Ellipsis Christmas Movie Countdown #12

 

"I never thought it was a bad little tree. It's not at all, really. Maybe it just just needs a little love."

~Linus

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas, premiered on television on December 9th, 1965, so that means this masterpiece is 60 years old, and I watched it the night it debuted, and every year since then. It's timeless! It's not actually movie length, it's only 25 minutes long, but it holds you as well as any feature length movie could! No CGI, just an old fashioned Christmas moment. It's about what Christmas is all about, and lessons learned!

Watch it. Remember 1965. Love it all over again.

Woodbridge Road In Autumn

 

Isenberg Sandhill Crane Preserve

Lodi, California

No sun... no moon!

No morn... no noon

No dawn...

No sky... no  earthy view...

No distance looking blue...

No road... no street... no "t"other side the way...

No end to any row...

No indications of familiar people...

No courtesies of familiar people... for showing 'em...

No knowing 'em...

No traveling at all... no notion...

"No go"... by land or ocean...

No mail... no post...

No news from any foreign coast...

No park... no ring... no afternoon gentility...

No comfortable feel in any member...

No shade... no shine... no butterflies... no bees

No fruits, no flowers no leaves, no birds, 

November!

~Thomas Hood

You can't really say Woodbridge road is nothing special, especially this time of year, in fact it can be downright charming. We have Sandhill Crane, and Belted Kingfishers, assorted ducks, burrowing owls, and hawks of all kinds! On clear days there is a striking view of the Sierras, especially in autumn and summer. In fact, you can feel, and see, the snow on the mountains! It can be magical watching the crane come in to rest for the evening at the, Isenberg Sandhill Carne Reserve. It's usually quite peaceful there, if you don't count the sound of cows mooing and farm work being done, but it's all good, those are pleasant in their own way. It's life on Woodbridge road, and I really wouldn't want it any other way!

The beautiful I have seen on Woodbridge in the last few years!

I love that road, and I am going to miss it very much after we move.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #57

 

"The heat of autumn is different from the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider."

~Jane Hirshfield

Autumn

It's been cold and rainy the last few days. I think the rest of autumn is going to be cold. We only have around a month to go, and it will be snowing down as low as 4,000 ft later this week. The Sierras are going to be beautiful! Lordy, where did I put all my sweaters?

Sierra Snow

 “Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night

 will always fill my heart with sweet clarity” 

~Novala Takemoto,

  Missin' (Novel)

 

I never get tired of looking at the snow on the Sierras. I can stand in the valley, my favorite spots are Woodbridge road, in Lodi, and Desmond road, in Galt, and just marvel at the beauty of the hills covered in the color of snow. Like I said a while back, the San Joaquin Valley isn't home, and it will never be as beautiful or as exciting as San Francisco, but it has some unique beauty that I am really glad I got to see and appreciate in my lifetime.

 

 

The Predicament Of The Anti-Autumn

 

"To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy."

~Henri Cartier-Bresson

 

The Minds Eye:Writings on Photography And Photographers

 

Desmond Road

Galt, California

May 6th 2022

Minolta

 

 It's spring... the anti-autumn. So, when I find myself in the predicament of spring, I naturally focus my entire attention on all things associated with autumn. I read, and watch, a lot of Stephen King movies and books, and crave pumpkin pie. I think about what's in the shade of the trees on a hillside, and try to consider what is really behind all the tiny noises one hears go bump in the night. I don't like spring, but it can be as delightfully unpredictable as autumn, especially with the weather. The Bay Area is about to experience a storm that is promising rain in the 9 counties, snow in the foothills, and temperatures in the 30's here in the San Joaquin valley. All things fairly similar to autumn. The next few days presents a wonderful chance to do some birding, practice some black and white photography and get to know the new camera better. We were cheated out of autumn last year, so this year I want to be ready with the camera to find as much beauty as possible, even on dark spooky October days. I didn't even finish my leaf gallery last year, which hurt me a lot, that won't be happening this year!

:)

Eagle And Bear

"It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done."

~Vincent Van Gogh

I couldn't visit Lake Tahoe, without photographing at least one sculpture. The town is filled with beautiful art pieces, a lot of them are woodcarvings such as this one, which sits outside the Riva Grille. It's a powerful piece, and I've admired it for a long time! There was just something about viewing it for the first time, while it was covered in snow, that made it especially interesting to me. I should have photographed it long before now, but a part of me is glad I waited until the perfect time. I want to photograph it again, from different angles. I think this might become one of my favorite sculptures!

~Mood: Happy
~Me  :)

Ice Fringe

"Water in all it's forms is what carries

 knowledge of life throughout the universe."

~Anthony T. Hincks 

The first of the ice-sickles I saw on the way to Lake Tahoe last Saturday, were in a small runoff from the mountains into the American river, which runs along highway 50. This particular photo was taken on the south fork of the river, which runs through part of the El Dorado National Forest, just south of Kyburz, California. It's an amazingly beautiful drive, and I have done a lot of autumn photos along this same stretch of highway, it never disappoints, but this was my first winter drive through there, and I have to say, winter really rivaled autumn for most breathtaking season specific scenery I have seen in a while! Winter will never replace magical autumn in my heart, but it certainly inspired me. Especially the way the ice formed fringe on these rocks! I absolutely loved the challenge of photographing them, and I want to do more photography very soon!

South Lake Tahoe

 

I am planning another trip to north in a few weeks, so keep checking back for more winter photos! Tomorrow I will post the last of my photos from last Saturday. There are still plenty of snow scenes to share with you!

~Mood: Happy
~Me   :)

The Ghosts Od Fallen Leaves

"Are ye the ghosts of fallen leaves, O flakes of snow, for which, through naked trees, the winds A-mourning go?"

~John Banister Tabb 

Last Saturday was a good day to visit Lake Tahoe. There had been about four days since the last serious dusting of snow had come through the hills, and it was a balmy 25 degrees outside, so I made the most of the weather, and got my butt up to the Sierra! As you will see, these are not my best photographs, because I need a lot more practice with the color white. Shrug. Practice makes perfect, so I am hoping to get back up to the Sierra in the coming weeks. Perhaps I will visit a different part of Tahoe next time, or maybe even a different side of the foothills. I'd love to go to Yosemite or maybe Plumas county. I'm not sure right now what my destination will be, but no matter where I end up, it will be beautiful, because there will be snow, and perhaps even an autumn leaf or two. Well, I hope so anyway. 

I will be posting more photos from my trip to Lake Tahoe later this week, so be sure to check back. Next up... Fun With Ice-sickles!

~Mood: Happy

~Me  :)

Full Snow Moon (February 2019)

"Why does February feel like one big Tuesday?"

~Todd Stocker

I haven't posted much here lately, but I have been managing some photography to keep my creative juices flowing. I will be catching up my blog with plenty of posts this week. Words may be few however, because my carpal tunnel is still flaring pretty badly. But, in times like these, I am trying to I remember Steven encouraging me to do photography around the house, and maybe the yard, to get me through between photo jaunts. He gave me some good advice, photographing simple subjects really does help.

So, if you check my Twitter timeline, you will see lots of photos of my lunches and the cats, and I even did a few videos, which was fun too, but it's this kind of photography I enjoy the most. The kind where I check the weather, plan out the clothing I will need, and then go out and get the photo! Fortunately, all I had to do was step off the porch to accomplish it. I love photographing the full moon. I have been doing it since my early days on AOL, and Ive never gotten tired of it. The moon is an old friend, comforting and trustworthy, mysterious and beautiful. That is the best of everything, rolled up into one perfect subject!

From February 18th 2019

~Mood: Okay

~Me

Last Years Day Of Winter

I do an awful lot of thinking and dreaming about things in the past and the future... the timelessness of the rocks and the hills... all the people who have existed there. I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape... the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."

~Andrew Wyeth

I took this photo last February, on a trip to Camino to see the snow. Camino isn't that far away, maybe 90 minutes or so, but the drive is lovely through the back country of the Central Valley. It's a peaceful drive, although cow repetitive. That's okay, I enjoy cows. They are awkward and fun. A cow has to be a cow, right? Anyway, I could get used to living with some space, the trouble is, the further from the city you get, the bigger the spider. Spiders keep me from living in the country. Spiders and snow. Snow, pretty to look at, but I am not sure I would want to live there. Well, then again, I suppose I could try it. 

~Mood: Quiet
~Me :)