A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 162~Come Ride The Duck

"A man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in."

~Confucious

Today... I was a duck. Quack. Quack Quack. And it was a perfect day to get my quack on. The temperature in the city was around 90 degrees, which was awesome because even the summer is usually cold. But we are in the perfect season... autumn... and autumn never lets me down. :)

Scenes From A Duck.

A View Of The City From The Bay Bridge...



Meet Captain Roger...

 

The Bay Bridge As Seen From The Bay...



AT&T Park From McCovey Cove...



A Different View Of Downtown San Francisco...

 

After We Stopped Splashing Around In The Water, It Was Time For Dinner...

 
 


And Then On The Way Home The Beach Looked So Calm And Lovely...



It Was A Good Day!

Quack!

"Always behave like a duck... keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath."

~Jacob Braude

PS: Did you catch the orbs in the first picture? The ghosts continue to follow me. :)

~Me :)

Now, go say QUACK to my pal JR. He is an awesome photographer, and he has been very supportive of my project! Thanks again JR! :)

JR
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-160.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 161~ Now You See Them...

"It's easier to dismiss ghosts in the daylight."

~Patricia Briggs, Dragon Bones

Yesterday, we went to Quarryhill Botanical garden in beautiful Glen Ellen. I love going to the North Bay, but we don't go as often as I would like. Time just is what it is, that's why we make the most of our vacation month of October. Quarryhill was a new place for us, I had heard that it was a magnificent garden of around 22 acres. What I hadn't heard was that its trails were difficult to walk on. They were. At least for me. The grounds themselves were nice, but not the best I have seen. Through the whole place I only saw one bench, but to be fair there was a nice outdoor arbor with ample shade and plenty to see, such as the gorgeous hummingbirds.

The plants themselves were ok, but not spectacular. It was what it was. To be honest, I enjoyed the gorgeous vineyard on the grounds. The lighting yesterday was awesome! What I didn't appreciate was the many "Beware Of Rattlesnakes" warning signs throughout the garden. It would have been nice if I would have known that was a possible danger before I purchased the Groupon. Sigh. It's not like I don't know that there are such creatures in California, but it's the first time I have seen that particular warning at a public garden. Awesome! :(

"I don't suppose you have to believe in ghosts to know that we are all haunted, all of us, by things we can see and feel and guess at, and many more things we can't."

~Beth Gutcheon



Still I got some nice photos which I will be sharing over the next couple weeks. For now, I thought it would be fun to share the photos I took in the vineyard upon arrival. Gorgeous, plump, luscious, fragrant, tender purple grapes. Ripe and ready to become wine. Yes please. Oh, but lookie there... do you see the orbs? Is this vineyard haunted? That's what orbs are... right? At least that is what I have heard! If the small ghostly balls are indeed ghosts... who might they be? Ghosts of visitors to the garden who were killed by rattlesnakes? Ghosts of former inhabitants of the property? Ghost of the grapes themselves? Hmmm... If so, would the ghosts be better characterized as... spirits? Get it? Spirits! LOL.

Seriously... what are your thoughts? Are orbs ghosts, or are they a common, simple trick of light?

I usually don't photograph many orbs, but yesterday I caught them in quite a few different places in my travels. When I did, I tried to immediately take another picture for comparison. Sometimes they were there in the second photo and sometimes they weren't. Curious.

"The muses are ghosts and sometimes they are uninvited."

~Stephen King


~Me :)

Let's go see what JR is up to, shall we?

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-159.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 160: Mr Slippendicker's Big Day

"Trust not in Sprites nor the motivations of a Gnome."

~Jefferson Smith, Strange Places

In my travels the other day, I came across a yard with perhaps 200 garden gnomes in it. They faced ever direction, and no two were exactly alike. In addition to the gnomes population, there were at least 10 or 15 gargoyles here and there. At first I thought perhaps they were on display for Halloween, but upon further viewing it became apparent that every day is perhaps Halloween. LOL. I like garden gnomes, but I am not 100 % sure I trust them. LOL. I have had one or two incidents in which I was pretty sure that a gnome was responsible for my having tripped or fallen. How do I know it was a gnome to blame? Well, you see, I could kinda hear the sound of evil, far off laughter, as I landed on my rear end and slid down a muddy lump of a hill. Gnome-like laughter. I know what you are thinking... and yes... it could have been a neighbor, but something tells me it was more than likely a gnome. An evil gnome! Yep! A gnome!

His name was probably Mr. Slippendicker.

Or maybe I am a klutz.

LOL.

~Me :)

Now, go see what my friend JR is sharing with us today. He's awesome!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-158.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 159~ Oh The Lemons I Have Known

"When life gives you lemons, vote the bums out of office!"

~Me

Okay, I am pretty sure I wasn't the first person to say that, but in that I received my Absentee Ballot in the mail yesterday, I am relatively sure whoever did say it first wouldn't be too mad about me borrowing it.

Sigh.

The national election is only three weeks away, and I am really not sure about much of it. I don't want to vote because I feel like I have to, because voting gives me that option. Not voting IS voting. My heart is sick about the presidential election. I know I was impressed with Joe Biden when he debated Paul Ryan last week. He did good! He made me proud. But lets face it... he won't be the president, at least not yet. He could be in four years I suppose, and if so, I think he would be a much different leader than President Obama has been.

Sigh.

 Deciding my vote for president aside, California has a number of propositions that I have been waiting to see for a long time. Prop 34, 35, 36, and 37. 34 in particular is one I care about passionately. It would abolish the death penalty in California. There is so much wrong and disturbing to me about the death penalty, and I won't inflict my opinions and reasoning here, but I will say that I find it disturbing that America is the last of the industrialized nations to still carry out this barbaric act. I wish it was a national issue, rather than a state one, but perhaps one day it will be. Hopefully.

Okay, I have some thinking to do tonight... lol... a funny thought all it's own! LOL. If all goes as scheduled today, we will be in Glen Ellen for most of the day! The botanical garden awaits. It's going to be hot and amazingly lovely. This has been a gorgeous October. Now, off to get some blackberries and raspberries ready for the trip. Is there anything more lovely than a picnic lunch in the country?

Now, for your amusement, a collection of quotes about lemons...

"When life gives you lemons, squirt someone in the eye."
~Cathy Guisewite

"When life gives you lemons, chunk it right back."
~Bill Watterson

"I believe when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... and try to find someone whose life has given them vodka, and have a party."
~Ron White

"When life gives you lemons... You might as well shove'em where the sun don't shine, because you sure as hell aren't ever going to see any lemonade."
~Rob Thurman, Nightlife

"When life gives you lemons, make assless chaps."
~Angie West

All pretty good advice methinks. :) By the way, are you going to watch the Town Hall Debate tonight? I rather like that format, hopefully Obama will be a little more on the ball. We'll see.

~Me :)


Today's Link Comes By Way Of My Pal JR. Go See What He's Up To...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-156.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 158 Sunshine

"Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot; others transform a yellow spot into the sun."

~ Pablo Picasso

Last week when we were in Apple Hill the sun was out for maybe 15 minutes the whole day. The weather was so bad that we had considered maybe postponing our trip for a few days because lightning and thunder was promised, but in the end we decided to soldier on. I am glad we did. There was some light rain, but it was a welcome relief from the humidity. All in all it was my kind of day!

As I said, the sun did come out for a little bit, and when it did, I just happened to be at an amazingly beautiful garden spot along the Apple Hill route. I spent about a half hour walking the path through the different autumn themed garden of mums and the occasional rose. It was gorgeous! And at just the right moment the lighting changed from dark to an amazing golden ray the landed in this patch of yellow daisy mums. It was truly a matter of having been at the right place at the right time.

This next week is looking good for our plans. We have the botanic garden in Glen Ellen and the Duck sightseeing and bay tour. I have my quack on and I am ready to go!

Quack Quack Quack Quack.

"Silence is not always golden, sometimes it's yellow!"

~Unknown

~Me :)

Now, go see what my friend JR is up to... he's an awesome photographer!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-155.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 156~ Darkness And Fog Shrouding Angel Island

"Who is that trip-trapping upon my bridge?" Miss Davies spoke in the low, growling tones of the troll in the story. Some of the little ones covered their mouths and giggled, but most only watched her solemnly, accepting the voice of the troll as they accepted the voices of their dreams, and their grave eyes reflected the eternal fascination of the fairy tale. Would the monster be bested... or would it feed?"

~ Stephen King, IT.

It wouldn't be October without watching Stephen King's IT. Of all of Stephen King's magnificently written horror, IT is the story that captures my attention the most. There is a lot about it that I can identify with. Loss of a friend to an untimely death as a child. Bullies. Fighting through the fear... whatever the fear, and remembering as an adult that sometimes you have to tap into what motivated you as a child, to survive being an adult. It always amazes me when I encounter someone who carries a behavior of bullying past the age of 15. My neighbor is a bully. At least he thinks he is, but like with most bullies, he is legend in his own mind. I feel sorry for him more than anything else.


Anyway, if you haven't already saw the TV movie IT, or read the book, I highly recommend it! It's perfect for a foggy October night, with Halloween right around the corner!

"Come on back and we'll see if you remember the simplest thing of all... how it is to be children, secure in belief and thus afraid of the dark."

~Stephen King, IT.

:)

~Me

Today's Link comes by way of my pal JR. GO SAY HI! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-154.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 155~Just Yesterday Morning

"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans."

~Woody Allen

Yesterday morning I awoke to the strangest news. The restaurant the Squat and Gobble had burned down over night, damaging two other businesses on either side. You might remember that restaurant from the posts late last summer about my stalking... errrr... following... errr... admiring of Woody Allen, while he was filming his upcoming movie which is till only titled at this point WASP. Woody Allen's Summer Project.

The was the restaurant that Woody Allen was jumping out of... errr... walking out of... when I got my closest to him during that few weeks of filming. He was only about 8 feet away at the most, and of course no camera ready to go. Alan, still laughs his butt off about my obvious distress, the naughty man, but if I am telling the truth, I am kind of laughing a bit to. It was a Woody Allen moment. The whole two weeks, in retrospect, kinda played out in places like our very own Woody Allen movie.

From the first day of admiring, when I couldn't find any of my SD cards, to the last day of filming when my prophesy of Woody jumping out at me from some shadowy place. Or maybe even a restaurant. I told Alan that day on 20th st... "I am not dressed right, why did I choose to wear black pants and grey top? I mean... who pairs THAT together? He could just jump out at any time!" Alan said that was a silly notion, but somehow I just knew... and sure enough... eventually he did!

I wanted to visit this restaurant later this month on Family Day. That is our own made up holiday that we celebrate each October 23rd. We took a look at the menu and agreed that would be our treat for that day, but now, well, it is gone if not for a long time, then perhaps forever. Oh there are other Squat Gobbles about the city, but it just wouldn't be the same. He visited this one, and now it's gone.

Sigh. (4 Alarm Fire Leaves Small Businesses In Ruins) KGO 7

I am again reminded... take not one moment, place, opportunity, stalking or admiring for granted. Grab life, fun, and adventure and hold on tight.

Today is Alan's and my 22nd Wedding Anniversary... and it's been the best adventure ever!

 

"Life is full of misery, loneliness and suffering... and it's all over much too soon."
~Woody Allen

LOL

I love you Alan!

~Me :)

Now, go have a look see at what our friend JR is up to.

JR
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-153.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 154~ Big Leaf Maple

"Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing."

~Abraham Lincoln

Let the leaf peeping begin! Here we have Big Leaf Maple. Apple Hill is gorgeous with them!  :)

Time honored, beautiful, solemn and wise.
Noble, sacred and ancient
Trees reach the highest heavens and penetrate the deepest secrets of the earth.
Trees are the largest living beings on this planet.
Trees are in communion with the spiritual and the material.
Trees guard the forests and the sanctified places that must not be spoiled.
Trees watch over us and provide us with what we need to live on this planet.
Trees provide a focal point for meditation, enlightenment, guidance and inspiration.
Trees have a soul and a spirit.

~Tree Magick by Lavenderwater

Coming soon...

The Duck amphibious water/land tour.
The coastal bay cruise.
The botanical garden in Glen Ellen.
The airplane bay tour.
And more!

Stay Tuned!

~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-152.html

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

A Photo For 6 Months: Day 152~ ... Said The Bitch To The PussyFighter

"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue."

~Dorothy Parker

 

Not everybody thinks I am the bees knees. But that's okay. I would rather go to my grave being called a BITCH than being called a doormat, or worse, a PUSSYFIGHTER! I have a neighbor who likes to try and play neighbor against neighbor. He talks to some of us like we are dirt. If he sees something he wants, like someone else's parking place, he takes it. He let's his dog bark for sometimes 8 hours at a time, knowing how unsettling it can be. He has been told... many, many times to put the dog in when he leaves by the property management, but he doesn't and in fact never even tries to quiet the dog, now that he knows it disturbs some of us. Late last summer I had finally had enough, and told him off... loudly...with verbs and nouns...maybe even a expletive or two...or three.

 It was accurate, and no one came to his rescue. Lawnmowers stopped mowing. Birds stopped birding. Dogs stopped barking. It just got quiet. Really, really quiet. Later that day I found a booklet from the Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on my doorstep, and I am pretty sure I hear the Ethereal Musician playing The Bitch Is Back on his saxophone. LOL. Not kidding. So, when I saw this fabric the other day at the fabric store, I just knew I had to have it! I think it would make a nice skirt. And fair warning.

Now, for why I call him a PUSSYFIGHTER. He is a little over 30 and by the time I was done telling him off, he had called his mother to call me and tell me off. She didn't get very far.

He is renting his own apartment and he had to call... his mother?

I am not a confrontational person. Neither is Alan. If things could have been handled differently, it's the way we would have preferred to go, but I it wasn't working out being reasonable. Should I have let the brat bug me to that point? No. Would I change anything? No. Bottom lining things, I would rather die someday with self esteem against a bully, then have the word DOORMAT written in my obituary one day. 

It was the first argument I have had with a neighbor... ever! And now I carry the name BITCH.

Good For Me! :)

"Don't look at me in that tone of voice."

~Dorothy Parker


~ME :)


Today's Link Comes To Us From My Friend JR. :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-150.html

A Photo A day For 6 Months: Day 151~ A Tale Of Two October Cities

"There is something in October that sets the gypsy blood astir. We must rise and follow her, when from every hill of flame, she calls and calls each vagabond by name."

~William Bliss Carman

City One: Half Moon Bay

Pumpkins from Apple Hill. This years crop looked especially colorful, and a bit larger than last year. I keep expecting to see an Apple Hill pumpkin win biggest pumpkin in the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin weigh-off, but alas the official pumpkin this year was grown in Oregon, and weighed in at 1,775 lbs. The Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is next weekend, and we haven't decided if we are going yet, but we will be in Half Moon Bay sometime before the end of October, and I am really looking forward to seeing the winning pumpkin in person. I will have to try adding pumpkins to my garden next year, we'll see.

:)



"A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night."

~J.M. Barrie

City Two: Zanesville Ohio

About 18 years ago, Alan and I flew to the east coast to spend October with family. His parents had moved back there about a year earlier, and we missed them terribly, so what better way to spend our favorite month than by spending our favorite month with them. The autumn in Ohio was amazing! Crimson, deep gold and hints of purple filled the landscape. I took a lot of pictures with my old film camera, and each one told a tale all on it's own.

One late Sunday afternoon, Alan and I went out for a ride. It was just the two of us, looking for adventure with our cameras, when sure enough... we found it! We came to the end of a road near Zanesville, Ohio, that gave us a choice. Would we take the safe road, or would we continue our journey down a road that at least hints at it's own possible evil ends?

Someday I will share what we decided, but for now, tell me, how many roads have you been on in life that gave you such an honest choice?

Possibly Safe?

Possibly Evil?

What to do... What to do?

~Bwahahahahahahahahaha

~Me :)

Today's Link is from my pal JR. Thanks JR for your continued participation! You're the best!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-149.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 150~ The First Bite

"Ducking for apples... change one letter and it's the story of my life."

~Dorothy Parker

Alan and I went to Apple Hill last week, guess which bite of autumn we tried first?

That's right... a crisp, fresh Gala apple. Next came a ripe, sweet, juicy, insanely delicious Bartlet pear.

I love this season.

More to come... stay tuned.

~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-148.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 149~ Fleet Week San Francisco

"No city invites the heart to come to life as San Francisco does. Arrival in San Francisco is an experience in living."

~William Saroyan

It's Fleet Week in San Francisco! But it's also the America's Cup race. As if that weren't enough, the Bay Area is also celebrating the A's and Giants in the post season, plus there is a 49ers game scheduled for Sunday...GO BILLS! LOL. Now if none of that is your cup of tea, up in Golden Gate park is the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. Whew! I didn't mention it a few days ago when I listed some of the outings Alan and I have planned, because I wasn't completely sure we would be attending this year, but I have to say, after being so tired last year, from the Fibro and the thyroid problems, NOTHING was going to keep me and my camera from making a day of it! NOTHING!

The last time I saw the Blue Angels was when I was a child and my dad took me to see them at an Open House on the Alameda Navel Base. I could almost feel him beside me today. We both loved ships and the sea, but the Blue Angels is just amazingly awesome! Dad was an aircraft mechanic, and he said he knew which bolt on a plane had to come off to bring the whole thing down... needless to say he never flew, but he enjoyed seeing military aircraft at their best. The Blue Angels is just that! So, only a few words from me tonight, instead I am sharing all the fun I had yesterday through pictures. Enjoy!

Scenes From Fleet Week...


















It was a good day!

By The Way... The Events I Listed At The Top Of The Blog Post Is Just The Start. Click To See A Full List! 

~Me :)

Today's Link Comes From My Pal JR! Go Say HI! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-147.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 148~ RRC: Tell Me A Story

"A garden is a friend you can visit anytime."

~ Unknown

RRC: Tell Me A Story

 

Some years back, after an especially stressful day, I decided to create a Zen garden. By Zen garden, I simply mean that I wanted to create an area that would bring about thoughts of peace and tranquility. I had a basic plan in my mind. The area would be sectioned off by a small garden fence and there would be some flowers, such as stock, baby carnations, and roses that would fill the area with a spicy comforting scent. Stock and baby carnations both carry a heavy cinnamon/nutmeg scent, as do certain types of roses. I decided to make the center of the garden the focal point, by planting a Japanese maple tree. I found one that transitions from a deep crimson red in spring, to a bright copper color in autumn. That tree gives me the feeling of autumn all year long. And it has a name.



I call him Paul. After the man who owned the cottage we live in.



When we first moved in here, 12 years ago, it was under some extremely stressful circumstances. Alan and I were tired and a little shell shocked from life and all the fun curves it can throw you. We had seen some places, but frankly, from the minute Alan and I saw the cottage, we knew we had found our home. I don't own the cottage, we are merely renters, but it feels like it was waiting for us somehow.

 

 Paul was happy to rent to us, and in his time as our landlord/owner of the property, he stayed on top of things until just a couple months before his passing in 2009. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, and in the fours years after it had turned into 5 different kinds of cancer that slowly and painfully ravaged his body. I remember one of our last conversations, he called to be sure we were all set and didn't need any repairs. He always ended his conversations with me... "Thank you dear." Like I was his daughter. He was a special man.

So with Paul the tree in the center, I have planted a nice variety of fragrant, long blooming, beautiful roses. It is a pleasant place to sit, and watch the leaves turn, and see the different native birds to the area build their nests, and the butterflies and dragonflies bounce about, and occasionally, there might be a neighborhood cat or two who will come by and rest for a while among the flowers. I know my Elvis would have loved this place, he was always crazy about scents of all kinds. He taught me about stopping to smell the roses. It's true. I have a rose in the garden that I know he would have loved for its especially spicy scent.

 

There is a special rose in the garden for each of the friends and those I have loved who are no longer on earth. And when I spend time caring for them, or appreciating them, I feel especially close to those who have moved on.

Sometimes I still hear the ethereal musician off somewhere in the hills playing his music on his saxophone. After all these years, we still can't tell where the music is coming from, but I have giving up caring about that, I am instead just happy that as much things change, at least that is still a part of my day to day life... hearing whatever song the mysterious saxophone player wants to share. Its just all a part of my life... living here... in a small cottage in the East Bay hills.

 

About a year ago, the property was sold to new owners, and there is the possibility that I may have to move. It breaks my heart, but sometimes life pushes you through new doors. It's just the way it is. If I hadn't been pushed through a new door in 2001, I wouldn't be sharing about my garden in this post. But I am not going to fret about the future, right now, I am home, and all is well.

"Earth is so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe, and she laughs with a harvest."

~Douglas William Jerrold

Now that you have visited my blog, be sure to visit all the participants of the RRC! Just clink the link at the top of the post to be redirected to the official Round Robin Blog. That's where you will find the links and all the information you need to play along!

And also pay a visit to my friend JR. He has been a loyal participant in my A Photo A Day For 6 Months project, and he is an awesome photographer! If you haven't had the chance to pay him a visit, you should! He's fun!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-146.html

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 147~ Fruits Of The Harvest

"Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle."

~Paulo Coelho, Brida



Yesterday Alan and I went to Apple Hill. I found out about the amazing area quite by accident one day when searching online for recipes for apple pie. Situated in the Sierra foothills, just above Placerville, Apple Hill is a favorite autumn harvest destination for any apple and autumn fruits enthusiast in Northern California. At first glance, one would think the region is all about the apples, but indeed there are many delicious reasons to long for autumn. My favorite thing is the amazing apple cider donuts, from Rainbow Orchard in Apple Hill. Cooked to order, and served warm with sugar sprinkled on top, they simply melt with spicy goodness in your mouth. Wineries are quite plentiful also, and lots and lots of colorful grapes still on the vine dot the landscape. It is an amazing sight to see the small hills of the area completely covered in deep purple, ripe grapes.

 

Everything about Apple Hill is photogenic, from the pumpkins to the many varieties of apples... the whole area is absolutely beautiful! I will be posting more photos of our trip to Apple Hill on Sunday. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the next we play another round of the Round Robin Challenges. This time out the subject is "Tell Me A Story." I know Karen would love to have you join in the fun. Click the link below to be redirected to the official Round Robin blog.

Round Robin Challenge: Tell Me A Story



Stay Tuned...
There's More Apple Hill To Come

~Me :)

Now, be sure to stop by and say hello to my pal JR. He's an awesome photographer!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-145.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 146~ Motion Sickness

"The true measure of a man is not what he dreams, but what he aspires to be; a dream is nothing without action. Whether one fails or succeeds is irrelevant; all that matters is that there was motion in his life. That alone affects the world."

~Mike Norton, White Mountain

Did you see the presidential debate tonight?

Personally, I found it breathtaking. It was like some kind of a weird nightmare after eating too much chili and ice cream. Obama was like something out of a 50's Science Fiction movie. You know something like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Or maybe he just showed us the closest look at his true self that we have ever seen. All I know is... at 5:45 pm Big Bird's job was safe, but by the time it was all over, Big Bird is applying for unemployment. Was he the 47% Romney was talking about?

Wait, what's that?

Oh... lookie there...

I think I have the tred marks from a bus on my back.

Damn, I always liked that sweater.

SHIT!

Don't know what to say.

But I know one thing, I am not looking forward to the next month or so.

Damn scary world... and getting more so all the time.

Thank GOD for my camera.

Because I just can't look anymore.

"Never mistake motion for action."

~Ernest Hemingway

~Me :(

Today's Link From My Pal JR...

JR
 http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-144.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 145~ Friendship In Autumn

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

~ Anais Nin, The Diary of Anais Nin, Vol. 1: 1931 - 1934

 

I have a lot on my mind this week. I am happy about vacation, I have really needed it this year, but as happy as I am about this time of rest and relaxation, I am also very sad, remembering my friend Steven and my cat Elvis, both having passed from life, and my life, way too soon.

Elvis passed away on October 8 2008. He was 11 1/2 years old, and the kitty love of my life. Smart. Funny. Determined. Understanding. Loving. Giving. Considerate. Charming. Quirky. Chauvinistic.Commanding. Confident. Compassionate. Loyal. Gentle. Womanizer. And there are many more single words that could describe him, but I will leave it here. These were his main traits. I miss him so much, sometimes I can barely breathe, but at the same time I know he is on the other side of life and fate, and he is happy, and he is cancer free. For that I am grateful, but at the same time not a day in 4 years has gone by that I don't think about him... and miss his silly ways.

 

 Steven and I met when we both had our blogs on AOL Journals. We became good friends. We both shared a big love of photography, and often shared our latest photos with each other. We had a twice yearly challenge between us. On Memorial Day weekend it was "Hamburger Day." A fun little challenge to see who could produce the most photogenic, and of course, best tasting hamburger in the land.

It was fun.

Every October 30th, Steven and I played a very different challenge... Haunted Refrigerator Night. I looked it up, and yep it is a genuine Wacky Holiday. And again, we had tons of fun with it. Sometimes I went for ultra spooky, sometimes silly and spooky, sometimes a little of both. :) I miss those times with Steven... I miss his friendship. His counseling. His suggestions about my photos. His understanding. He is willingness to be a friend when I needed one, and his ability to step back when I just needed to be quiet. When Alan tried his hand at photo blogging, Steven was the first AOL Journals friend to welcome him. That meant a lot to me, and it was fun to watch he and Alan become pals.

 

Steven had a cat named Pickle. Pickle and my cat Elvis became Internet friends. LOL. The two would cross post photos of themselves when the opportunity arose. During the 2008 primary season, Pickle and Elvis debated on who would make the better democratic candidate for the office of President. As we get closer to the election time, I might rerun Elvis's stance. It was a humorous post, with some serious undertones. Anyway, Pickle also had his say... it was a great way to open a dialog about the future. I wish I would have saved Pickles response, as Steven's blog has been closed and I will never get to read it again. That picture above was a gift from Steven, he emailed it to me that summer, I am so glad I saved it to a special drive on the computer.

On the day I wrote my post about Elvis's diagnosis with cancer, Steven confided that Pickle was also sick. Not with cancer, but rather because of his age... kidney failure. Pickle was 17 and he had lived a long life. So, between the the spring of 2008 and the early autumn of that year, Steven and I shared our heartbreak, and it made it all a little easier to take. Both of us lost our pets that year, and I think something in both of us died a little with our kitties. Alan and I adopted Hendrix and Dylan fairly soon after Elvis passed away, and while it didn't make the grieving hurt less, it did open this other bright sunny window that I think helped me cope a little better.

Today would have been my friend Steven's birthday. It feels strange to not be able to send him a card. He passed away a few days after his birthday in 2009. One's birthday and death should never come in the same week methinks.

I miss my friend.

But I can also hear him say... "Go find the photo." :) Like he is still here. I guess in a lot of ways... he still is.

Happy Birthday Steven.

"Words are easy, like the wind; Faithful friends are to find."

~William Shakespeare

~Carly

Today's Link Is From My Pal JR. If You Haven't Had A Chance To See His Marvelous Photography... Go... Shoo... Go See It! :)

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-142.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 144~ Let The Baking Begin!

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap."

~Barbara Jordan

Cookies anyone? These are Lemon Tea Cookies. They go great with milk, and even better with white wine. Go ahead... take one. LOL.

Yesterday was a good day. There were one or two irritating elements to it. Grrr. Nothing a good cookie couldn't fix! :) That's all I needed. 30 minutes of quiet. A homemade lemon cookie and the company of a certain orange tabby cat. I am a simple girl with simple needs.

Life Is Good!

"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand."

~Unknown

~Me :)

And now... today's link to an awesome photo blog authored by my pal JR!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/10/apadf6-141.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 143~ Just Yesterday It Was September

"Outside the leaves on the trees constricted slightly; they were the deep done green of the beginning of autumn. It was a Sunday in September. There would only be four. The clouds were high and the swallows would be here for another month or so before they left for the south, before they returned again next summer."

~Ali Smith, The Whole Story and Other Stories

Where did it go? I know September is around here somewhere! Oh well, another September come and gone, way too fast. I wish time would have moved this fast when I was a kid. There were days back then that seemed like they were 100 hours long. 100 hour long days pretty much transitioned into year long months. LOL. Eventually I hit my 21st birthday, and it's all been a blink since. Even years that I thought would kill me, seem like it was done in a weird kind of slow motion warp drive.
Someday, I must have a talk with GOD about time. This girl has some questions. Oh well, on to October...

See the photo composite above, that is something new I am thinking about doing on the first day of each month. Like the one above, I will post a picture featuring my favorite photos from the previous month. It's just my way of looking back on what I was seeing. The moments that I found some sort of inspiration in. I hate looking into my archive from previous years, and not know the exact reason I was drawn to a particular scene. Recently, I found a wonderful, free, photo editing software on the net called Photoscape. For a free program, it has a lot of cool features, one of them being the ability to put different photos together in a set, with little effort. If you are looking for a new photo editing program, its definitely worth checking out.

Let me know what you think about the monthly look backs. If you would like to join me on the first of each month, I would love to see your photo sets, and hear about why you chose the photos you did.

October, and the early part of November, will be a busy time with the cameras. In that the trees have already begun to show their Autumn colors, I predict that there will be a lot to see and photograph in the next 40 days or so. I feel all kinds of happy inside, and I am excited to see what's waiting for me. :) And now, a preview. I took these photos just last night.

Signs of Things To Come...

I love the color purple in Autumn.

 

I see Autumn everywhere, or does Autumn see me? Do you see the EYE of Autumn?



~Me :)

Today's Link...

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-140.html

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 142~ Vacation... All I Ever Wanted

"A leaf fluttered in through the window this morning, as if supported by the rays of the sun, a bird settled on the fire escape, joy in the task of coffee, joy accompanied me as I walked... "

~Anais Nin

Tomorrow, at exactly 6:00 AM, Alan and I will officially begin our 5 weeks of vacation. We have an amazingly full schedule this year, which is fantastic, because it feels like forever since we have been able to take a big bite out of autumn. Our 22nd wedding anniversary is on October 13th. 22 years? How could it have already been 22 years? Like any other marriage, we have had the same ups and downs as most people I think. We have had some lows that I didn't think we could possibly pull out of, well I actually mean I wouldn't be able to pull out of, but sure enough if you can find a way to ignore the people and things that work to cause you pain, it makes it all the more sweeter to get to the other side of pain. Of course it helps to know that love is waiting... and keeping faith in you... and encouraging you. Yeah, I know I am lucky... believe me... I thank GOD for my guy, and wonder, what did I do to be so blessed?

So, on with the Itinerary...

Apple Hill (If you live in Northern California, it's a MUST!).
A sightseeing trip of San Francisco Bay from a small plane.
A day pass to a gorgeous Quarryhill botanical garden in Glen Ellen (autumn leaves and vineyards).
A sightseeing tour of the landmarks of San Francisco and the bay on the Ride The Ducks amphibious tour.
A trip to Pacific Grove AKA Butterfly Town USA. And the 17 Mile Drive.
And last but not least... Celebrating the turning of the leaves in Plumas County.

All that plus...

Pastorino's Pumpkin Patch in Half Moon Bay on Family Day (Our own made up holiday)
Halloween
And our plans are always subject to sudden changes, so there might be more events and outings added.
And let's not forget all the fun of a National Election! LOL.

***Spoiler Alert***

As I write this blog post, President Obama pretty much has it cinched! LOL. But you never know!

I think I am already tired. LOL. So, sshhhh... don't tell my Fibromyalgia.

YIKES! Wish me luck... okay?

~Me :)

If you haven't visited my friend JR's blog yet, go do so now. His photography is awesome!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/09/apadf6-138.html