The Artist

  "The artist is the receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper a from a passing shape, spider's web."

~Pablo Picasso

Beautiful, isn't it? I am terrified of spiders, but that has never prevented me from admiring their architecture, or their tenacity to build and rebuild their lives, when someone, or something, knocks their world out from underneath them! It's instinctual for them, but it is probably difficult nonetheless, to deal with their occasional adversity, and yet they go on living their lives, however short it might be! They are lucky enough to be, to a degree, an artist of their own existence, without fear of failure. I fear them, but I respect and appreciate them as well! If you find this photograph even remotely interesting, or artistic, thank the spider, because I had nothing to do with it's beauty! I am not the artist here, all I did was save the moment, to remind myself, we can rebuild, and reinvent ourselves, even after the toughest loss!

#29 Leaf Of The Day

October 29th, 2017

Cull Canyon

Mood: Creative

~Me :)

October Days And Falling Leaves

 "October made the leaves on Main Street fit for a crown. They dripped from the trees in jewel-toned shades:

 yellow and orange and fiery red. The cool wind sent a confetti-cluster of leaves down around us."

~Natalie Lloyd

Untitled

My posts have been pretty autumn heavy this month, so I thought I would share the incredible beauty that is San Francisco! I missed Berkeley so much the other day, that my heart was literally aching, and no trip to Berkeley would be complete without a photo of San Francisco, as seen from Grizzly Peak Boulevard! The sun was setting, and the lights downtown weren't all on yet, but as you can see, that only gave it a wonderful pumpkin glow! The air has been heavy with smoke from the North Bay fires, and a "Spare the Air" day was in affect, but it made the city, and the sunset in general so beautiful, in a somewhat melancholy manner. Still, just seeing my beautiful city, made my heart happy!

#28 Leaf Of The Day

October 28th, 2017

Berkeley, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

A World Full Of Beautiful Adventures

Cull Canyon

Castro Valley, California

October 26th 2017 

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

~L. M. Montgomery

Anne Of Green Gables

October is almost over, but it isn't going quietly! It's singing loud with color, especially in the last week or so! I think he have hit the top of the season, and while I have captured a lot of golden lemon drop leaves, I think the deep reds and purples are winning the competition, for the most beautiful of the leaves! But keep in mind, I haven't been to Nevada yet, and there is still amazing beauty to find!

"October had tremendous possibility. The summer's oppressive heat was a distant memory, and the golden leaves promised a world full of beautiful adventures. They made me believe in miracles."

~Sarah Guillory 

Reclaimed

Tilden Little Farm

Berkeley, California

 #27 Leaf Of The Day

October 27th 2017

Tilden Little Farm

Berkeley, California 

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Autumn Stairs

"It looked like the world was covered

 in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon."

~Sarah Addison Allen

First Frost

We took a ride yesterday to the Central Valley town of Knight's Ferry. It was such a beautifully warm autumn day, that we couldn't resist getting out of the house to soak up some autumn light! While Knight's Ferry doesn't offer a lot of autumn color, as far as the trees go, there were a few here and there that had some amazing color. We are almost at the halfway point of the autumn season, so I thought I would photograph these stairs, because it just seemed like a perfect metaphor for where we are in the season!

The town of Knight's Ferry is so quaint, that it would fill several posts to give you a proper look at it! I took a lot of photos around town, so I will be saying more about this place, and it's history as we move through autumn. It has a rich past and it is very enjoyable to visit. It's truly like walking into the past! This post is all about the cinnamon cobbler stairs we came across, but stay tuned, there is plenty more to come about the town of Knight's Ferry!

 #26 Leaf Of The Day

October 26th 2017

Knight's Ferry, California

Mood: Happy

 ~Me :)

 

Let The Cauldron Bubble

"The coldest day in fall

is at the Hallows Evening ball

where ghoulish fun avoids the sun

as monsters mingle wall to wall." 

~Richelle E. Goodrich

 Slaying Dragons

Halloween is coming soon, and the weather in the Bay Area, and the Central Valley, has been unseasonably warm. The only thing that really points to the fact that we are in autumn, is the early evenings, and the cool air as night falls.

We haven't decided yet if we will be home passing out yummy treats, or if we will haunt some of our favorite places like San Francisco, which is weird and fun any day of the year, but particularly interesting on Halloween!

A friend once suggested Santa Cruz for a really ghoulish time, and it's a fun thought because the vampire film, The Lost Boys, was filmed around the city, and at the boardwalk. Alan proposed to me there, on the beautiful carousel, so it could be a lot of fun, but it would be quite a drive back home!

It doesn't really matter where we celebrate I guess. If at home, we will probably do an all day marathon of our favorite thriller/chiller movies, and hand out candy! And if we go out, you know we will have a good time watching the ghosties and ghoulies pass by us, and wonder if there might be a real supernatural enitiy among them.

Yes. Okay. I do believe in ghosties. I do believe in demons and devils, but I also believe in Krampus, and Santa Claus and that I have a guardian angel! I believe in curses, and I think it might be possible that there is a thinning between this world and the next on Halloween. After all we don't know everything about how the universe works!

I am not completely hopeless though, I do have some lines I draw regarding legends and "what ifs." I don't believe at all in the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth fairy! Leprechauns are a fun thought, but nope, they aren't real, and neither is Bigfoot. I think the Loch Ness could be possible, but mermaids... no way... but I confess, I do love the story of the mermaid Ondine.

By definition, UFO's absolutely exist. Unidentified Flying Object doesn't necessarily mean little green men! That would be ridiculous! But now the grey aliens... that's totally a thing! Absolutely! End of discussion! Have you heard of Betty and Barney Hill? And demons can possess things, which is why I don't frequent yard sales! Not that I would buy a doll that looked like Annabell, but who needs a table lamp that plots against you? Just ask Lorraine Warren!

How about you? Do you believe in the paranormal?

Do you at least contemplate the possibilities?

Have you ever seen a ghost?

How about a UFO?

A haunted doll?

Anything?

:)

 

 #26 Leaf Of The Day

October 26th 2017

Apple Hill, Ca

Mood: Happy/Playful

~Me :) 

Chasing Autumn

 "It takes a strong man to be with a

 woman full of fire and stars and all of October."

~Melody Lee

Every October, Alan takes me from one autumn tree, to the next, and never laughs as I point at each one and spout the same words, "hey look... a tree!" He loves autumn as much as I do, which is why he proposed to me on a warm, October day, in 1989. As we sat at the restaurant, looking through dates on the calendar, we had thought an engagement of a year would be perfect, as it takes a long time to plan a wedding! We both wanted October 31st, Halloween, as our wedding day, because it's our favorite holiday, but, alas, it was going to be on a weekday, a Wednesday, I believe, so we went with our second choice, October 13th! Perfect! Especially since 13 happens our favorite number!

Some folks might not trust the 13th of any month for a wedding, but I know it was a lucky day for us! It was warm, and the sun was shining so lovely, and all was right with the world! 27 years later, we are more in love now, than we were all those years ago, and that love continues to grow, even as I sigh from autumn tree, to autumn tree, and behave like I have never seen leaves of crimson and cinnamon, and all the other shades that make this autumn sing for joy, and love!Its ridiculous how happy this season makes me, and it's ridiculous how much I'm loved! And it's ridiculous how much I love Alan and autumn, and, well, the leaves!

#24 Leaf Of The Day

October 24th, 2017

Cull Canyon

 Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Family Day 2017

"If you move faster than the music, it will look strange; if you move slower than the music, it will look strange! Be like autumn leaves which follow exactly to the rhythm of the wind!"

~Mehmet Murat ildan

I am only posting a Leaf Of The Day today, because we are going on our official Family Day outing! Family Day has been a family tradition since we got married on October 13th, 1990. As newlyweds, we had planned to have a child or two, and so we decided because young children might not understand a wedding anniversary is mostly for mom and dad, we created a special day, October 23rd, made it our own Family Day that the whole family would enjoy!

We were inspired to create that day, because as Alan and I were honeymooning in Half Moon Bay, when we happened to meet Joe Montana and his wife Jennifer at Pastorino's Pumpkin patch. They were there with their children, enjoying their family day, and they were having such a good time choosing pumpkins and enjoying a hay ride and pumpkin pie, that it was more than just a little heart warming! And a new holiday was born, Family Day!

Well, we were never lucky enough to have human children, but we did have little fur babies that fill our hearts! Our cat, Elvis, was my baby, but he was Alan's best friend! When he passed away, and we were so lonely for the sound of little bells running through the house, along came Hendrix and Dylan... and a few years later... Joey! Joey was a surprise! We had our little family, and then one day Alan found Joey, who had been abandoned on the San Mateo bridge. He was cold, underweight, and injured by some crows who were trying to fly off with him!

He was so scared and so tiny, that we couldn't help but fall in love with him! That happens sometimes to couples who have human children too. You think you have a full family, and then one day you find out there is one more ready to join your family and be loved. But it's really quite the same... love is love. And while our family is a little unconventional, its ours, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

The cats don't come with us, of course, but when we get home there are new treats and a new catnip mouse for each, and they get to have bites of baked yams, which all three boys enjoy, and is fine for cats in proper amounts, and lots of snuggles! Sometimes balloons and a game of laser mouse makes for a fun time. But earlier in the day, it's just Alan and I, in Half Moon Bay, reminiscing about our honeymoon, and the long road that lead us to this Family Day... October 23rd, 2017! 

Mood: Happy

~Me

A Face In The Crowd: Preston Castle

"Normal is an illusion. What's normal for the spider

 is chaos for the fly." 

~Morticia Adams

That beautiful Romanesque building is Preston Castle, in the small city of Ione, California. It is rumored to be haunted, and I believe the stories of cries, strange sounds and moans are real, and from the ghosts who live there now. It was once a boys reformatory, where young boys were sent, from all around the state, to serve sentences for various crimes, or sometimes when they had simply been made wards of the court. 

Terrible abuses took place at this prison, the unthinkable really, and it is said now that the spirits of these children haunt the halls and rooms of Preston Castle, as does a nurse who was murdered there. Alan and I paid a visit to the place about a week ago, and let me tell you, while we didn't go in, just standing on the grounds and looking up at the main building gave me the shivers! It is quite eerie and imposing.

Sometime, maybe next year, Alan and I should sign up for one of their October ghost tours. I didn't prepare for it in time this year to get a reservation in, but I have always wanted to go on a ghost hunt, so you can bet I will be trying for next year! I believe in ghosts, and I have had more than one experience with the paranormal. Actually, I hate that word "paranormal" it has such a negative association. 

Paranormal simply means we haven't discovered why certain things, that don't seem to belong in the natural world, somehow do. Science just needs a little while longer to figure it out, but with so many other things to work on, like cancer, and climate change, other diseases, and all the other things that benefit the living, the research continues, but the supernatural and paranormal, understandably, need to take a back seat. I suppose the dead can wait!

 But boy would I like to be there when a definite connection is made between the living and spirits or ghosts. Irrefutable proof of the existence of ghosts, would make me feel a lot better about some of the experiences I have had, since childhood, that you wouldn't believe me about, if I described them to you in exact detail! But its okay... I know they happened. And one day... I can say, yep, I knew it was true! I did see a ghost that day!

 The castle is kinda spooky, and I always feel a little sad when I look at it, thinking about how those children were abused and hurt, but the grounds around the building are beautiful, and quite pleasant. This tree lines the road leading away from the castle, towards the exit of the property. Beautiful trees, and lots of birds. If one didn't realize the past this places has, it might just seem like a beautiful place to hold a party, maybe even a wedding! But was we came to the end of the driveway, Alan glanced out the window and noticed this...

The long rock wall that lines the property, is a gorgeous mix of different rocks, but on the last group, was one particular rock that seems, well, to show a ghostly face! I know... it's just a rock, and I know that seeing faces, where there are none, is a phenomenon called Paredolia. I even have a whole album of "faces" that I have photographed over the years, called "A Face In The Crowd!" Everyone sees them from time to time, but the other day, when we saw this one, I got a chill down my spine! It was downright spooky to have chills, in 85 degree heat!

Tell me, have you ever seen a ghost? Or thought you had?

 #22 Leaf Of The Day

October 22nd 2017

Cull Canyon, California

 

"Maybe before you die, it's your ghost you see."

~Lauren Oliver 

Mood: Curious

~Me :)

We The Observers

"Autumn writes her own poetry, we are merely observers."

~Terri Guillemets

Autumn is suddenly bursting with color! Every color imaginable. And that slight chill of just a week ago, has transitioned to sweater weather! I love sweater weather! I got out all my favorite winter clothes this week, and filled the pantry with apple cider and mulling spices, and all the things that make this time of year spicy and delicious! I am ready for long car rides to the north, and western Sierra. And maybe Yosemite and June Lake. And, of course, to Monterey and Pacific Grove to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary! That is a lot of traveling, but we have so much fun, and just look at that sky! Breathtaking! 

I am happy to be an autumn observer! I pack a picnic lunch for Alan and I, grab the tripod, a blanket, and my favorite sweater, and off we go! Happiness and the natural beauty of autumn! If there is a Heaven, there will cats, and autumn!

 #21 The Leaf Of The Day

October 21st 2017

Camino, California

 Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Acorn Woodpecker

"In order to see birds it is necessary

 to become a part of the silence."

~Robert Lynd

That pretty bird, is a female Acorn Woodpecker. It is a new bird for my album of birds, and I spotted it on a trip through Ione, on our way to Placerville, last Wednesday afternoon. It's one of the smallest woodpeckers I photographed, but it might just be one of  the most colorful ones! I was very happy to see such a lovely creature, and I am hoping to do a little more bird hunting while we are on vacation. I have always wanted to photograph an owl in the wild, but haven't had the chance, maybe this vacation I will get lucky and spot one! Fingers crossed!

And speaking of colorful... isn't this color amazing? This is a vineyard in Camino, California, in the Apple Hill region! I absolutely love this beautiful burst of autumn colors! While there are only a few trees in Apple Hill that actually produce autumn colors, the vineyards more than make up for it with beautiful rolling hills that look like this! Oh my, I could look at it forever! 

#20 Leaf Of The Day

October 20th 2017

Camino, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

A Feast For The Soul

"****A Small Theory****

"People observe the colors of a day only at it's beginnings and at its ends, but to me it's quite clear that a day merges through a multitude of shades and intonations with each passing moment. 

A single hour can consist of thousands of different colors. Waxy yellows, cloud-spat blues. Murky darknesses. In my line of work, I make it a point to notice them."

~Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

This week has definitely been all about the color! Great big glorious color! Autumn is shining bright and beautiful from the Central Valley, all the way up to Placerville! It's so beautiful! Yesterday we went to Apple Hill, for our annual trip to Rainbow Orchards, for Apple Cider doughnuts, and in addition to the tasty treats, we found a lot of beautiful color! The whole trip was a feast for the soul! Doughnuts filled with the taste of cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, and of course, fresh apple juice! And the trees with every single color possible, and to make the whole thing complete, tasty fruit and veggies from right here in the valley!

 

Delicious. Spicy. Gorgeous. Tasty. Autumn!

#19 Leaf Of The Day

October 19th 2017

Camino, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Tree Within The Tree

"When your heart jumps

 every time your camera locks focus...

 you've become a photographer!"

~Mark Denman

The other day, while Alan and I were bouncing from fruit stand to fruit stand, throughout the Central Valley, we happened by one stand that was selling firewood, and I spotted this piece of wood. It was really dry, and covered with spider webs, dust and dry bark, but the pattern on the inside made me smile. I see in that pattern, an almost snapshot of a once beautiful tree, with many beautiful branches, standing tall an proud, maybe even covered with beautiful autumn leaves. I bet in it's day it filled the heart of those who viewed it, or relied on it for income, as so many do in the valley!

Walnuts, apricots, apples... we got almost everything out here. And now, it will be sold to provide warmth for someone! It's a wonderful end to it's life I think. I know seeing it inspired me and I really enjoyed the chance to see the tree within the tree! It was kinda like seeing it's soul! When I have my camera in my hand, I always try to see beyond the obvious, or the seemingly trivial, and it's brought me some amazing epiphanies and observations, and I have my camera to thank for that!

#18 Leaf Of The Day

October 18th 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

In The Midnight Hour

"The house smelled musty and damp, and a little sweet, as if it were haunted by the ghosts of long-dead cookies."

~Neil Gaiman

American Gods

I love a dark spooky ghoul! I love driving late at night, and looking a holiday decorations around the neighborhood! I have seen some pretty great Halloween decorations, but this one got by me. This one was spotted by Alan, a few nights ago, while on his way home. It changes colors from purple to black and white. I photographed both versions, but I think it looked best in black/white! It certainly seems more spooky to me this way!

I grew up watching spooky old black & white movies, like The Innocents, Psycho, and the original Village Of The Damned! Although, I have to admit, I loved the Christopher Reeve color version too! But there is just nothing like those great old Hollywood thrillers and chillers. Vincent Price, John Carradine, and Lon Chaney really brought the chills! Those old movies may not be sophisticated by today's standards, but they will always be a big part of Halloween at our house! 

#17 Leaf Of The Day

October 17th, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)