Thursday Afternoons

 

And now a little moment away from all the drama fires happening.

A little respite.

"Geese; Because you also wanted a pet that can also hold you hostage."

~Unknown

Every Day Is A Winding Road

 

"But you are still you, and I am still me, and we are still we."

~Richard L. Ratliff

Well, this is a busy weekend for us! Today is Valentine's day, tomorrow is the anniversary of the purchase of our condominium, and it was just a couple days ago that we bought the new Mini Cooper, so it has taken a bit of time doing all the necessary tasks, although some of which I am pushing into next week! But for right now we are just planning on enjoying being us. The us that can make monumental decisions without losing each other in the details. We have pretty much become of one mind when it comes to the big decisions. You would think that would be boring, but believe me, it's not. We make our decisions together, but that doesn't mean that there isn't vigorous debate on what path we take getting there! 

Everyday is a winding road, right?

 Hopefully that road looks just like Desmond road in spring!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your love!

Our favorite romantic movie scene...

~

Autumn Birds, On Woodbridge Road

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."

~Ralph H. Baum

I was having so much fun photographing this gorgeous Great Egret the other day! I was on Woodbridge road, to see if any new birds had migrated in. And yes, some had indeed come home for the season, and while I have some fairly nice new photos, it was the birds that are here all year, that I had the most fun with. The Egrets, the Kingfishers, and the Blue Herons were being very accommodating to my photography! They are all such gorgeous birds, it made my day to be able to see beauty everywhere! As great fun as they were, the arrival of the snow geese made me warm inside. I guess you could say, it was a very good day!

Four Seasons In One Day

Crowded House

Four Seasons In One Day
 

 

 “Seek out the things on the edge, the things in balance. There's a reason why we see beauty in the sunrise and the sunset, in the change of the seasons, and where the land meets the sea.” 

~Kevin A. Kuhn,

  Do You Realize?

 

Desmond road was absolutely beautiful last Saturday. While I crave, and basically live in autumn, the beauty of witnessing four seasons in one day, especially when it was 70 degrees outside, was not lost on me, in fact, it produced a zen like calm I haven't felt in almost a year. That time it was a late winter day, and again I was out birding. I got to witness about 50 Tundra swans, swimming in the water near the roadside on Woodbridge road. You see, the atmospheric river last year had produced a pool of deep water, and the wonderful swans made it their home for a little while. But as soon as the water reseeded, the swans were on their way. But in that moment, all was right with the world. And on Desmond road the other day, you could see influences of all four seasons, with the presence of some beautiful ducks and geese. Give me every day like this. I know you thought I would say just give me autumn and I will be fine, but no, having that balance meant something to me. I have needed to balance my feelings about the car accident my niece was in, and the suicide of my nephew. It's time that heals, and time brought me to Desmond road last Saturday, and I am grateful. 

 

 

 

 

UP, UP, And Away... And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #71

 

"A soul that smiles in empathy is a soul that blew away the sadness as the wild wilds blew. A soul that parts its lips is a soul that smiled away the sadness, as the autumn leaves flew... ."

~Jayita Bhattacharjee

There is no real sadness in autumn, especially when by conservative accounts, about 8 thousand birds of all kinds have just flown over your head. There were probably more snow geese than any other kind of bird, but there were great numbers of Northern Pintail and Greater White-fronted geese as well!

It's a wonderful feeling to see, and hear, the phenomenon of a great number of migratory birds all flying off at once! I've mentioned this before and I will be mentioning this again, so bear with me. I see it, and by the next day I have to question my own memory as to whether or not it was as glorious as I remember it to be!

And to my delight, I know it was!

 

~Me

Welcome Friends!

 

"Fall has always been my favorite season.

 The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale."

 

~Lauren DeStefano

 

The Snow Geese have arrived on Desmond Road!

 And isn't it beautiful?

 

~Me

 

 

The Snow Goose Has Arrived And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #41

 

 

"The sound of geese flying overhead,

 is the sound of life moving on."

 

~Marty Rubin 

 

There it is. A beautiful snow goose. Well, actually, one adult snow goose, and one juvenile. I have been wondering when they would arrive, now I know, so I will begin looking for them around the end of October, even more reason to love that month the way that I do! I think I might have been a bit impatient, so, as they say, a watched pot never boils, advice I would have been smart to have taken, and I hate to use a cooking example, but you get my drift. Anyway they are on their way, and that means nothing but pure joy for me, because I know that one day, very soon, I will be treated to, at the slightest of whims, the sound of large flocks of Snow Geese, Canada Geese, Cackling Geese, Great White-fronted Geese, Sandhill Cranes, and every other type of bird all taking to the sky in one giant roar of wings flapping and beaks singing, and that is just about the happiest sound I know, unless it is a cable car climbing a high steep hill in San Francisco. Clang, clang, honk, honk. Seriously, it only takes one goose becoming spooked, for the entire sky to be filled with birds. Or one lady, lonely for San Francisco, to bring music to one's ears.

 

Like this...

 

Sandhill Crane, Cackling Geese, Canada Geese, Red-winged Blackbird, American kestrel, Mourning Dove

(J) Snow Goose

 

Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese And White Pelicans

 

"Birds were created to record everything.

 They were not designed to be beautiful jewels in the sky,

 but to serve as the eyes of heaven."

 

~Daphne du Maurier

The Birds And Other Short Stories

 

My love affair with discovering new birds continues. My latest set of photos, from my two favorite bird watching spots, Woodbridge Ecological Reserve, in Lodi, and the Cosumnes River Reserve, in Galt, have each provided me some exciting moments lately, in the pursuit of my newest hobby. Sandhill Cranes, which I never get tired of photographing, seem to be thinning out in numbers, but there is always a new opportunity to photograph a new bird I haven't seen before, as the cranes make their way south on their migratory path. My latest joy is in photographing the Snow Goose. A large flock of them finally stopped at the river in Galt. I had spotted them for the first time on January 10th, when Alan and I decided to explore birding possibilities in Rio Vista. I saw a large gathering on the side of the highway, but there was nowhere to stop and do a photo. The photos I did manage, out of a moving car no less, where okay, but they were definitely not up to my usual posting standards. You can imagine my delight when I found them in Galt, less than ten days later.

 

January 16th was a very good day for finding birds at the Cosumnes River Reserve. There were some of my favorites, like the Cinnamon Teal, and the Sanhill Crane, but the number of Snow Geese made it nearly impossible to not get some good photos. I got to see them up close and I was able to give the camera one hell of a workout doing some action photos as they landed. But as amazing as that opportunity was, I was ecstatic to see some, American White Pelicans, sunning themselves on a sandbar, in the middle of the  Snow Geese that were swimming in the river. It was an amazing find. I had no idea that pelicans came that far inland. I was under the impression that if I wanted to see one, it would require a trip to Bodega Bay, or perhaps Point Reyes. After doing a little research, it turns out they visit the delta every year, so I can now look forward to photographing them in the future. 

 

My mood is getting better. My depression is lifting. And dare I say it? I am happy! We are basically at the end of January, and I have counted 18 different birds species so far. I need to do some more editing and I need to do some yard photography, but I will be ending this month with a decent count of birds. I can't wait to see what birds I will discover in February. I need to check out some new places, and do some research into cities that have festivals in honor of birds, like Lodi does, around the Sandhill Crane, and the Snow Goose in Chico. I am pretty sure that, due to Covid-19, most festivals will be cancelled this year, just as they were in 2020, but visiting the web pages for festivals in prior years is a big help in planning for next year. The Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyby, is giving me something to look forward to in January of 2022!

 

Snow Geese

January 16th 2021

Cosumnes River Reserve

Galt, California

 

American White Pelican

Cosumnes River Reserve

January 16th 2021

Galt, California

 

~Carly

 

Leaves... Strange In The Silence

"There is something strange in the silence of a winter view: Something seems to happen,

 but nothing happens,

 as if all reality is frozen."

 

~Mehmet Murat ildan

 

The bark, on the tree on the left, looks like a ghoul vomiting autumn out of it's soul, as if it is fed up with autumn's blissful intrusion into it's body. Last autumn was a little too hopeful it seems, it healed too much, and winter clearly resents that. Look at the pain of the last five days. We are barely into winter, January, and the new year, and we have already had unparalleled tragedy erase the joy of all those things, but look at the remnants of autumn and try to not smile... it's so impossible, it's so heartbreaking. Winter, is casting a deep fear stare on all of us. It's jealous eyes threaten more of it's cold burning rain and fog, but how does one accurately prepare for things that can't be fully known or imagined until they arrive? The fog of Covid-19 and the cold burning rain of insurrection strike all around but there is such refuge in strange silence of the last of the autumn leaves, or the sweet sound of a gaggle of Snow Geese, in mid-flight over a quiet San Joaquin Delta shoreline. For now. But winter is always watching, and it's beginning to burn with cold jealousy.The heart reels.

 

 

 ~Carly