or they will get off somewhere during the trip.

People can and will get off at any stop.

Just know that where people get off is more of an reflection on them, than it is on you.

There will be a few people in your life that will make the whole trip with you, who believe in you, accept that you are human and that mistakes will be made along the way, and that you will get to your desired destination - together, no matter what.

Be very grateful of these people.

They are rare and when you find one, don't let go of them - ever.

Be blessed for the ones who get on at the worst stops when no one is there.

Remember those people, they are special.

Always hold them dear to your heart.

Be very wary of people sneaking on at certain stops when things are going good and acting like they have been there for the whole ride.

For they will be the first to depart.

There will be ones who secretly try to get off the ride and there will be those that very publicly will jump off.

Don't pay any heed to the defectors.

Pay heed to the passengers that are still on the trip.

They are the important ones.

If someone tries to get back on the train - don't be angry or hold a grudge, let them.

Just see where they are around the next hard turn.

If they are buckled in - accept them.

If they are pulling the hand rail alarm again - then let them off the train freely and waste no space in your head for them again, ever.

There will be times that the train will be moving slow, at almost a crawls pace.

Appreciate that you can take in the view.

There will be times where the train is going so fast that everything is a blur.

Enjoy the sense of speed in your life, as it is exhilarating but unsustainable.

There will also be the chance that the train derails.

If that does happen, it will hurt, a lot, for a long time.

But there will be people who will appear out of no where who will get you back on track.

Those will be the people that will matter most in your life.

Love them forever.

For you can never repay these people.

The thing is, that even if you could repay them, they wouldn't accept it anyway.

Just pay it forward.

Eventually your train will get to its final stop and you will need to deboard.

At that time you will realize that life is about the journey AND the destination.

Know and have faith that at the end of your ride your train will have the right passengers on board and all the passengers that were on board at one time or another were there for a distinct purpose.

Enjoy the ride.

~John A Passaro

Life Is Like A Train Ride

 

Trains. Birds. The remainder of the Autumn Leaves. I suppose I spent the last day of Autumn 2023 the way I began Autumn this year, only a bit less maudlin perhaps. Autumn is now, and always will be, the great healer. It has always healed my heart, like no other time of year and this year was no exception. So, there isn't much to say about it, it' just helped me find my footing again, and I am forever grateful. Now, on to the rest of the holiday's!

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #90

 

“When the autumn meets the tranquillity, 

there you can see the King of the Sceneries!”

 
~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

 

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet Energy

 

“It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready.” 

~Sarah Kay 

 

That is the Ruby-crowned Kinglet. I kinda have to laugh, because I about drove myself crazy trying to find one, along Desmond road, just a couple years ago! Now I know about 4 or five places where they can be found pretty easily, including along the canal next to my condo! It's such a cutie. If you have read some of my previous postings about this bird there isn't much more to say, except I admire it's energy. It's a silly little ball that never stops moving! I don't think I have ever heard it's voice, maybe I will one day, until then I will just admire them, and keep trying to get a good photo. They are a challenge!

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.

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #89

 

“I am captivated by the beautiful colors of Fall,
Show me,show me, Show me All!
Orange, yellow, purple, reddish-brown,
And the rustling of the leaves as they fall to the ground.” 

~Charmaine J. Forde 

 

Purple is a color of Autumn. In fact, it might just be my favorite color of Autumn. If I could, I would surround my condo with trees that explode with color in Autumn, and at least every other one would display some kind of purple color. I have yellow roses on my porch, and this last summer I added a pot of French lavender. They look very nice together. Perhaps next spring I will add another plant like a Pumpkin Patch rose or maybe a purple Hydrangea. It makes me really happy to think about it. Adding a little extra beauty around me is a healthy step forward. And hopefully it will make others smile as well! Maybe I will look for plants and container shrubs that show their color all year. He... that's a GRAND IDEA!

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #88

 

“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 

 

 

 

 

Desmond/Bruceville

 

“A formation of geese majestically swept over my office as they flew out to feed in the local fields. And as they coursed their way into the promise of morning’s horizon, I was immediately reminded of how many things vie for my attention and consume my time that possess nothing of majesty and have no ability to fly.” 

~Craig D. Lounsbrough 

 

Sometime, if I wake up really early in the morning, I can hear geese fly over my condo, on their way to, more than likely, the Delta. I have seen them many times, soaring over Pixie Woods, a children's park next to my place. Last winter there was a small flock in Louis Park, and some around the Haggin Museum. I haven't checked the grounds of the museum yet, but I would guess there are many Canada gees there right now. There is no shortage of wildlife around me but I still love Desmond/Bruceville road in Galt the most. It's a jaunt to get there, but more than worth it! That's where I took these photos. It provides a great mostly unobstructed view of the birds. I have found so many different species of bird there, every one heals my heart just a little bit. I will be eternally grateful for every webbed foot in that little river, and at the Cosumnes River Preserve.

 

 

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 Leaf Of The Day #87

 

“The seasonal urge is strong in poets. Milton wrote chiefly in winter. Keats looked for spring to wake him up (as it did in the miraculous months of April and May, 1819). Burns chose autumn. Longfellow liked the month of September. Shelley flourished in the hot months. Some poets, like Wordsworth, have gone outdoors to work. Others, like Auden, keep to the curtained room. Schiller needed the smell of rotten apples about him to make a poem. Tennyson and Walter de la Mare had to smoke. Auden drinks lots of tea, Spender coffee; Hart Crane drank alcohol. Pope, Byron, and William Morris were creative late at night. And so it goes.” 

 

― Helen Bevington,

  When Found, Make a Verse of

 

 

Planning, Timing And Luck

 

“I had the epiphany that laughter was light, and light was laughter,

 and that this was the secret of the universe.” 

~Donna Tartt,

  The Goldfinch

 

That's an a American Goldfinch I met at Yolo the other day. I knew that there would be some perching birds to be found, but I was a little surprised to see the goldfinch, because I have to date not seen one before the Spring. Of course I am basing that on the ones I have seen mostly along Desmond road, in Galt. I have only seen them once in across the street, in Louis Park, but never in the yard tree. Birding is definitely a science. It's not as easy as picking up a pair of binoculars and looking for birds. I use several apps to help me locate, and ID,  certain birds and even with those resources, there are no guarantees. There is only two more weeks to find the perchers left on my list, so I am going to have to do a lot of planning to reach my goal for the year of 170. 8 more birds to go. It won't be easy, but the positive part of Autumn crossing into Winter is that the skeleton trees make the perching birds so much easier to spot. Birding is part planning, part timing, and part luck, but sometimes I think sheer luck runs it all. 8 birds to go... with a little luck I think it is possible.

 

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 Leaf Of The Day #85

 

“Let whoever wants to, relax in the south,
And bask in the garden of paradise.
Here is the essence of north—and it's autumn
I've chosen as this year's friend.” 

~Anna Akhmatova,

  The Complete Poems of Anna Akhmatova

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #84

 

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.” 

~Bill Keane 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #83

 

“In every change, in every falling leaf there is some pain, some beauty. And that's the way new leaves grow.” 

 
~Amit Ray 

 

Yet another one, but it just fits today. 

 

 

The Ghost Of Chocolate's Past

 

“Memories warm you up from the inside.

 But they also tear you apart.” 

 
~Haruki Murakami,

  Kafka on the Shore

 

Finally, the spare room is finished! To celebrate it actually being livable, and the last reminder of that god awful move behind us, we decorated it for Christmas, and went to Ghiradelli in Lathrop for some chocolate, a bottle of sea salt caramel topping and bag of peppermint baking chips. I wish I had been at Ghiradelli in San Francisco, because as I remember, they had a lot more choices of products, like my hubby's favorite, chocolate covered coffee beans, and the chunks of chocolate in a barrel, and it's San Francisco! My dad used to buy me the big chunks of chocolate whenever he visited the city. I was thinking about him the other day, he loved to grab a sundae there. All it took was a big Hot Fudge Sundae to put a smile on his face. Ghiradelli's chocolate is very distinctive. The Hot Fudge is amazing but our favorite sundae was the Hot Peanut Butter. They don't have it anymore... darn it!

 

Funny, it isn't even my memory, and yet I can see him sitting at one of their little tables enjoying the view, and devouring that delicious sundae. That was dad. Gosh, I sure am missing him right now. I think he would have enjoyed the Sugar Cooking chocolate squares I bought this year. Oh my... anyway, as chocolate goes, I enjoy it but by no means am I a chocolate fiend or anything, but there are definitely some memories around it. Like the memory of my sister always having a BIG box of See's candy on the table for Christmas eve. I did love so the Milk Bordeaux, and I don't know if I ever told her how awesome it was that she did that. Smooth, sweet the candy melted in your mouth. I haven't had one of those in ages. She and I were never close, and after a certain point we never spoke again, but she is gone now too, and I am thinking about her this Christmas too. Oh boy... sigh... I think I see another post about chocolate, and family dynamics, coming! 

Lathrop sure isn't San Francisco.