Welcome To Autumn 2026

"But when fall comes, kicking summer out in it's treacherous ass, as it always does one day sometime before the mid point of September, it stays a while like an old friend that you have missed."

~Stephen King

Salam's Lot

Finally... autumn is here. Leaf peeping, warm sweaters, rain, long trips to new towns and visits to museums. Monster cakelets and homemade cinnamon pecans. Halloween, my witches parasol, American Horror Story, and spiced cider. All the things I love about Autumn, and more!

Today is the Equinox. Take time to appreciate the first day of autumn!

What activity will you do?

My next post will be the very first, Autumn Leaf Of The Day, for 2026!

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!

Autumn's Delight... Candy And Pumpkins

 

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!"

 

~Bram Stoker's Dracula 

 

 

Halloween night was great. We had triple cheese ravioli, shaped like bats and pumpkins, in a sweet basil sauce. We watched a ton of movies, and while we didn't have a single kid at the door, we get to keep all the candy to ourselves! But you know I would have rather given it all away. We just don't live in the kind of neighborhood where kids go trick-or-treating. The kids mostly go to churches in the area, or they go only to their friends houses. Maybe one day will be able to move into a new place where the neighborhood is a less dangerous. Things have changed considerably from when I was a kid. Things are so much more dangerous. If it's not coming at you by street violence,, a young man was shot by police right in front of our house a couple months ago, then it's coming from your own government refusing to fund SNAP benefits. Lack of food and a stable community, is what leads to higher crime, but have you ever tried to tell that to a republican?

 

Anyway, our punky turned out really good. It's a kitten, or terrifying kitty, or if you've ever owned a kitten you know it could be both! Hubby carved it, as he's the pumpkin artist in our house, and he surprised me with the kitty theme this year, in honor of the two new kitty additions to our house. We picked it out at Trader Joe's, on Family Day, as we usually do since moving out to the valley. Half Moon Bay was our favorite place to go for our Halloween pumpkins, but getting over to the peninsula now is just too hard. I miss it so much, but we have this tradition now, and it's still fun finding the perfect pumpkin! That's the key, finding the perfect pumpkin, and letting it tell you who and what it is. It's the same with people. Listen to the things they don't say. It's not the words or even the silence, it's the intuition you carry inside you, that tells the story. You only have to listen to it, and do not dismiss it. 

 

It was another great Halloween, and I am already thinking about next year and how to plan for my favorite day. Maybe I will make dinner next year and give dear hubby a break. I need to get one of those deluxe pumpkin carving sets, so I can surprise him too! I have no idea why we never invested in one. I guess with hubby being the artist, there was never a real need for one, but if I want to do one next year, I know it will be necessary. I am getting older now, and I have arthritis, and my hands shake mildly, so it's time to face it... I am not a kid anymore. Well, except for my love of all things Halloween!

 

Next Halloween is only 363 days away! Are you ready?

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #40

 

 

 

"Autumn leaves and pumpkins, please."

 

~Shutterfly

 

Doesn't that cute little leaf look like a Jack-O' -lantern? 

 

  Happy Halloween!

 

 

Happy Halloween 2025

 

"There is magic in the night

 when pumpkins glow by moonlight."

 

  ~Unknown 

 Aren't these bears great? The big white bear, and his trick or treating pals, sit on a post at the corner of, Clifton Court Forebay, and the, Old Byron Highway, in Byron, California. They watch over the road, and keep us all safe and smiling. I am sure they got their start as a memorial, but now they greet us like we're old friends. The bear has been there for months, and kinda steps in for the driftwood moose that sadly fell apart earlier this year. I took these photos on September 30th, and held onto them until now, because I couldn't think of a better subject for a post devoted to Halloween. Personally, I've become attached, so I always look forward to them, no matter what day of the year it is!

Happy Halloween!

 

 

"Ghoul's just wanna have fun"

 

~Unknown 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #10/The Autumn Life

 

"Never let me lose what I have gained, and adorn the branches of your river with leaves of my estranged Autumn."

 

 ~Federico García Lorca

 

It's October 1st, time to prepare for the best day of the year! No, not the vice presidential debate, ugh, no I am talking about Halloween! Time for tiny candies, and masks. Candy corn and, of course, pumpkins! But scarecrows are really good too! As are monster cakelets! It's all good! And to make it all perfect, there are leaves to look forward to!

Ahh, drink it in, autumn life!

Punky's Big Day 2023

 

 

 

“No season appeals to the eyes as much as autumn; no season touches the souls as powerfully as autumn and no season invites us to the world of mournful thoughts as intensely as autumn!”

 
~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

Halloween has come and gone, but it's giving me something to look forward to. And I already am! But it's not like my mourning got in the way of me enjoying the HELL out of yesterday! 

 

First we went to lunch

 

And we met this guy...

 

Then we had an amazing meal. I love Mexican food!
 

 Next we came home and made cakelets...

 

And then hubby carved a pumpkin... and it was glorious! Punky's name is Electra this year. Yep, it's a girl. Rare for us, we usually have boy pumpkins, but she just spoke to us and said, "I was born to be your girl!"

She watched over the goodies...

 

It was a good day.

 

Happy Halloween 2023

 

October's Party

 By: George Cooper

 

 October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came— The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name. The Sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band.

 

 The Chestnuts came in yellow, The Oaks in crimson dressed; The lovely Misses Maple In scarlet looked their best; All balanced to their partners, And gaily fluttered by; The sight was like a rainbow New fallen from the sky.

 

 Then, in the rustic hollow, At hide-and-seek they played, The party closed at sundown, And everybody stayed. Professor Wind played louder; They flew along the ground; And then the party ended In jolly hands around.

 

Halloween At The White House 

( October 30th 2023 )

It's the last day of October, which is, of course all Hallows Eve, but it is also the mid-point of autumn, and simply the last day of the longest month of this year.At least it was the longest month of the year to me anyway. It's been just a sad month, with the war in the middle east, the mass shooting in Maine, and the death of Matthew Perry. Connected to the war, is the rise of antisemitism on collage campuses, and other places throughout the country. Do I blame October? No. not really, it's just that I think I put too much faith that one month out of the year to lift my spirits high enough to pull me from all the sadness and frustration that has built up throughout the rest of the year. 

 

Will November be better? That remains to be seen. But I am looking forward to the clock changing, and bringing with it, shorter days. It's better for viewing sunsets and Sandhill crane. I love the dark rainy days. I love the yummy recipes I am always inspired to try. I love other fall things, such as football, the holidays, and the leaf peeping. I have a great place to begin November with, you see, we are planning to visit Mount Diablo in search of the California Condors, and a trip to Placerville and Auburn are also on the agenda for this week. There is a lot that can lift the stress off of me, and I am going to welcome all of it, so we will see.

 

But for now, l am going to enjoy the Hell out of Halloween. Alan and I are going out to lunch later today, something we haven't done in years. The Arroyo Cafe, here in Stockton. I already know I will be order the cheese enchiladas. They are delicious. A lunch out at Don Jose's Mexican restaurant, in Castro Village, was one of our most loved traditions in the Bay Area, but then we moved out here, and we let go of the tradition like so many other little events we would do in our former life. But it's all just a matter of searching for what we loved, and revisiting what made us, well, us. This will be an excellent start. We are getting older now, life is absolutely changing, but that doesn't mean everything has to.

 

So, on to the business of living in the moment. It's Halloween, and we have a ton of movies all lined up. I will tell you more about it all tomorrow, and show off our awesome Jack-o-lantern. He's a pretty little thing. And hey, if nothing else, the baby Trump's will be in New York, testifying in the civil fraud suit. The one involving the business of all things Trump, like his exaggeration of the value of his various properties and personal wealth. It should be interesting, if for no other reason, then to see if Donald Trump can keep his big mouth shut in front of the judge!

 

Stay tuned!

 

By the way, I spotted these on X and thought they were funny. 

I hope you do too, dear reader, and if you don't... shrug.

 

 

I made this one...

 

 

Do You Believe In Magic, In Pumpkin's Heart?

 

 "It's Halloween, everyone is entitled to one good scare."

~Police Chief Leigh Brackett (Haddonfield)

(Charles Cyphers)

 

Halloween (1978)

 

Is it just me or is that pumpkin smiling at me? I love pumpkins like that one, they confirm what I've always said, and believe, and that is, pumpkins have souls. They are born to protect and to nourish and to bring magic to the autumn season! Think about it, what other season carries as much magic, love and happiness as autumn does? Beta carotene is so good for your health, and there is a real science to growing the perfect pumpkin. Autumn really does have it all! I look forward to the bluer than blue skies, the clean fresh chilly air, the beta carotene from yams, pumpkins and sweet potatoes, freshly pressed apple cider, apple cider donuts fresh from the deep frier and for me, the most important holiday of the year, Halloween! And what would the day be without my favorite horror movie, Halloween? Here are some of my favorite quotes...

 

  "I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this... six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and... the blackest eyes - the Devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil."

 

~Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence)

 

Laurie Strode: "It was the Boogeyman" (Jamie Lee Curtis)

Dr. Sam Loomis: "As a matter of fact, it was." (Donald Pleasence)

 

Do you believe in the Boogeyman?

Do you believe in magic?

Do pumpkins have souls?

 Are you ready for Halloween?

What is your favorite dish containing beta carotene? 

What's your favorite horror movie?

 

#10 Halloween Party (1953)

 

 

 

 “I long for the days
Of pumpkins and ghosts; 

When the dead use homes
And people as hosts.”
~E. Reyes,

 

  Devil's Hill: An Anthology

 

Press play, and take a step back in time!

 Boo!

 Gawd I love Halloween! I feel like a kid again!

 

#3 Halloween... All One Can Do Is Laugh!

 

 

 

 “The wind outside nested in each tree,

 prowled the sidewalks in invisible treads like unseen cats.
Tom Skeleton shivered. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows' Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange velvet. Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys like the plumes of funeral parades. From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells: gourds being cut, pies being baked.” 

~Ray Bradbury,

  The Halloween Tree

 

Note: Okay, as sometimes happens a YouTube will remove a video or make it no longer available. All one can do is laugh! So, since this post has changed, here is an alternative idea to stay in the spirit. Whose ready for some Laughs?

 

Jokes!

 

Q.Why don't witches wear flat hats?

 A. Because there is no point to it. 

Q. What did Dracula name his car?

A. Vlad The Impala.

Q. What do you call a ghost chicken

A. A poultrygeist.

 

Find more Halloween themed jokes over at Buzzfeed.

 

I never a John Carpenter movie I didn't love, well, with the exception of Escape From New York, but we will discuss that some other time. Halloween is again, from my time, and it was then, and continues to be now, my favorite horror movie, and that's a difficult thing to determine when you not only love horror to the extent I do, but as I said, love all the movies John Carpenter has ever made. Well, with the exception of... well, you know. LOL.

 

This copy of Halloween is from YouTube, and is the TV version, but it's still fun, and the commercials are kept to a minimum. But it also contains scenes not on the DVD, so that makes it kinda neat to watch, if for no other reason the dated references and nostalgia for the time. And who doesn't love listening to Linda go on about her school books?

 

The Michael Myers house is located in Pasadena, California, and is now a museum dedicated to the movie. I hope to get down to Los Angeles in the next year oh so, probably in October, so I have that landmark high on my list of must visits. Hell, I may put on a costume and walk around the neighborhood whether it's Halloween or not! Perhaps I could get a costume together, similar to the clothes Jamie Lee Curtis wore in the film. She purchased the outfits from J.C. Penney, so how much easier does it get? And I get new clothes! LOL.

 

If you like, let me know in the comments, if this is a good touch for my blog. I know you can look up this stuff pretty easily, and get it with better resolution, and sans commercials, but it's a new way of sharing about what makes me, well, me. So feel free to let me know how you feel in the comments, or if you are a pal, send me an email or contact me on Twitter, or if you prefer to call it, X. By the way, in case you never noticed before, the fictional town of Haddonfield is supposed to be in Illinois, but in actuality it was filmed in Southern California, so be sure to count the palm trees that can be seen throughout the movie. LOL. Cheesy fun! Just remember, Halloween is...

 

The Night He Came Home.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

The Colors Of Autumn And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #42

 

Autumn

By Kalidasa

 

The autumn comes, a maiden fair

in slenderness and grace

With nodding rice-stems in her hair

And lilies in her face.

 

In flowers of grasses she is clad;

And as she moves along,

Birds greet her with their cooing glad

Like bracelets' tinkling song.

 

It's only the second day of November, and two wonderful things have happened. The magnificent Snow goose has returned to the Central Valley, and the first real downpour of autumn has occurred. Yesterday, I had to get out my cold weather wear. In fact, I got to wear, for the very first time, my brown, fuzzy, leopard patterned sweater I bought last year. I just never got around to wearing it! It stayed very warm through November, and I brought a lot of clean cloths with me from the old house. Then I got sick, and didn't do much out in the world, And there you have it. But it's going to get a workout this year. It's already becoming an old favorite, as are my green and brown cardigans. As I said in a previous post, on Halloween, we were treated to the appearance of the first adult Snow goose of the season, and it's juvenile companion. We will be doing A LOT of birding so I know those sweaters will come in handy. And as you might guess, I am sitting here, smiling at the thought of how much beauty is surrounding me right now.

 

And The Leaf Of The Day...

~Me