Autumn Leaf Of The Day #18/Filling Dark Days With Light

 

“The crisp air and vibrant colors of fall

 can fill even the darkest days with light.”

 

~Unknown 

 

Everything is kinda dark right now. From unprecedented storms, to what might very well be the last election in my lifetime. There is a lot to fear, so I am grateful for my leaves and my birds that help my mind feel rested. I miss my Dylan, we used to have long talks about the things that bothered us. He understood me in a way that was comforting and bridged any language barrier. He always could read my emotions.

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #17/Lemon Lime Onion

 

“Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”

 

 ~Jim Bishop  

 

Lemon and lime leaves,

 meet lemon and lime fruit... and an onion. 

 

I love autumn.

 

The Tides Restaurant

Bodega Bay, Ca

October 8th, 2024

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #16

 

"Love the trees until their leaves fall off,

 then encourage them to try again next year."

 

~Chad Sugg

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #15/The Poetry Of Horror

 

“Your hair is winter fire
January embers
My heart burns there, too.”

 
~Stephen King

  It

 

That's one of my favorite quotes from movies ever! It's romantic, sweet and innocent, all at the same time. If you have never read the book, or seen the original TV mini-series, please do. The 2017 theatrical remake lacked soul in my opinion. I felt no emotional connection with the characters, but I sure did with the original. It haunted me in many ways, for a long time. Just the way a story, when told excellently, should. It's the pure poetry of horror.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #14/ Happy Birthday Dad!

 

“I notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.”

 

~Friedrich Nietzsche

 

Today would have been my father's 106th birthday, so I wanted to chose a leaf from a park closest to where he lived. Cull Canyon Park. He enjoyed parks and nature. Our backyard was like a forest when I was growing up. It was filled with all kinds of fruit trees, grown with seeds and pits from the trees my grandfather grew. Apricots, black plums, cherries, walnuts and to make it all more delicious, summers were filled with blackberries we grew along the back fence. I wish I had taken a few of those fruit pits, but we were nowhere near owning our own home, with a yard big enough for a tree. I think about those trees, and dad, when I eat all the delicious summer fruits. He gave me a lot to cherish in life.

 

 

 

 

Autumn Stick Figures or 32 Days Of Night

 

“Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters.”

 
~Stephen King

  The Shining

 

While in the Cosumnes River Preserve the other day, I found a stick on a bridge that reminded me of everything spooky. The stick figures hanging in the trees in the, Blair Witch Project, were the same types of figures in American Horror Story seasons Coven, and Roanoke. Was this a stick monster? Or maybe an omen of some evil to come? Nah, it was just a really cool stick, but it's fun to consider it, because when horror is done right, it can inspire the creative mind to imagine, what if? Like the movie Halloween points out, sometimes the Boogeyman wins, and when he does, it can take your whole life to defeat him.

 

We are in that situation right now with the upcoming election. Donald Trump is a boogeyman, and he is coming at us relentlessly. Will he win again? Even if he loses will it all be over? What horrific deals has he already done with world leaders?What is coming at us in the next 32 days that will shake us to our core. I love being scared, but this is not the kind of scared I want to be. We have already began our scary movie-a-thon for October, I will get it caught up here soon. I can't wait to share what horror movies we will be watching. Hopefully, watching them will help me deal with the high jinks of the biggest monster of them all! One recommendation I will make right now is, The Devil's Advocate. It will give you chills, for obvious reasons.

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #13

 

“Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” 

~Humbert Wolfe 

 

I love early evening in autumn. It has the most beautiful sound to it. Geese, and other birds coming in to roost for the night, and leaves falling from the trees that are easier to hear, because all the human sounds begin to wane. I love October evenings. And at the end of the month, all of it comes together with the sound of children trick-or-treating. These are very happy sounds, and very rare.

Canada Geese In Autumn

 

“Two sounds of autumn are unmistakable…the hurrying rustle of crisp leaves blown along the street…by a gusty wind,

 and the gabble of a flock of migrating geese.” 

 

~Hal Borland

 

I love the sound of the wild birds flying over my condo in the morning. Several species of geese overwinter in the area, as do other migrating birds, and the sound is glorious, but I always know that I will hear from the Canada geese first, as autumn begins. From late august, through the spring, they can be found in the park and Smith canal next to my condo. Its one of the nicest parts about living here, and I will miss it dearly when I leave. But I will always know where to go to see this beauty.

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #12

 

“Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile."


~John Howard Bryant 

Indian Summer 

If you look closely, and keep an open mind, autumn leaves kinda smile, at least in their own way. I see it in every leaf I choose for this project! I bring you smiles from the autumn world.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #11

 

"Summer makes me drowsy, autumn makes me sing, 

winter's pretty lousy, but I hate the spring."

 

~Dorothy Parker 

 

Well, we know how Dorothy felt about autumn, don't we?

 

I feel exactly as she does, about every single season!

 

 

Autumn's Vivid Colors

 

“Autumn mornings: sunshine and crisp air,

 birds and calmness, year’s end and day’s beginnings.” 

 

~Terri Guillemets

 

Autumn, this year, is going to be filled with more vivid colors then in previous years, I can already tell! Look at the colors on this Western Bluebird, the just stunned me! I got to look at him for a good amount of time, as e seemed to want to pose for me, which unusual for this kind of bird. It's not quite as manic as the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, or the Common Yellowthroat, but it does move from branch to ground in a fun pace. I wasn't even focusing on birds at that moment, there was a new squirrel I have never seen before playing nearby, and then there it was, a beautiful streak of blue hopping about the grass. I followed it up to a branch just above our car, and as I said, it posed for me! I eventually got the picture of the squirrel too, but today belongs to the Western Bluebird! Magic!

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #10/The Autumn Life

 

"Never let me lose what I have gained, and adorn the branches of your river with leaves of my estranged Autumn."

 

 ~Federico García Lorca

 

It's October 1st, time to prepare for the best day of the year! No, not the vice presidential debate, ugh, no I am talking about Halloween! Time for tiny candies, and masks. Candy corn and, of course, pumpkins! But scarecrows are really good too! As are monster cakelets! It's all good! And to make it all perfect, there are leaves to look forward to!

Ahh, drink it in, autumn life!

The Color Of Summer And Autumn

 

"Fall colors are funny. They’re so bright and intense and beautiful. It’s like nature is trying to fill you up with color, to saturate you so you can stockpile it before winter turns everything muted and dreary."

 

 ~Siobhan Vivian,

 Same Difference

 

Sunflowers in autumn, my goodness, is there anything more uplifting then the color yellow? These beauties grow wild along the roadside, all through the San Joaquin Valley, from early summer, through mid-autumn. And I always smile when I see them return each year, because I know autumn is on it's way! I thought posting these photos on the first day of October, my favorite month, would be uplifting for my mood, and hopefully for those who visit this blog.

 

 And The bees love them too!

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #9/Two Times Of Year

 

"There are two times of year; autumn and waiting for autumn."

 

 ~Unknown

 

I don't know who said it, but they get me! I wait all year for the beauty of autumn, and it's healing colors. I see it coming from the middle of August, long before the Mexican Free-tailed bats return south along their migratory route. No matter the temperature, the color of the sun simply doesn't lie. Neither does the it lie in winter. Autumn remains well into January, if not early February, and to find it all one has to do is look, like I look for fallen leaves. Which can also be found. Just look. But for now, I am basking the glow of early autumn. It's beautiful this year!

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #8

 

 

“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”

~F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

 

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #7/Movies And Other Stuff

 

“If you run, then allow those first few breaths on a cool 

Autumn day to freeze your lungs

 and do not just be alarmed, be ALIVE.”

~Kyle Lake

 

Last night, and all through the weekend, we are watching movie double features, starting with last night's movies, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones Diary. Tonight, hubby will take a turn, and Sunday night I guess we will flip for it! You see, in that Monday is October 1st, it will be time to begin the, 31 Days of October fest, and it will feature at least one horror movie each night until Halloween, when we will try to fit as many horror movies as possible in that 24 hours. Life goes on, there will be things to do, places to go, goodies to bake, so some nights might just be one short film, and then there's the traditional Godfather-athon and we always watch, Dark Passage, when we visit Marin County, which I hope to do on vacation. So there is a lot to do and look forward to. I am not as spry as I used to be, but it's our traditional vacation/movie month and I was to see and experience as much of autumn as possible, and then there's the birds. Whew! Wish me luck!

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #6/New Horizons

 

"Use what you have, use what the world gives you. Use the first day of fall: bright flame before winter's deadness; harvest; orange, gold, amber; cool nights and the smell of fire. Our tree-lined streets are set ablaze, our kitchens filled with the smells of nostalgia: apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself. The leaves as they spark into wild color just before they die are the world's oldest performance art, and everything we see is celebrating one last violently hued hurrah before the black and white silence of winter."

 ~Shauna Niequist,

Bittersweet:

 Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

 

I found a new spot at the, Cosumnes River Preserve, to look for birds, autumn leaves and nature in general. Well, actually, I did know that particular trail was there, I just wasn't able to do all the walking that was required to get the most out of the visit. The trail is approximately a mile in length, but with hubby pushing me in my wheelchair, I finally get to see some things I have been missing out on. There is a nice wetlands area that will be filled soon, and we heard some woodpeckers and some warblers. I have a lot to look forward to this year!

 

 

The Arrival Of The Sandhill Crane 2024

 

“If a year was tucked inside of a clock,

 then autumn would be the magic hour.”

~Victoria Erickson

 

They're back! And right on schedule! They came in, last week, but we were busy most of the week caring for Dylan, and therefore I wasn't able to be on Woodbridge road to see their arrival. Dylan needed me, in one way or another, and I wouldn't have had it any other way, it was all just bad timing. Anyway, they are here in great numbers, so I will have all season to play with them and do photos. I wish this one was more clear, but they were a fair distance away. Practice will make perfect, I hope. Now if my beloved, Greater White-fronted goose, would just come back. I saw a small group of them on Desmond road, maybe Wednesday of last week, but then they seemed to be gone. They will be back, no doubt, but I could use them now. I just love their beautiful faces.

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #5/Green Is An Autumn Color Too

 

"There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air, and time is quiet and mellow,"

 

~Rudolfo Anaya

Bless Me Ultima

 

I spotted these leaves on a plant that was growing along the delta, and while the are a summer green, they have a gorgeous deep burgundy color in the center, and that struck me as being one of the perfect autumn leaves I have seen that brings the best of both seasons together! I wish I could have gotten closer to it, and I wish I knew what it was, but I just downloaded Google Lens, so hopefully that will do a lot for me in identifying a lot of plants and birds going forward this year. I am probably the last human to add Google Lens to their app collection, but better late than never!

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #4/It Should Be IlLegal

 

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” 

~Emily Bronte 

 

 Politics in autumn should be fucking illegal. Sheesh. I am so sick of everything right now. I went out yesterday and spent basically 3 hours in 100 degree weather and to no pictures worth editing. It was a complete waste of time, and to make matters worse, I have one of those late summer colds, that is currently driving me insane, but that I am grateful for, because at least it isn't Covid. And I'm grouchy. But all is not lost, we are going somewhere today, in search of something, I am not sure of where and what yet, but first thing, later today, I will be in the little red Mini Cooper on my way to whatever comes my way. Wish me safe travels, and good luck in finding something and somewhere amazing!

Let's kick this mood's ass!

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #3

 

"As long as autumn lasts, I shall have hands, canvas and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see."

 

~Vincent Van Gogh 

 

We are only three days into autumn, and I see beauty everywhere! As if the leaves weren't enough, yesterday I was treated to a truly amazing sight of a large flock of Sandhill crane flying directly over the condo! There were two groups, one with about 12 or so, the other with a number closer to 20! It was the first day of autumn, and that magic I speak about was everywhere! Do you see it?

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #2

 

“Autumn leaves don't fall, they fly.

 They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.”

 
~Delia Owens

  Where the Crawdads Sing

 

A pretty orange flower to start the week!

September Midnight

By Sara Teasdale

Lyric night of the lingering Indian summer,
Shadowy fields that are scentless but full of singing,
Never a bird, but the passionless chant of insects,
Ceaseless, insistent.
The grasshopper’s horn, and far-off, high in the maples,
The wheel of a locust leisurely grinding the silence
Under a moon waning and worn, broken,
Tired with summer.
Let me remember you, voices of little insects,
Weeds in the moonlight, fields that are tangled with asters,
Let me remember, soon will the winter be on us,
Snow-hushed and heavy.
Over my soul murmur your mute benediction,
While I gaze, O fields that rest after harvest,
As those who part look long in the eyes they lean to,
Lest they forget them." 

 

 

The Colors Of Autumn

 

“But when fall comes, kicking summer out on its treacherous ass as it always does one day sometime after the midpoint of September, it stays awhile like an old friend that you have missed. It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.” 

~Stephen King

  ’Salem’s Lot

 

I spotted this little Dark-eyed Junco a couple days ago in Castro Valley. My favorite park is coming alive with color! My favorite tree is off to a good start, and in the shrubbery beneath it were a couple beautiful spiders to play with! It struck me that this bird offered the best of Summer and Autumn. Brown and black, with just a touch of red. It blended into the fallen leaves so well I nearly missed it! Had it not been for my favorite birding app, GoBird, I would have missed it! We picked up the sounds of several birds we need for the 2024 file, and all signs point to it being a great place to really get in touch with autumn. We still haven't found the Brown Creeper, but it will be this year's quest. In birding one needs patience and luck. Mostly luck!

 

   

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #1

 

“Aprils have never meant much to me, 

autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” 

~Truman Capote

  Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories

 

Can you believe it? We have finally arrived at the first day of autumn! A welcome old friend. I photographed this leaf in Castro Valley yesterday, after I dropped off some unused food and a test kit Dylan never got to use. Oh my. Autumn will have a much different feel to it this year, but as I have always said, and believe even now, autumn heals me like nothing else, and I am grateful for that! Hopefully it will fill my heart with every beautiful thing, and I will see beyond this overwhelming sense of loss. Sorry to be so maudlin, I won't be like this every day, I promise, but autumn is the season of letting go after a life well lived, isn't it? And all things in their time.

Autumn Begins

Sunday, September 22nd, 2024

5:43 a.m. PDT