Wait... Monetery?

 

“Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a

 new day with no mistakes in it yet?” 

 

~L.M. Montgomery 

 

Honestly, I should never blog when tired, drunk or sleepy. The other day I titled a blog post, A Winter's Day In Monterey, or so I thought. What I actually titled it was, A Winter's Day In Monetery. A simple slip up, but nonetheless embarrassing. I can provide tons of reasons for my error, and excuses too, but I know I just need to slow down and proofread before I hit the little publish button. It's what would be best for everybody. Unless there is such a place as Monetery, California. It definitely sounds like it could be a real place. Don't you think? Maybe it's just off Rodeo drive or something. In any case, I am thinking of running for mayor or princess of Monetery. Do I have your vote? 

 

 

B/W 2024 #1

“The most colorful thing in the world is black and white, it contains all colors and at the same time excludes all.”

 
~Vikrmn,

  10 Alone  

 

 I did almost no black and white photography last year, so I think this year I am going to try to do at least one b/w photo a week. This photo was taken last week, at the Stockton Rural Cemetery. I was there because cemeteries are excellent places to look for birds, and it was rainy and foggy and I was wanting to find an owl. I did not find an owl, but it was a perfect day for doing a little moody photography. This cemetery has inspired me many times, but the other day was really stunning. I promise my next black and white photo will be a little more uplifting. I wonder what it will be?

 

 

2024's Cedar Waxwing

 

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.”

 
~Robert Lynd 

 

I quit X about 10 days ago, and what I have learned in that short amount of time is simple... I was ready to turn off the noise. Social media, overall, has been good for me. I have met amazing people, shared my photos, got to know celebrities I've admired and just generally felt more connected to fellow democrats and those who share my values. It has made me feel less alone. 2024 is a different beast. I will share my opinions, particularly as we move closer to November, and I am hoping to volunteer for my local political chapter, but when it comes to the sounds I want whispering in my ear, I am ready to just hear my birds, and not the head noise Donald Trump causes. Yesterday, as an example, I heard a small group of Cedar waxing land in a tree above me. I heard them, and knew what they were, without looking up! They make a cool little high-pitched sound. Sreeee or  seeeeew. It's fairly easy to miss if you aren't into birds, but if you are, their sound is unmistakable, as is their beauty. I think they are one of my absolute favorites at this point. And as I mentioned in a post last year, sometimes they fly around drunk, which is amusing to watch, bu I can't help buy also feel bad for the bird, like the time I watched one fly beak first into a drive. It wasn't harmed, it flew off dazed but determined to be on it's way. Like all of us I guess. We all walk around dazed these days, but in my case I am determined to be on my way. It's healthy.

#74 for 2024

A Winter's Day In Monterey

 

The Lone Cypress

17 Mile Drive

Monterey, California

January 8th 2024

“Monterey is a place, a grating noise, a quality of light,

 a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.”

 

~John Steinbeck,

  Cannery Row

 

 

Yesterday, in Monterey, it was as about as beautiful a day as it gets. It was clear, and the water blue and beautiful, as opposed to times when the it is almost gray and full of kelp and frankly... stinky. Don't get me wrong, I love Monterey any time of the year, and any time of day, and no matter how the water looks, but yesterday it was particularly beautiful, and dreamlike. It was hours not moments of Zen. It was cool outside, but not really cold, at least not until much later in the day. We spent the day bopping from spot to spot through Pacific Grove, and then along the 17 Mile Drive, which paid off, because we came home with 13 birds for the 2024 file. It was a very good day by the numbers, but we only saw one new species, the Black Turnstone. We smiled a lot too, especially while watching the Sanderling running toward the water to catch their lunch in the surf, and then darting back to the dry sand as the waves came in. It was a silly little dance, and I wouldn't have miss it for the world. This was dear hubby's birthday trip, and I am so glad he got to spend his day, in the sunshine, in one of the most amazing places in California!

 

Photographed By Hubby

Let's Try This Again...

 

“Birds know themselves not to be at the center of anything, but at the margins of everything. The end of the map. We only live where someone's horizon sweeps someone else's. We are only noticed on the edge of things; but on the edge of things, we notice much.” 

 

 ~Gregory Maguire

  Out of Oz

 

Last week, will doing some birding close to home, I spotted for the first time, a pair of White-tailed Kite, possibly nesting, in some cedar trees in Louis Park's Pixie Woods. It was really amazing, because I rarely see them south of Lodi, so to be right next door in the park gives me some hope that this year will be full of surprises. We are again planning to visit the Monterey coast later today, barring any unforeseen circumstances. The birds recently seen there makes it impossible for birders like us to not go and check out the possibilities. I can't wait to come home and tell you what I find, and of course, show off the photos of the beautiful birds! So, let's try this again...

 

 

This Girl Does Not Live By Monopoly Alone!

 

“...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” 

 
~Julia Child

  My Life in France

 

I wasn't just playing Monopoly yesterday, I also made Chicken Cordon Bleu. It's so easy, and fun, and if I may say so myself, mine is delicious! There, I said it! I tooted my own horn, and that's okay! One should brag on things they do well, but before I go any further I will cop to the fact that all it took was being able to read 30 years ago! I couldn't boil water when I go married, my mother had no clue about what to cook, ever, so I was pretty much on my own. What I wanted from life was to be married, with the eventuality of children. I needed to learn to cook first, so that my babies would get off to a healthy beginning. Alas, we never had children but I did learn too cook. I have some specialties, which is really simply my spin on some basic dishes. My 30lb lasagna has some secrets to tell. My Chicken in Puff Pastry is definitely to our taste, and my Italian soup is really no big deal, mostly expected ingredients, but dear hubby looks forward to it! I am planning to make a, Sun-dried tomato and Kalamata olive Focaccia, one day soon. I miss using my breadmaker, but with Trump and the national election in full nonsense mode, I am sure it will get quite the workout.

Here is a pretty good Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe, and from a different site, a lovely accompanying sauce that raises taste of the dish to the next level. Experiment with it, and if you want to share, comeback and leave me a comment. I would love to hear about what you made!

 

 

 

My Rainy Day

 

“If you want to get lost without getting lost, a rainy day is exactly the day you are looking for! Everyone you see here and there is immersed in their own world under their umbrella, almost teleported to another place, lost in an abstract world!” 

~Mehmet Murat ildan

 

We never made it to Bodega Bay, we changed our mind and decided to go Monterey on Monday. The birds are slightly more intriguing there right now. Auklets and puffins have been spotted! I am really looking forward to getting a photograph of them. And the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is right there in Pacific Grove. But I need to rest up for that long of a drive, and I actually like being home today. It rained, and I had a chance to catch my breath. I had a busy week, searching for birds for this year's album. God they are so beautiful! It was a fun week, but since I had Covid-19 my energy level sometimes falls to nearly zero. Sigh. I don't mind saying, I am paranoid about getting it again. I sometimes feel 20 years older than I am right now, but birding helps, and playing board game with dear hubby, and watching movies, and yes, watching it raining outside! It is a real gift! Not only is it beautiful, but it inspires me hold the good memories, and plan for new ones. Hopefully Monterey will be a blast, and put me one with all the beauty it has to offer. If you have been there you know exactly what I am taking about. Monterey has healed my broken heart so many time I can't count. Here's to Monday, and all the gorgeous nature waiting for me!

 

 Stockton, Ca

Monterey, Ca

Please wear a mask.

16,990

 

“Be skeptical, ask questions, demand proof. Demand evidence. Don't take anything for granted. But here's the thing: When you get proof, you need to accept the proof. And we're not that good at doing that.”

 
~Michael Specter 

 

17, 990 people died because of Donald Trump. THIS DRUG DID NOT AND WOULD NOT WORK! I knew it then, and I know it now, and so does everyone else, well, not the dead obviously. Donald John Trump is a fucking, opportunistic MONSTER, and I just know if he is reelected he will cause even more folks to lose their lives. I pray that those going to the polls next November will remember not just him telling a frightened America to drink bleach, but that he encouraged American's to take Hydroxychloroquine when he knew there was NO PROOF it would be effective against Covid-19. 

 

 "What do you have to lose? Take it."

 

~Donald John Trump

May 18th 2020

 

When was Trump diagnosed with Covid-19?

Friday October 2nd 2020

 

Please read the article in Politico.

 

And then watch the video below.

 

Here is the current trends from the CDC data tracker. Please check it out. Please Mask up. Please seriously consider getting you vaccinations caught up. 

Here is a map of states with the highest Covid rates.

Newsweek

 

 

Please take care of yourselves. We all have the information at this point, don't get complacent. Don't think for a moment this thing is gone. It's not. It continues to mutate, and it will do so for years. I am fairly sure I only have about 15 visitors, give or take, but I care about all of you. I don't need a big audience. I am just grateful for all who visit my posts. 

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat, Pray, Bird

 

“I am a better person when I have less on my plate.”

 
~Elizabeth Gilbert,

  Eat, Pray, Love

 

This is one of my favorite go-to lunches when I am out birding, although most times I share the boiled eggs with dear hubby. Two seem a little much. I am careful about my salt so I eat them plain, and I love fruit as a pallet cleanser, so the meal is just about perfect. I don't always grab Starbuck's, I bring my own lunches as well. Later today, for example, I will be packing a half ham sandwich, two mandarin oranges, a thermos of soup, two cookies, and a Baby-Bel Gouda. It sounds like a lot, but most of the time I skip breakfast. As you might expect, Bodega Bay gets COLD in winter, so as I said my soup is a must, so its soup of tomato or chicken noodle for me. Yum!

 

I love going on long drives with hubby, and Bodega Bay has become a favorite since we decided to become birders. I have seen some truly wonderful birds. The Bald Eagle. The Eared Grebe and one of my absolute favorites, the Common Loon. Right now, there is an impressive list of birds reported in, and around, Mitch Brenner's house. I love that particular spot for birding. The Bonaparte's Gull took my breath away, it's a stunner, and one was reported this week. And of course, both species of pelican will be present. Can you tell I am excited? It's worth the 119 mile drive! As I mentioned in a previous post, I am hoping for 10 birds. 15 would make me smile all the way home, and 20 will make me sleep happily for a week! 

 

Here's to traveling lightly and with hope! 

 

Birds I've spotted in the past in Bodega Bay

 

 

Sitting Up A Tree

 “You live in your head too much, you curl up and shut shit out and spend so much time doing it, you forget to live your life. You can’t live your life in your head. That isn’t living.” 

 
~Kristen Ashley

  Mystery Man

 

 It's so weird. This is the second Red-shouldered hawk I have seen in the last few days. I went most of last year without seeing one, except for a single one I saw perching on a phone line deep in the valley. Strangely, it was across the street from an Osprey nest sitting high atop a different pole. The Osprey wasn't being particularly combative about it's presence, so I guess it wouldn't be considered too strange, but it intrigued me. This little Red-shouldered hawk is chilling in an old tree at the Stockton Rural Cemetery. I would have loved to have studied him longer, but it was pouring down rain, and even with no wind, it seemed like it was coming at me in all directions. That's what it is like to live in your own brain too much. Information, experiences and events you want to enjoy are sometimes drowned by one single thought or a at times a deluge of unrealistic fear. The "what if's" can burden one to a devastating level. But it's 2024, the year I embrace living in the moment, instead of the fear! Friday, for example, we are heading to Bodega Bay where, hopefully, I will come up with enough birds to reach 75 in this year's bird album. But really, 80 is a nicer number! Hey, it could happen, I reached 54 yesterday!Not bad for 3 days of searching! I can't wait to see what's waiting for me next!

 

Baby Steps

 

Woodbridge road

Lodi, California

January 1st 2024

 

“Ten Things To Do In January:

• Read a good book
• Get a Library Card
• Walk 30 minutes a day
• Send a Birthday card to a friend
• Invest in a Fitness Tracker
• Buy a Coin jar and save those quarters and nickels
• Donate to a Charity
• Volunteer 45 minutes of your time to an Organization
• Take a Yoga Class
• Volunteer at Bingo night a Nursing Home” 

 
~Charmaine J. Forde 

 

That's a pretty good list, but it's not the list for me. Do I have a list? Not really, but I have decided to try some new things, so I guess trying them during the month of January is as good as any time. Case in point, I have decided to check out a local  Democratic club. I have always wanted to see what it would be like, so when I found myself in a fit of depression a couple weeks ago, I decided to look into it. The Central Valley is predominately republican, so it can be a challenge at times. I have felt like a fish out of water since we moved here in 2015. If it all works out, and they don't hate me too much, I will be able to help out and share my political hopes and fears with like minds as we move through 2024 and the lead up to the national election. I am hoping for the best. The first meeting is January 27th, and  I am really looking forward to it. I would also like to join a book club later this year, but baby steps. I feel like 2023 drop kicked me into this year, so baby steps is my current state, but I can't wait to see what happen next!

The First Robin Of 2024

 

“If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.” 

~Emily Dickinson 

 

This was not the first picture I took for the year, but it is the first picture of a bird I took for year. The first picture I took was of a dumpster with a refrigerator sitting next to it. It looked like it had been a pleasant enough appliance at some point, but now it was a discarded old fridge that probably had stored many a New Year's Eve snack. What a way to treat a faithful old pal like that. And on New Year's Day to be exact. On the other hand, I once had a refrigerator that I hated so deeply, I begged my husband to let me personally throw the damn thing down the garbage chute at the dump myself. But I save that story for a different day. Right now it's all about the birds, and as I sit here, I am a happy girl. We have almost 50 birds in the 2024 album, most of them from yesterday, so the year is off to a wonderful beginning, and we are planning on visiting Bodega Bay later this week. A lot of gorgeous stuff has been reported in the last couple days, and hubby and I are both really excited for the possibilities. Who knows, maybe we will make this a really BIG YEAR and top our number for 2023. We ended at 163 birds, many of which were new sightings, like the Black Oystercatchers and Caspian Tern. Maybe 2024 will be there year that we spot a California Condor and a Snowy Plover!

Happy New Year 2024!

 

“New Year New Moment in time.” 

~Lailah Gifty Akita 

 

If you follow me on social media you can now find me on Facebook, IG and Threads. You can always drop me a line here or back on X messages. I haven't gone anywhere. I am still right here!

 

Happy New Year Loves!

 

Facebook 

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094229322903

 

IG

carly789

 

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Goodbye, Farewell, Auf Weidersein To You... ROT IN HELL!

 

 “...the Nation would have no recourse to deter a President from inciting his supporters during a State of the Union address to kill opposing lawmakers—thereby hamstringing any impeachment proceeding—to ensure that he remains in office unlawfully..."

 

~Court filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals

 for the District of Columbia Circuit

 12/30/2023

 

This morning, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith filed an 82 page request with a D.C. appeals court asking them to reject Trump's assertion of presidential immunity. That quote above pretty much sums up his argument. How fucking scary is the prospect of something like that actually happening? The court is scheduled to return it's verdict on his request on January 9th. Hope, at least the way I am looking at it, is hanging by a thread. We could lose the country I grew up in. Humans tend to not learn from history. Sometimes I wonder why it is even taught in school. Wait... is it still taught in schools? If you follow the news at all, I guess it depends on where you live what history is. You know what they say, history is written by the winners. In America's current state that might have never been more true. 

 

I wish Trump would just stop hurting everyone. I will never have a day in the remainder of my life where his name won't be mentioned somewhere. God I miss the 1970's. It was the last decade before Trump became a household word. Now not only do we have Trump, but we also have his grubby little minions, like Alex Jones, who was recently allowed back on X. A platform I plan to move on from very soon. New Year's Eve to be exact. I was supposed to pull the plug last year, and I ended up staying out of laziness. SHAME ON ME! No more. NO MORE. I am done. I just hope my pals come with me, it's lonely starting over, and besides the good folks I know are better than X. There is better out there for all of us. I will be on Threads, Facebook and IG. Hey, Xander Berkeley just followed me the other day, and I will find some new folks I wouldn't have met otherwise. But nothing will replace my Twitter pals.

 All is not lost.

 We are all better than X.