San Francsico On A Warm Autumn Afternoon

 

“It seemed like a matter of minutes when we began rolling in the foothills before Oakland and suddenly reached a height and saw stretched out ahead of us the fabulous white city of San Francisco on her eleven mystic hills with the blue Pacific and its advancing wall of potato-patch fog beyond, and smoke and goldenness in the late afternoon of time.” 

 
~Jack Kerouac,

  On the Road 

 

San Francisco in autumn! Oh my, I spent a lot of time there in autumn, because October is our official vacation month, and there is a lot to do in San Francisco. Airplane flights over the city, Coit Tower, with it's gorgeous views from the observation deck, the SkyStar Ferris wheel at Fisherman's Wharf, there's too much fun to be had. So, why is Trump eyeing San Francisco? Assholeisness, and selfish fuckery political opportunism! There is no reason to bring his storm troopers here. Crime has fallen, and he knows it! And anyway, if it's so bad here, why did he back off, after the Tech giants called and asked him to? It's a bunch of shit. Pardon my expletive! But I mean it. Trump has managed to reach out and ruin several plans I had to make this vacation amazing. I couldn't have lunch at the Golden Gate Bridge... closed due to the Epstein shutdown. The Battery Overlooks... closed to the Epstein shutdown. I can't even visit some places, like the river walk at the Cosumnes River Preserve, here in the San Joaquin Valley. I don't go to San Francisco often, so having my favorite places lost to the shit, hurts deeply. One good thing though, at least for now, Trump has called the invasion of the Bay Area off. No storm troupers, but who knows when he'll get another bug up his ass.

 

I want to show you the beauty I manage to find. Hope you like the photos!

 

Here's what I saw on my visit, just a few days ago...

 

 

 

 

 

The Golden Gate Bridge, As Seen From Marin County, Fort Baker 

Ghost Cupcakes & Spider Soup

 

“What do Halloween creatures eat?
Hot spider soup with pumpkin meat
and toasted, no-salt, bat-wing chips,
served best with Transylvania dips.
A thistle-horehound salad mix
has added crunch from sun-dried ticks.
The plat du jour is hairy beast
fried crisp in grimy goblin grease.
Now, don’t forget dessert so sweet;
try puss-cream pie or candied feet!” 

~Richelle E. Goodrich,

   Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day

I want to try all those dishes, and more. Maybe I will give it whirl this weekend. I have to make my monster bread too. I am really looking forward to that. I think it will a lot of fun and hubby and I always get a kick out of things like that! It's tricky though, as several worlds are currently colliding. The birds are returning. There are cheap movies coming up, and autumn drives through the county side. HALLOWEEN! Watching as many scary movies as possible. Leaf peeping...whew! And there is the ongoing tragedy in the Middle East, and Joe Biden's trip to Israel. It is such a tragic time, that I can't help but feel deeply sad inside.

 

There is still no Speaker of the House, which means for me that if there isn't a compromise on the debt ceiling, we could be facing the temporary closing, and shortened hours, of federal parks and reserves. The shutdown several years ago resulted in the inability to visit most of the parks under the Golden Gate National Recreational Area. Sigh. Just a few posts ago, I shared that I want to do it all this autumn, I want to taste it all. I want to see it all. Maybe I am asking too much, but any of it will do, as long as it eases some of my grief, and let's me catch my breath and forget how much I am hurting. And it would just be nice little time away from the scary goings on between Israel and Palestine.

 

 Lord, give me strength, and hear my prayers.

 

 

San Francisco In The Autumn Twilight

" 'You have a thousand hearts worth of love to give. A thousand tears may fall when one heart breaks. But never cry for shame. He kept my chin in his thick hand. "Even love lost was well spent.' "

~Emma Scott

I loved my city, and I miss it terribly, but going back for visits is delicious and soul cleansing. Twilight on the Bay Bridge usually provides some beautiful scenes, but again, I think I could argue, and win, that it is at it's most beautiful in autumn. Just look at that golden light, and that fog, and oh my, all that love. If you can't fall in love in San Francisco, your heart has given up. There is so much to love. 

 

Not bad for out of a car, doing 65mps! If I do say so myself. Someone once told me that, the best photos you take are always of people, places and things you really love, and if these are any bit good in your eyes, then you now know just how much I love San Francisco!

 #59 Leaf of The Day

November 20th 2019

Nevada City, California

Nikon

~Mood: Quiet

~Me  

"YOU ARE LOVED" Messages In Autumn

"What is the name of your dream? A lovely wooden cottage in the middle of a forest? Or walking in an endless autumn path? What is the name of your dream? Don't give a name, always give a list! Fill yourself with dreams because dream is the path to reality."

~Mehmet Murat ildan 

It's all about time. Today marks the first day back at work for Alan, and it also just happens to be the first Monday after the clocks are changed back an hour. Which is nice and all, but I think it will take us more than one hour to make up for how exhausting this vacation has been! It was not the most relaxing one we ever had, but in a lot of ways it could have been a lot worse. I will be posting this week about all the misadventures, but to start out the week on the right note, I am kicking this week off with a simple post about the beautiful leaves I came across on vacation. You see, no matter how awful things got, or what a waste of time every thing seemed, there was always the beautiful autumn light, the leaves, my fur-babies and my amazing Alan to make it all okay.

This year was number 29 for us! 29 years of ridiculous happiness! He and I have found something to laugh about, every single day we've been together. Even on our worst days, we make it work. How did I get so lucky? Or am I simply sleepwalking the best dream ever? Forget it... I don't want to know, I am happy to just continue counting my dreams, and watching them come true. Sitting at the bridge a couple weeks ago I got a really beautiful message from the universe, just when I needed it most! Look really closely at the picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. If you are seeing that message, and you are really glad you saw it, because you needed to feel loved, then it means it was sent to you as well, and I am very happy to pass it along to you!

"YOU ARE LOVED"

San Francisco is where love lives it's best life.

Now, on to the leaves.

"Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead,

 has never watched them dancing on a windy day." 

~Shira Tamir

Stockton, California

November 2nd, 2019

Golden Gate Park

San Francisco, California

October 23rd 2019

 Grass Valley, California

October 20th 2019

 Berkeley, California

October 8th 2019

Nevada City, California

October 20th 2019

 Sacramento, California

November 1st 2019

 Stockton, California

November 3rd 2019

Cull Canyon

September 28th 2019

Nevada City, California

October 25th 2019

 Apple Hill

Camino, California

October 16th 2019

#43 Leaf Of The Day

November 4th 2019

Photographed October 25th 2019

Nevada City, California

Nikon

~Mood: Grateful

~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

Photo By Request... "Signs"

Golden Gate Bridge

Westbound Gate

Marin County

August 24th 2019

"When you are near the middle of your life, often God will do outrageous things to knock you back on course."

~Francesca Lia Block

Wasteland

Today's #PhotoByRequest challenge is "Signs". I absolutely love the topic because so much can be done with it! You can photograph a literal sign that is interesting in some way, or you can reach for the metaphorical, which would require explanation, at least as far as to oneself. I guess it's a matter of ones comfort zone. As luck would have it, when Alan and I visited the Golden Gate a couple weeks ago, I came across more than one sign. Most are self explanatory. I also had quite a few archived photos I want to share as well. I enjoy looking for signs in the universe, for some reason no matter how cryptic, or how long I have to ponder their meaning, I always seem to come away better off for having noticed what the unseen was trying to tell me.

That's just one more reason I am happy to always have my camera in my hand. My camera helps me learn more about myself, and see a part of life I would have otherwise missed. My camera helps me stay in the moment, as opposed to dwelling in the past. As for the quote I chose for this post, well, I have found that sentiment to be absolutely true. Like in 2015, when we were forced to move to the Central Valley. Lordy, I wouldn't have moved here by choice, but here I am. Probably forever. God, and the whole universe, decided to throw a shit storm and suck me up into it, and Stockton just happened to be where I landed. Never, ever, say NEVER when God is within earshot!

 Signs... (New)

Emotional Signs

Golden Gate Bridge

Westbound Marin County Side

Archived Signs

Bodega Bay, California

We'll Miss You Robin

Tribute to Robin Williams

The Punch Line

San Francisco, California

 Robin Williams Tunnel

Marin County, California

August 24th 2019

I miss Robin so much, but I always smile when I see this sign. We in the Bay Area will never forget that man. He was special.

Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco

You can't visit San Francisco without seeing this sign!

New York Hotel

Stockton, California

Can you believe those prices?

Dublin, California

Self Explanatory

 "Live To Serve Man"

 A Public Art prank by the Billboard Liberation Front

Read all about this sign/public art piece

 by clicking the title above.

 Pier 14

One of the most beautiful spots along the Embarcadero

 Cal Berkeley Campus

Berkeley California

Autumn 2007

 Reno, Nevada

Autumn 2006

Zanesville, Ohio

October 1992

How often do you get to chose

 whether or not you venture down the road to HELL!

Do you see signs, or just signs? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment thread. I would love to hear from you!

~Mood: Happy
~Me  :)