Her Happiest Season

 "Autumn was her happiest season. There was an expectancy about it's sounds and shapes: the distant thunk pomp of leather and young bodies on the practice field near her house made her think of bands and cold Coca-Cola, parched peanuts and the sight of people's breath in the air. There was even something to look forward to when school started... renewals of old feuds and friendships, weeks of learning again what one half forgot in the long summer. Fall was hot... supper time with everything to eat one missed in the morning when too sleepy to enjoy it."

~Harper Lee

Go Set A Watchman

Look at that sunset. I took that photo, as the sun was setting over the Altamont Pass, at the end of a very good day. It was December 5th, a beautiful day, that had all of the gifts autumn could possibly provide. We were on our way home from the Bay Area, after a long day out, and I was tired from the day, which is a good thing, but I just had to have that sunset. Spending a day with the camera makes me happy, but spending the day with the camera, and returning home tired from it, makes me ecstatic! It means I saw beauty, and even if I only manage to refill my file only a bit, I am usually happy, because it means I took my time and really put thought into my surroundings. 

 

You would think that would be a given... right? Well, yes and no. Sometimes I just can't break through my own relentless head noise. And sometimes the ambient light looks one way in the car, and another way at curbside or even deep on the rice patties, depending on if I am photographing some curbside art, autumn leaves, or Sandhill Cranes. Photography is never the same twice. You can prep in a general sense, but I can't count the number of times I have packed all my requirement. Light meters. Tripods. Cameras. Headed for a location, only to find that I had to fight some unforeseen circumstance, be it natural or man-made. Self made catastrophes happen too, like forgetting my small wallet that contains extra SD cards. That's happened an embarrassing amount of times. That's the difference between an amateur and pro, I guess. But, even with all of the work, mental and physical, it's worth it, no matter what season we are in!

Every year I photograph somewhere between 100 and 500 autumn leaves. About 91 become, Leaves Of The Day, and the remaining are used in other projects, while some are never featured anywhere. Last year was a really difficult year for my project. I couldn't find much color during autumn, in fact most of it took place during winter of this year. It was such a difficult year I wasn't sure we would get through it, but we did, and I was glad I had saved some leaves back in case. This year was a much different story, and I have decided that beginning this year, I will share as many of the unused leaves as possible, because like the featured ones, they are what the life of the year was about. California lost so many trees in 2020, to wildfires, or drought conditions. Climate Change is affecting and diminishing the  color and life of California. It's painful to watch. I don't know what the state will look like in 10 years. It may look more like autumn in upstate New York, which would be amazing, or it could be treeless, I don't know, but one thing is for sure, the state is going through big changes, so the history of autumn 2020 means a lot to me. It is my happiest season.

The Leaves Of Autumn 2020

And Today's Featured Leaf Of The Day

#87

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 17th 2020

 

Pack Up All My Cares And Woes...

"We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why.

 Not until the future eats the present, anyway.

 We know when it's too late."

 

~Stephen King

 11/22/63

 

... Blackbird Bye-Bye

 

 I was in the East Bay last week on business, so I decided to stop in Castro Valley to do some photographs at Cull Canyon Park, and grab a quick bite at the College Avenue Burrito Shop. About half way down Castro Valley Boulevard, I saw this cool lady on a corner, waiting to cross the street. She was a lady of style and sense, who made me smile. I have no idea who she was, or what she found so interesting on her phone, for all I know she was taking my photo, but to see someone like her taking Covid-19 this seriously, with such style, humor and flair, made me feel better for a little while. I have rarely seen folks without their masks in the East Bay, but no fully masked human could beat the impact of this woman's statement of just how easy, and fun, masking up could be. Hey, it looks like Captain Trumps might be around for a while, one doctor recently said we will probably be wearing masks a year from now, so perhaps I need to think outside the deadly virus accessory box. Although, nothing says "out of the box" quiet like wearing a baby bonnet on your face, while shopping at Walmart! Shrug. I'd do it again! LOL!

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 16th 2020

The Wind Takes Everything

 

"In the end, the wind takes everything, doesn't it? And why not? Why other? If the sweetness of our lives did not depart, there would be no sweetness at all."

 

~Stephen King

The Wind Through The Keyhole

 

So much good happened yesterday. An uneventful Electoral College count, with the exception of a rude man attempting to intimidate Stephen King regarding the win of Joe Biden. The rollout of the first Covid-19 vaccine injections and the supply shipment, and at the end of the day, the resignation of Attorney General Bill Barr. Democracy won, and it is the beginning of the end of the monster that has haunted us for the better part of a year. A monster so terrifying, it makes Donald Trump seem like an old and dear friend that you would, and could, trust your last dime to. The monster of Covid-19. As good as yesterday was, along with the sweet came the bitter... we crossed over 300,000 dead in America. Much of it driven by lies, misinformation, and folks unable to give up the urge to gather, despite the Grim Reaper walking past us.

 

According to the Los Angeles Times, the county I live in, San Joaquin, continues to suffer under some of the worst statistics in this state, if not the country, as we have reached zero ICU beds available as of this past weekend, and perhaps as low as minus 30% ICU bed availability by this coming weekend, which is the weekend before Christmas. Sad times. I feel it when I hear about it, or do any research into it, but it's cold outside now, the wind is blowing cold ominous winds across the farm country, and storms are building, which makes it all worse. It's natural for days to grow dark, it's expected this time of year, but this is different, and I don't even have the laughter of leaves to console me. They have fallen, and they, for perhaps the first time since I began my autumn leaf project, are  reminding me of the seasons of my life, and what it means to die. Will I see another autumn on this earth? Or am I an autumn leaf of 2020? Am I the last leaf of the year, unaware that the next cold breath of the wind, will serve as my natural enemy when death comes claiming?

 

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 15th 2020

Seasons And Transitions

 "Speaking of happiness, those distinctive moments are found outdoors... in the autumn and winter and always in the mountains where people are few, wildlife is abundant and there is peace in the quiet."

~Donna Lynn Hope

Autumn is not giving up it's gold and russet without a fight, but I have a feeling, winter isn't going to give autumn one bit of extra time as far as the temperatures go! We have had some really warm and dry winters, but we have already gotten a sizable amount of snow this year in the Sierra. 18 inches in the last couple days at Donner Summit alone! It's okay. I enjoy it when the seasons duke it out during the transition, and no two seasons do it as beautifully as Autumn and Winter. I am a happy girl!

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 14th 2020

This Autumn's Last Gift

 

"I stood in a clearing among a stand of beech trees, leaves as red as rubies, branches black as jet. It was sunset, and shafts of richly colored sunlight struck through the delicate pillars of the tree trunks, as if though the lancet windows of a cathedral."

 

~Kate Forsyth

Bitter Greens

 

In my sadness, I thought that I would probably never see a sunset again, as beautiful as a sunset from way atop Grizzly Peak in Berkeley, or from an unobstructed view of my beautiful Pacific, from Ocean Beach, in San Francisco, but last night the sky burned with every bit as colorful beauty as I have ever seen in those other two places. And it doesn't hurt my heart to say... I am home now. I have found a new creative love in enjoying the birds at the protected areas along the San Joaquin Delta, and my camera has found purpose. And I even have my beloved Mount Diablo to remind me, San Francisco, and all the places that live in heart, aren't so far away, and are just right on the other side of the mountain waiting for me. If I can see Mount Diablo... I am okay. I am Okay. Better yet... I am in love. Autumn 2020 had one last gift for me. My heart is healed.

 

Woodbridge Ecological Reserve

Lodi, California

December 12th, 2020

~Carly

December 12th 2020

Stockton, California

Life Under The Canopy Of Autumn

"The Might of life 

honors the waning sun of autumn

be-decking the landscape 

in a fancy blaze of tangerine."

 

~Tara Estacaan

 

It's basically the last week of autumn and some trees have shed their last leaf, while others are hanging on with overfilled branches of beautiful leaves. So, as sad as I am, I know the post-season of leaves will continue to keep me smiling for at least another month, maybe two! They will get me through until the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20th. Sigh. It's only a little over a month away, 39 days to be exact, but it feels like forever. If only Trump would stop, and autumn play in my mind forever. 

 

Let There Be Light...

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 12th 2020

 

 

Wendy And The Leaves

 

"It was one of those red-gold early October days, the air was crisp and tart, as a heady as applejack and even at dawn the sky was the clear, purplish blue that only the finest of autumn days brings."

 

Joanne Harris

Five Quarters Of The Orange

 

This is Wendy. She is the last of the teddy bear models for 2020. It has been a challenging year for coming up with something different to photograph, and autumn was a challenge, within a challenge. Long drives this year were difficult, because things from county to county were being handled different. Some have restaurants open. Some are observing all the rules, others aren't. But some of the ones who are taking it seriously, have decided on a system of fines for those not wearing masks or being outdoors, engaging in non-essential activities, when told not to. Most don't, but a few can make it bad for everyone.The parks were open, but now you need a reservation to visit Yosemite. It's a headache to do whats right, so I got out the Boyd's Bears collection and tried to do something new. I think it went okay.

 

 I will probably revisit it next year, because I think I can do a lot more with it. I had the idea to maybe feature a honey bear next time, and hopefully get a photo of just the bear's head, with the sun illuminating the crystallized sugar. We will see. The bear with the just the leaves is pretty nice too. The leaves this autumn were lovely, even with all the challenges of the red cast on everything from the wildfires. No need to fret over it, it was a part of this year. It was part of 2020's history, but it feels like we have all been living inside a Stephen King story, and who knows, maybe we have. I am tired. I am sad. I am scared. But I know that autumn will be waiting for me and on, September 22nd 2021, at 3:20 PM EST, I will be there, planning new autumn roads to travel.

~Carly

Stockton California

December 11th 2020

The Great Blue Heron

 

 "Autumn is grey rainy afternoons, and fond memories of raking up leaves into tidy neat piles,

 just to jump in a spread them around again." 

 

~Jason Soroski

 

The Great Blue Heron is one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen, and being able to photograph it, is nothing but a joyful experience. So, you might be able to imagine how happy I was last Sunday, when I came across this one. It was just doing some hunting, in the front yard of a house about a half mile from the Woodbridge Ecological Preserve, in Lodi California. Just minding it's own business, waiting for it's lunch. I never get tired of watching them, their behavior is deliberate, and their voice somewhat imposing. Don't be fooled by it's size, it only weighs 5-6 pounds!They move slowly, unless they spot food, and if they do, they spring forward with grace and speed and rarely miss their prey. I photographed my first one in Golden Gate Park, in San Francisco, several years ago, but this is only the second one I have seen in San Joaquin Valley, since we moved here. It was a nice bit of luck to see one, I only wish there hadn't been a fence between me and him, because I would have liked to have done a better photo of him. He took my breath away! Hopefully next time we meet, I will be able to photograph him in mid-flight. Beautiful.

 

 

 

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

December 10th 2020