Autumn Leaf Of The Day #13

 

"There is a subtle magic in the falling of old leaves."
~Avijeet Das

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #11

 

"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."

~Albert Camus

The Colors Of Summer

 

"Keep your face to the sun and you cannot see the shadows. That's what sunflowers do."

~Helen Keller

Summer is almost gone, but there are still some sunflowers lining Woodbridge road. Funny thing, it's sights like this that have made me come to mourn summer parting, maybe just a little bit.

The seasons all have their own unique gifts.

Lorquin's Admiral ( Limenitis lorquini )

 

Lorquin's Admiral

Cosumnes River Preserve, River Walk

Galt, California

April 30th, 2026

A fallen blossom returning to a bough, I thought... but no a butterfly"

~Arakida Moritake 

Traditional Japanese Poetry: An Anthology

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Hubby and I took a walk, and a roll in my wheelchair, along the Cosumnes River Preserve, River Walk. It was peaceful and produced several birds we have not yet added to our birds list for this year, so that was nice. In fact the whole day was amazing, except for the keys that were dropped right on top of my head, the scary encounter with the skunk that ran right past my husband's feet, and the large rat and assorted lizards we encountered. We were definitely spending a day in nature! I will share more about all this later, but I guess on the bright side, the keys didn't break my nose, or put my eyes out, the skunk didn't spray us, the rat didn't bite us, and the lizards were quite content to mind their own damn business. As I said, yesterday was a beautiful day. There is beauty in the world!

More later...

Common Buckeye Butterflies

 

Common Buckeye Butterfly 

(Junonia coenia)

"Nature's message was always there for us to see.

 It was written on the wings of butterflies."

~Kjell B. Sandved

The beauty you see is the wonderful, Common Buckeye, butterfly! I haven't seen one in years, and not at all since moving to the, San Joaquin Valley! The last time I saw them, was when I visited the butterfly exhibits at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco! Needless to say, I was very happy to be in it's presence the other day! It was like being back in 2012 all over again! I checked some facts, and it seems they are common in the Bay Area, mostly along the coast, and it's not out of the ordinary to see one here, I just haven't noticed one! Hopefully it's an amazing turn of events, and I will be seeing a lot more of them here in the Northwestern San Joaquin Valley!

The Painted Lady Butterfly

 

"Be like a butterfly and a flower... beautiful and sought after, yet unassuming and gentle."

~Jarod Kintz

Despite all the depressing stuff going on, it's not like there isn't beauty in the world. While on Woodbridge road the other day, I spotted the first of two unique types of butterflies for 2026, floating along the wildflowers along the road! This particular one is the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) which is one of my favorites, and seeing it reminds me that there is a lot to focus on, beyond politics. Why do I and should I, let the stupid stuff steal my joy? I wish I could answer that question! Today, for example, my body hurts head to toe, all because I tensed up yesterday, in anticipation of nuclear annihilation of Iran, and the very real possibility of World War III. I should have known Trump would Taco at the last minute, but I wasn't sure he would! Oh well, that was Tuesday, and today is today, and we all got here one moment at a time, so going forward I am trying that! One moment at a time.

Wish me luck!

I will have more new photos this week, so come back for that!

Breathe, Love, Meditate

 

Video Taken On One Of My Recent Walks

Cosumnes River Preserve Wetlands Walk

Galt, California

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature,

 he finds it attached to the rest of the world."

~John Muir

Breathe in, breath out. 

Meditate.

Breathe in nature. Know your worth. Live in love.

Meditate.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Meditate.

Scenes from Cosumnes River Preserve

March 19th, 2026

Greater White-fronted Geese

And A Little Soft Jazz

A New Bird

 

"We are nature. We are nature seeing nature. The Red-winged Blackbird flies in us."

~Susan Griffin

It felt good to get out the other day and do a little photography, unfortunately this is the only good photo I got, but I will have more opportunities coming up, so this won't be my last photo this year.

Don't you just love the beauty of the Red-winged Blackbird? And they have a lovely song too!

Into The Weeds

 

"As one grows older, one should grow more expert at finding beauty in unexpected places, in deserts and even in towns, in ordinary faces and among wild weeds."

~C.C. Vyvyan

This beautiful purple blossom is called, wild radish. It's that gorgeous purple you see dotting fields and roadsides, and that looks so lovely with the yellow wildflower known as field mustard or wild turnip. Both of these flowers grow all over California each spring and summer, but it never occurred to me to look up their stories. Both can be used in cooking, I think they would look beautiful on salads, as well as other uses. How great would it be to have a wildflower salad paired with a chilled soup like Gazpacho or maybe Honeydew mint, on a hot late spring afternoon! I have been trying to do more photography beyond my birding. I used to do that all the time in the Bay Area. Public art. Lighthouses. Flowers in my garden. You name it, I was there with my camera. A favorite was photographing celebrities, but, alas, there isn't much Hollywood north out here. But I am happy finding new things to see. This spring will probably bring some lovely cloud filled skies, and rainbows. So, as the Pacific flyway closes, it's about time I photographed all the colors of spring!

Bullet Holes

 

"Speaking personally, you can take my gun,

 but you'll take my book when you pry my cold dead fingers off of the binding."

~Stephen King

There is so much beauty at the Cosumnes River Preserve. Nature at it's most beautiful. From the amazing sunsets, to the birding I have done there. I spotted my first ever Bald Eagle soaring over the preserve, it was the most majestic thing I had ever saw. The wildflowers in the spring and the autumn leaves in the Fall, every bit of the best of nature is to be had. Even the Mexican-free tailed bat adds additional joy to just being there, in the moment. So why would anyone be so hollow inside as to shoot up a sign, asking those visiting to not bother the birds? It's sad, and a shame that folks behave in this manner. It's fucking heart breaking. Sometimes I just want to give up, stop stepping out of my condo, but the world is so scary that I need the respite of this amazing place, so I keep calm and carry on. Why does every area of life have to be so exhausting... and deeply depressing?

The Beauty Of The Cosumnes River Preserve

Gourdgeous!

 

"When life gives you pumpkins, make pumpkin pies!"

~Unknown

Recently, while on Woodbridge road, in Lodi, I spotted these gourds, partially submerged under water. The colors caught my eye. Things are mostly gray right now, as one would expect in January, in the San Joaquin Valley, so colors catch my eye. This is a pretty easy time of year to spot a birds color, and shape from far away. but I knew instantly, from far down the road, that this wasn't a group of birds, it was the last of the farmland's harvest, giving back to the earth, and all the little creatures passing through. I never knew how damn beautiful autumn could be in winter. See how little it takes to make me truly happy? Squeeeeee!

The Beauty Of A Dark Winter Day

 

"At this season of the year, darkness is a more insistent thing that cold.

The days are short as any dream."

~E.B. White

Essays Of E.B. White

Tired. It's been a long couple of days, and I am tired. But I have even better news, and I will share soon. But today I want to enjoy some football games, and not think about things that are too much for my tired brain.

So for now, don't you just love cold, dark January days. Naps. Hot Chocolate. Snuggles with cats, and really good days with a camera, birding, these are some of the things keeping me sane.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #85

 "The mellow melancholy makes the music of autumn."

~Jayita Bhattacharjee

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #78

 

"God has designed the world in a way that illustrates 'yet'; the green leaves lose their colour, but reveal one true color that's been there all along."

~Rachael Newham, 

And Yet: Finding Joy In Lament

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #71

 

"Autumn burns brightly, a flame running a flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees."

~Faith Baldwin

Oh To Be A Bird In Autumn

 

Oh to be a bird in autumn

Tucked within a rosy tree

While crisp October winds sweep by

To twine about the fallen leaves

To catch a gust and take to soaring

Out above a glistening Fall

And not to miss a single thing

Be see and hear and feel it all

~Laura Jaworski

I know I have been sharing a lot of birds lately, but with the Pacific Flyway open, they are everywhere, old friends and new friends alike. All birds are fascinating, so that makes birding more than just a past time, it is my way of life. For the next few weeks, it's all about the birds and leaves. Oh, and cooking. Thanksgiving is just a couple days away! Yike... wasn't it just Halloween?

Autumn Eyes

 

 

 

  “It was one of those sumptuous days when the world is full of autumn muskiness and tangy, crisp perfection: vivid blue sky, deep green fields, leaves in a thousand luminous hues. It is a truly astounding sight when every tree in a landscape becomes individual, when each winding back highway and plump hillside is suddenly and infinitely splashed with every sharp shade that nature can bestow - flaming scarlet, lustrous gold, throbbing vermilion, fiery orange.”

 
~Bill Bryson,

  I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away

 

I spotted this gorgeous, White-tailed Kite, and it's mate, just lazing in the very top of a tree, surveying for their lunch. Those red eyes are both beautiful and frightening to me. I remember the first time I saw one, I though it might just be the most graceful devil I had ever seen! Autumn eyes.