November Crows And Foxes

"November crows are approaching...

 wounded leaves fall to the ground."

~Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann 

We have been in our house a little over a year, and we are finally getting around to adding some scarecrows for our harvest season decorations! We had a lot of scarecrows at our old place in Berkeley, and we had them for a long time... so long in fact... that one year I used some black and white photography to turn them into zombie scarecrows! They were old and falling apart, but I just couldn't resist the chance to get one last bit of fun out of them! We had a good laugh, and they looked awesome on some home security video swaying back and forth in the wind a few days before Halloween.That year, the must watch spooky video was not 

Night Of The Living Dead

It was...

Night Of The Living Dead Scarecrows 

It will be a few years before the sequel can be shot, but I am already planning the script, and the music. I have already hired the actors, they are definitely under contract!

;)

#2 Leaf Of The Day

November 2nd 2017

Stockton, California 

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

A Witch Moon Over Orinda

"Give them pleasure.

 The same pleasure they have

 when they wake up from a nightmare."

~Alfred Hitchcock

We are getting close to Halloween. My favorite holiday! Certainly my favorite holiday of autumn! I love decorating, I love getting the candy ready for the kids. I love picking out costumes with Alan. And I love creating special graphics with original photographs! The photograph above is one I can't take credit for, it's Alan's. I took one similar last year, but he managed one from a slightly different angle, and it's gorgeous, so I thought it would be fun to post one from my talented hubby!

Our vacation officially began last Thursday, which was our 26th wedding anniversary! We went out to lunch, which was awesome, and then we caught a free showing of one of our favorite movies, Halloween. I told you a little about it last week, but I want to show you a few of the photos I didn't include with that post! 

Orinda Photos

Vacation 2016

I just love how creative places

 get with their Halloween celebrations!

Leaf Of The Day

October 22nd 2016

Mood: Happy/Inspired

~Me :) 

October Worlds

"I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

~L. M. Montgomery

My favorite month of the year is about to come to a close. Alan and I still have a lot of things planned for the last week of our vacation, amazing fun awaits! We are both ready to get back to a normal schedule, but I have to say, I never tire of walking among the pumpkins, and... now don't laugh... I love to ponder what each one would say, if they could talk. LOL. Okay, I am laughing with you, but the truth is, I have been imagining that since I was a little girl.

 I formed the opinion long ago that pumpkins have souls.

 YES, souls.

Does it make sense? NO... they are gourds. Does the fact that it doesn't make sense matter to me?

No.

You couldn't tell me as a child it wasn't true and I am less likely to admit it now.

Look, See...

(There's One In Every Patch)

(A Pumpkin Is A Pumpkin By Any Other Name)

Sometimes It's Nice To Just Sit In Peace

And Imagine...

I wish the stores didn't insist on taking all things pumpkin from the stores shelves on November 1st! Does that happen everywhere or just in Northern California? Personally, I think pumpkins should be available all the way through until December. They taste amazing, they look beautiful in harvest displays, and as I mentioned in previous post, they have many uses. Sigh. But I guess only having pumpkins available for a the month of October, makes them all the more dear.

Take not even pumpkins for granted.

Leaf Of The Day

Mood: Grateful

~Me :)

Round Robin Challenge: Family

Dylan And Hendrix (Brothers)
Home
November, 2005


"Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts!"

~Unknown

RRC: Family

I like this theme very much, and I wanted to capture some new photos that represent "family" but it has been a really hectic time, with the computer crash, and getting ready for Thanksgiving, so here are some long archived photos plus  one brand new never before posted photo. I think the archived ones were posted back far enough that they may be new to some! I promise... ALL BRAND NEW photos for the next RRC! I really do~ :)

Family...

A Family Of Zombie Apocalypse Scarecrows...
November 26th, 2013

A Swan Family
Palace Of Fine Arts
San Francisco, Ca
2005


A New Family
Legion Of Honor
San Francisco, Ca
2005


Okay, that's my post! Be sure to go see what the other Round Robin Challenge participants posted! Just click the link at the top of this post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Challenges blog!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Happy Anniversary Alan :)

"Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end."

~Author Unknown

Where has the time gone? It doesn't seem possible that I have been married to my best friend for 23 years! I am a very lucky woman!


"Infatuation is when you think he's as sexy as Robert Redford, as smart as Henry Kissinger, as noble as Ralph Nader, as funny as Woody Allen, and as athletic as Jimmy Conners.  Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford - but you'll take him anyway."

~Judith Viorst, Redbook, 1975

Happy Anniversary Alan! I love you!

By The Way, The 23rd Anniversary Is The Silver Plate Anniversary!

Mood: Very Happy

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 153~ Annabelle In The Garden

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

~ Faith Baldwin

Meet my scarecrow Annabelle. Isn't she pretty? I named her after a character in the movie, House On Haunted Hill. I love Vincent Price movies, don't you? I also love putting a scarecrow in the garden each autumn. I saw Annabelle at the store the other day, and knew instantly that she would be the perfect girl to watch over the garden when I am off on day trips like today. I am on my way back to Apple Hill today, in search of more autumn countryside, and more of the delicious apple cider donuts, and fresh, chilled spicy apple cider. MMmmmm!

Stay Tuned More To Come...

In the mean time, help yourself to a pear...



~Me :)

Now, go see what my friend JR is up to!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-151.html

The 13 Diabetic Days Of Halloween

"When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, 'tis near Halloween."

-Unknown

As of tomorrow, there are just 13 more days until my favorite holiday, Halloween. I am having so much fun with it this year, I am making some special nibbles for Alan and I to enjoy on the holiday. We have costumes all ready to go, and I have been working on the Elvis's costume, so it will fit just right. Today, we are spending the day on a photo jaunt in Pacific Grove. There is a lot of beauty there, especially in autumn. Hopefully, it will be warm enough today for the Monarch butterflies to be out playing. You usually can't see them if the temperature is under 55 degrees, so I am crossing my fingers for a warm day.

Later this week, I am going to do some entries featuring some autumn recipes I am creating, so I hope you will visit Ellipsis on those days, and give me some feedback. One word of warning however, they will be diabetic friendly recipes, but don't let that put you off, I am finding diabetic recipes not only delicious, but sometimes downright decadent. It's amazing how much I assumed about being a diabetic. I was wrong at almost every turn. From what I have been reading, this is the best time ever to find out I have diabetes. There are a lot of resources available, so that I won't miss out on anything during the holiday season. So, for the next 13 days, I will be celebrating the "13 Diabetic Days Of Halloween," including our next Round Robin Challenge, this Saturday, the theme of which will be, "Shadowland." So, let the fun begin! :)

Note: My pal Vicki has written a wonderful entry on her blog, "Maraca" which has some great links, and some information about a favorite spice used for cooking this time of year, cinnamon. Be sure to drop by her place and have a look see. :)

Sugar and Spice - Maraca

-OndineMonet
"Autumn Friends"
Lemo's Pumpkin Farm
Half Moon Bay, California
October 9th, 2007