A Sunset, In 5 Acts

 

“The first stab of love is like a sunset,

 a blaze of color -- oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples...” 

~Anna Godbersen,

  The Luxe

 

This is all one sunset, just taken over 30 minutes or so, and from different angles throughout the Cosumnes River Preserve in Galt, California. A beautiful winter sunset in the valley, there is nothing quite like it!

 

Hi, I'm The Joe

“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat.

 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?'
'Cats don't have names,' it said.
'No?' said Coraline.
'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.” 

~Neil Gaiman,

  Coraline  

 

All my cats came with their names. Elvis was Elvis... right from the start. Not only did he bear a strange resemblance to Elvis Presley, but women swooned over that cat, every single time. He dripped charm! Hendrix was a cool, velvet cat, and he loved music. Mostly Steppenwolf, but mostly anything from the 1960's. He has been comfortable in his own skin, asserting himself as the alpha of the house, without being cruel about it. He is a chill 1960's kinda child. Dylan likes to sing loud, whining every morning at dawn. Every. Single. Morning! I love the little guy, and I wouldn't change him for the world, but I am usually just going to sleep at dawn! Finally, my pal Joey... my love bug. He is also just himself. He presented his name to us, the day we picked him up. He is our Joey Ramon. Cool. Quirky. Full of life and the zoomies. If you are a fan of the Ramones, you know they were quite manic when they were at their most entertaining. My Joe is a little foodie. He loves pizza and Italian food in general, but like he came from Queens, New York! It's very strange, and a lot of fun to watch him go crazy over pizza. We only give him a small taste, and never, ever pork products, but he will sit in your lap the whole time you eat the cheese and sauce. When he doesn't get more than the taste, he will stare at you eye to eye, which is an odd thing to do. Most cats try to not look you in the eye. It's instinctual. So you see, cats do actually come with names. And nicknames too for that matter, just like my boys.

 

Elvis... Mr. Man

Hendrix... Bubba

Dylan... Dillybean

Joey... Joey The Pez

 

Mostly we just call them our little babies. I know I have done a similar post like this before, but every so often they just fill my heart so completely that I have to brag on just how awesome my cats are!

 

 

The Moon And The Clouds And My Camera

 

“The moon is a loyal companion.
It never leaves. It’s always there, watching, steadfast, knowing us in our light and dark moments, changing forever just as we do. Every day it’s a different version of itself. Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.
Uncertain. Alone. Cratered by imperfections.” 

― Tahereh Mafi

  Shatter Me

 

There is nothing more to say, that is a magnificent quote. But I will add a little about this photo. It was done last Thursday, just as it appeared out my front door, using no special lens to refine the details of the moon. Frankly, I kinda liked the way the clouds looked as they crossed the moon. So I guess this post is mostly about how the clouds and the moon look together! What do you think?

 

 

Existence

 

“A seagull flying beautifully is heaven; a seagull hunting an innocent fish is hell!

 Existence is heaven and hell, joy and horror!” 

~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

Right? A little later today, I will be attending a meeting of the Democratic club of Lodi. Sigh. I want to go, but I am unsure of how diplomatic I can be anymore, and to make it all worse, I have a big opinionated mouth. Can I hold my tongue and how some folks want to dump Joe Biden over the Israel/Hamas war? The economy? His age? Will we have another protest vote over these things? Maybe! And wouldn't that suck? Yes, yes it would. I guess my real concern is the fact that if you put any number of people in the same room, there will be someone who thinks radically different than you do. Which is okay, but I am passionate about my politics, and all I really want is to help defeat Donald Trump. I am not in it to shoot myself in the foot by picking apart our best hope for survival. Joe Biden isn't too old for me. Joe Biden is smart enough for me. Joe Biden is handling the middle east well enough... for now... but I may revisit that subject at a later date. Joe Biden is our best hope for saving democracy, and he has Kamala Harris at his side. If he should pass away in office, I am completely at ease with her becoming president. That's how our government works, and I was proud to vote for a Biden/Harris ticket in 2020 and will happily do so again. So, I have high hopes for my first meeting, I really do, but I am also prepared to run from the crazy!

Go Joe!

Guilty... Again!

Via the New York Times

 “A president cannot defend a nation

 if he is not held accountable to its laws.”

 
~DaShanne Stokes 

 

Trump has been convicted, for a second time, for defaming E. Jean Carroll. He is currently going for a third time! He cannot keep his mouth shut. I hope she sees the money, but I am doubtful she will ever see a dime, because he is a fucking slime ball deadbeat. But at least he was found guilty and that provides all of us, including justice, a brighter day. I will keep a good thought for her!

 

Read the story here.

 

This post is via Keith Olbermann on (X)

Loser J. Trump's response to the verdict...

Will Trump ever shut up?

 

 

B/W 2024 #4

 

“Your desire to be near to window is your desire to be close to life!” 

~Mehmet Murat ildan 

Color or Black/White?

I can't decide. But windows, and window treatments have been on my mind a lot lately, because I am decorating the spare room, and not one set of my curtains has looked good. I have about 35 sets of curtains, that were for 3 different homes, but somehow the windows in my condo are demanding something different! Unfortunately, what it is wanting is absolutely eluding me! Anyway. here is a color and black and white window. I suppose with the natural color version, a nice warm cream color would look good, maybe in Damask. With the black and white, you can let your mind wander, personally for that I see a nice mid-century look, maybe Atomic Cat. I think I will photograph more windows for inspiration, as my quest continues! Is it me, or wasn't the curtains in my living room lovely? You couldn't beat the light that came through those windows! Autumn light was especially pretty! I smiled a lot in that room!

My office curtains as we were packing to move.

Snowy Egret Then And Now

 

“Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development,

 invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.” 

~Edgar Allan Poe 

 

The Snowy Egret is my favorite bird, and here I bet you thought the Sandhill crane held that status! No, it's this gorgeous egret. It has been since I photographed my very first one, in the autumn of 2007, long before I took up birding. They are smallish egrets, and fairly common around the areas I tend to frequent when searching for birds, but they always catch my photographers eye, especially in winter. I always photograph them when I see them now, almost as good luck. And don't you just love those big yellow feet?

November 28th 2007

A Woman Who Stares At Ducks

 

“I once taught a duck how to swim.

 I'm such a good coach that in no time at all it learned how to fly.” 

~Jarod Kintz

  Eggs, they’re not just for breakfast

 

As uninspired as I have been feeling lately, I found a lot of happiness in photographing this gorgeous Bufflehead duck, at the Clifton Court Forebay. There was still a shocking lack of birds, but I still managed to photograph two new birds. The Shrike and the Song sparrow. That brings the total for January to 80! Not too shabby. The Shrike photo is blurry, so hopefully I will get a chance to redo that at some time later this year. I have seen one at the forebay on other occasions, so I am pretty sure it will happen. It's something to look forward to. Sigh. This lack of inspiration will pass, I just need to get there. 

 

By the way, this also happened yesterday...

 

The Oscar Nominations were announced.

 

Biggest snub... Margot Robbie. But Ryan Gosling was surely nominated. In case you didn't know, he played Ken. Don't get me wrong, I like Ryan Gosling very much, but holy HELL! I won't give anything away, but that whole dynamic sure drives home the whole point of the movie! If you haven't seen, Barbie, go watch it. You will enjoy it, I promise! See the full list of nominees here. All I have to say is, FUCK THE OSCARS!

 

 

 

And also, this happened...

 

Sigh...

 

 

Don't Wanna

 

“The world is beautiful and dangerous, and joyful and sad, and ungrateful and giving, and full of so, so many things. The world is new and it is old. It is big and it is small. The world is fierce and it is kind, and we, every one of us, are in it.” 

  ~Mark Twain & Philip Stead 

 

Don't wanna. Nothing is really wrong, in fact I am doing worlds better than I was last Autumn, and it's not that I am uninspired, not at all, but I am feeling quiet, so this is the post. Just a photograph of a beautiful Black-necked stilt. My quiet mood will pass, but until it does expect a picture, and fewer words in my post. That's a good thing I think. It leaves more time to enjoy the birds. Don't you just love their long pink legs? They make me want to buy tights in the same color!

 

 

 

 

 

B/W 2024 #3

 

“There are no facts, only interpretations.” 

~Friedrich Nietzsche 

 

I went to the archives for this one. I just didn't do anything this past week that inspired me, so I thought maybe I missed an opportunity in the past, and yes I had. We visited Alameda a couple years ago, in search of some nifty little shorebirds and ducks. Well, we weren't very lucky about finding the birds, but we did find a magnificent view of San Francisco and the bay, and in the case of this photograph, Mount Tamalpias peeking out of the fog that was surrounding the bay! I think the black and white gives it a haunting feel. Not scary necessarily but rather in terms of history. That view has been there forever. Just think about how many folks stood in the spot I did, and appreciated the natural beauty in front of them. 

 

One of them might have been my dad, who worked his whole career in Alameda, at the Navel Air Station. He and I both enjoyed a love fort the bay, and the mountains surrounding the Bay Area. Mount Tam is just one of the mountains that inspires me, and it does in almost every way! We have been to the top only once, so I think this summer would be a good time to maybe do some photos of the gorgeous views that go on forever, and of course a sunset over San Francisco would absolutely fill my heart. In fact, Mount Diablo, Mount Hamilton in Santa Clara County, Mount Lassen, all the way up in Lassen County, and finally gorgeous Mount Shasta, might also be a fun way to shake up the subjects a bit. And in that there are birds everywhere, well, that just makes for one beautiful day! Black and White or color is just beside the point!

 

 Elevations

 

Mount Tamalpias... 2,571

Mount Diablo... 3,849

Mount Hamilton... 4,265

Mount Shasta... 14,179

I hope I can move beyond my fears and go. I really want to break out of the box of reluctance and travel anxiety I live in. I want to experience new things, especially when my love of birds and photography calls me at the same time.

 

 

Power Lunches

 

“Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us.

 Life is so endlessly delicious.” 

~Ruth Reichl 

 

Here is the downside to birding, occasionally you come across the circle of life on full display. Hey, they do the clean up, and all of it fits together in the greater scheme of things, but oh my, my heart breaks for the animal that was hit by a car, or a bird that may have been affected by the recent bird influenza, that has been affecting the ducks, geese and other migratory species. Sigh. The lack of huge number of birds everywhere, drives home the scary point that a life without birds could be an eventuality. If you look at the reported declines in different bird species, due to both environmental factors and disease, it's not just depressing, but deeply concerning for our future. But on this day, this pair of turkey vultures was doing their thing, and that is a good thing!

Autumn, But Winter Also

 

“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust

 of brown sugar and cinnamon.” 

~Sarah Addison Allen,

  First Frost

 

 I know, I know, I have used that quote, perhaps more than once, during the last autumn season, but what can I say, it applies! And it should come as no surprise that if there is autumn to be found, I will be there, camera in hand. And I am happy! But, oh my, the beauty of winter when you live on the delta! I love all the shadows and reflections, the boats also. It's so great when there is something of both seasons to focus on and appreciate at the same time. I wish I had seen the beauty of Smith Canal sooner. I posted photos from the canal a while back, and I hope to combine some birding with canal photos this spring. Spring isn't my favorite time of year, but I like blossoms and flowers, so perhaps I will be a bit more open minded about turning them into subjects for my photography. Hey, letting my imagination lead the way is how I found the amazing spider, Boris, and also the fun of the Mexican Free-tailed bat of summer. 

Winter On The Delta

Smith Canal 

Louis Park/Pixie Woods

Stockton, Ca

Jan 18th 2024

 

“I love to watch the fine mist of the night come on,
The windows and the stars illumined, one by one,
The rivers of dark smoke pour upward lazily,
And the moon rise and turn them silver. I shall see
The springs, the summers, and the autumns slowly pass;
And when old Winter puts his blank face to the glass,
I shall close all my shutters, pull the curtains tight,
And build me stately palaces by candlelight.”

 
~Charles Baudelaire

  Les Fleurs du Mal 

 

 
 

 

Lighting And Timing

 

Sandhill Crane

Woodbridge road

Lodi, California

 

“For me, the subject of the picture is always

 more important than the picture.” 

~Diane Arbus 

 

Sandhill crane always inspire me to search for the beauty in the world, and despite the vile cruelty in the world, natural beauty eclipses it. They are becoming my favorite subject. So far I have never seen them, when they weren't photogenic, not all birds are like that. The crane will be on their way soon, and I will miss them very much, because photographing them has taught me a lot about lighting and timing. I will miss their beauty, but I will especially miss hearing their call, but September will bring them back home, as we usher in the autumn season. Its all only two seasons away. It's a long time away, but I have plenty of subjects to keep me busy while I wait for their return. And hey, I spotted a couple of them that were banded, so hopefully I will get to photograph the same group in the fall!

Ellipsis... Brought To You By...

 

 

 

 “Advertisement shouldn’t look like information,

 it should look like a promise.” 

~Amit Kalantri

 

 Eat your cereal. Eat your toaster pastry. Eat your ice cream.

 

Remember Post Toasties? Lordy I loved the commercials of the 50's, 50's and 70's, so here is 17 minutes, or so, of some fun ones from, among other brands, Post, Seven Seas, and Bird's Eye. My goodness advertising was great from back then. I get so nostalgic for these simpler and more dangerous times. Yum. Food additives, lack of safety seals, and false advertising. Good times.

 

 

Ahhh Yes... Sodium

 

“Sir Humphrey Davy
Detested gravy
He lived in the odium
Of having invented sodium.” 

~Edmund Bentley 

 

Ahhh yes... sodium. I enjoyed sodium filled products my whole life. Chinese food. Italian food. HAMBURGERS. Buffalo wings. You name it, I was a sodium fiend. Let me stress, I was a sodium fiend. Ugh. Age makes us alter our thinking about food, and now that I am 106 years old, well, it's just a matter not wanting to fall over dead, while picking out Blood oranges at Trader Joe's. I just hate the thought of dying in public, don't you? Having to look at total strangers staring down at you, speculating on everything from why I was wearing a mask in public, to whether or not I had a next of kin in the car, while you see the white light of a thousand or more fluffy angels come flying to your side. Your last thoughts could be, wait... did I put underwear on this morning? Or perhaps, why the HELL did I have that salt platter of death last night? If I had just listened to my doctor, I might have at least made it to my car before I dropped dead. Sigh.

 

The delight you see in this post is from Panera. It's the absolutely perfect, Cranberry Orange Muffin. Worth the calories. Worth the sodium. Worth every naughty crumble, especially if you just do a little planning for it. Figure out what you want to spend your calories, fat, sodium and all the rest of it on, and give yourself a free day once a month! It will work for weight loss, I guarantee it, and it will work with cutting back other nutritional concerns as well. I tried it just after I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes back in 2007, and honestly it was one of the easiest things I have ever attempted. I gave up restaurants. I ate all the foods I loved, but they were homemade, and once a month I fed the culinary cravings, which I think made me less likely to drop the modified diet, because I knew there was a day waiting for me to enjoy each month. It works. So, that's what I plan to do now, all these years later. Salt in moderation. Salt measured. Not only am I lacking for nothing, I might just live to reach the car, the day I go tits up!

Well done, future me!

Happy Or Sad

 

 Yellow-billed Magpie

Louis Park

January11th 2024

Minolta ProShot MN67Z

 

“A magpie can be happy or sad: sometimes so happy that he sits on a high, high gum tree and rolls the sunrise around in his throat like beads of pink sunlight; and sometimes so sad that you would expect the tears to drip off his beak.This magpie was like that.” 

~Colin Thiele

  Magpie Island

 

It's seems magpies are a lot like humans in the sense that we all have good and bad days. This magpie was quite happy, he was hopping about from tree top to tree top, searching for seeds or acorns, or perhaps he was simply playing with his magpie buddies. I never see a magpie alone, they always have a community around them. Some birds are definitely loners like, for example, the Shrike, but magpies apparently believe there is safety in numbers. The shrike, by contrast is an aggressive bird that will, in human terms, will cut a bitch! LOL. Truthfully, they are simply nasty, cruel bird, but they sure are pretty. Figures. I love learning about the lives of birds, I have missed so much in my life by taking nature for granted. 

 

 

The American Kestrel

 

“Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development,

 invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.” 

~Edgar Allan Poe 

 

I don't think the American Kestrel has ever brought me to tears, but I do know that I photograph them every chance I get. They catch my eye not just because of their beauty, but because at a glance the share a lot of the same features of a Merlin, although Merlin's are a bit bigger. I have yet to find a Merlin, to add to my birding lift list, but I am having a great time searching for them. That's how I found the American Kestrel is the smallest of the falcons, but what a cool, mighty little bird!

Sierra Snow

 “Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night

 will always fill my heart with sweet clarity” 

~Novala Takemoto,

  Missin' (Novel)

 

I never get tired of looking at the snow on the Sierras. I can stand in the valley, my favorite spots are Woodbridge road, in Lodi, and Desmond road, in Galt, and just marvel at the beauty of the hills covered in the color of snow. Like I said a while back, the San Joaquin Valley isn't home, and it will never be as beautiful or as exciting as San Francisco, but it has some unique beauty that I am really glad I got to see and appreciate in my lifetime.