She's A Rainbow

"Life throws challenges, 

and every challenge comes with rainbows,

 and lights to conquer it."

~Amit Ray

World Peace: The Voice Of A Mountain Bird

The rainbow is from early this month, and it sure was fun to photograph. It had been a stormy day, and I was out in nature, trying to find some beauty. I didn't have much luck with the birds that day, and I was getting rained on, so we decided to head back home. While we were driving down HWY 5, the rainbow appeared across the highway. We pulled into In-N-Out Burger, to grab dinner, and that gave me time to snap a few photos of it. That's a pretty good time with nature I think. It's hard to feel down in the dumps when a rainbow crosses your path!

The Rolling Stones

She's A Rainbow

The Autumn Of Murder?

 

"Oh no. It costs a lot more than your life. To murder innocent people?"

 Peeta says, "It costs everything you are."

~Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay

Most of the time, autumn is a season of magic for me. The light of the beautiful sun, especially in October, the keen mixture of the weather, the first night that an extra blanket on the bed is required. Horror movies, holidays, spooky shadows, and little monsters, witches, princesses and super heroes on October 31st. We just put up our holiday tree yesterday. Christmas is mostly an autumn holiday. Christmas eve is only a few days into winter, but the shopping, the cookie making, the planning all takes place in autumn. Good stuff... right? So why is the grim reaper making such an overwhelming ass of himself? There has been so much death all around me. My favorite neighborhood duck, Kenny was run over by a careless driver, devastating the neighborhood. That young man killed on Pixie, for making horrific decisions. The murders last Saturday, at a child's birthday party, and now this... a father murders his 11 year old son, while the child's mother watches all of it on her home surveillance cameras. 

You can read the full story here... KCRA

Sigh.

I have done my best to ignore, to push away the feelings happening inside me, but sometimes those feelings pound me with depression. There are several units of law enforcement in the area right now, and if you can believe it, they still haven't caught the shooter from Saturday night! So that guy is still who knows where? Another child is in the morgue, and his 6 year old sister who watched her dad murder her brother, will feel that pain forever! How much more can happen? I miss my duck. I miss looking for him and his wife, Jenny, every time we come home through the park along the canal. I miss feeling like I can take a photo in the open, without wondering if I will get shot by a paranoid criminal. Autumn is a kind and gentle season full of spirit and magic, but winter has the most painful bites. Why is autumn allowing winter to insinuate itself into autumn's life, and bring with it, such cruelty? 

The Cliff Swallows Have Returned To Thornton Road

 

 

When the Swallows Return To Capistrano

By Leon T. Rene

When the swallows come back to Capistrano

That's the day you promised to come back to me
When you whispered, "Farewell" in Capistrano
T'was the day the swallows flew out to the sea

All the mission bells will ring
The chapel choir will sing
The happiness you'll bring
Will live in my memory

When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me!

 I don't live in Capistrano, of course, I live in Stockton, but just as

 when the Cliff swallows to Capistrano, they also return to Thornton road. 

Under the HWY 5 free underpass to be exact! They are beautiful birds, 

with a tiny, but mighty voice. I am glad they are here. It was a beautiful sunny

sunny day today, and it was as zen as it gets with these lovely birds built their

home! They came all the way from Mexico and other places in South

America, up to 7,000 mile travelers. They are small, but so mighty! When 

swallows return to Thornton road, I am happy again. It's not really spring

without them. 

 Nope the photo is not upside down, the birds are!

:)