On Gilded Vanes And Roofs Of Villages

"It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes and roofs of villages, on woodland crests and their aerial neighborhoods of nests deserted, on the curtained window-panes of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes and harvest fields, it's mystic splendor rests."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I was hoping the full moon for October, would happen later in the month. Better yet, on Halloween! But no, it was on the 5th this year, and it's didn't disappoint! The good part about it coming early in the month was that it was warm enough outside to photograph without having the bundle up in a heavy sweater. In fact, the night could not have been more perfect! It was so clear that I caught a bird in my shot, and while I have no way of knowing what kind of bird it was, I would kinda like to think it was a bat! Yes... it was a bat! Right?  :)

Here is one more shot of the full Harvest Moon...

The Harvest Moon is different than other full moons of the year, and Farmer's Almanac has a pretty interesting article about it. I am hoping to be able to do each full moon over the next year, as we don't get quite as much fog in Stockton as we did up in the Berkeley Hills. We will have to see, but I will give it my best try! Someday I hope to get a really good, high powered telescope and photograph other celestial bodies. Shrug. If only I would have had a camera like this one when Comet Hale-Bopp went by in the 1990's. Hopefully there will be another comet in my lifetime, but Hale-Bopp was so fascinating that I imagine nothing could compare!

#6 Leaf Of The Day

October 6th, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)  

But With More Brains...

"Blood is really warm

it's like drinking hot chocolate

but with more screaming."

~Ryan Mecum

Zombie Haiku: Good Poetry For Your... Brains 

I saw this scene, late last October, as we were leaving Ocean Beach, in San Francisco, and I just had to snap the photo because it reminded me of two things... people watching a nuclear apocalypse and zombies on a beach, after a nuclear apocalypse. I couldn't quite figure out if the two things were the same thing. Would a nuclear apocalypse kill you? Could it turn you into a zombie? I guess it depends on who you ask. Right? Ask a nuclear physicist and they will probably say the nuclear apocalypse will just kill you, but ask Stephen King and he will probably say... the nuclear blast will definitely make you into a zombie, because you survived the blast! Frankly, I don't know which is worse, surviving the blast only to end up a zombie, or dying on the spot, from the blast.

I considered both possibilities that evening, on the way home. We had just gone out for a lovely day in the city. The Blue Angels preformed that weekend, and I was quite happy with most of my photography that day, but despite having had a good day, I had the upcoming election on my mind. I had a feeling, deep down, that Trump was going to win, and of course, he went on to do just that! A now, I find myself, a year later, still contemplating the effects and fallout from nuclear annihilation almost on a weekly basis. Several times since Trump took office last January, Alan has come home to me terrified. Really terrified! Crying, planning possible escape routes. Like I said, terrified. It's like having the worst Halloween you could imagine, every day of the year!

I finally called my therapist, and we spoke at length about my fears, and she shared with me that there has been a huge spike, in former patients, returning to therapy after the election. So I know I am not alone, but I would suppose geography plays a part into what kind of fears one has about Trump. I imagine someone in Wyoming, wouldn't fear nuclear holocaust the way I would, but financial ruin, racial tensions, tax worries, and probably misogyny are top concerns. And now, with Trump's complete botching of recovery efforts in handling the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, we can all assume we are on our own, in the case of a natural disaster, if we don't, or haven't, kissed his ass enough.

This is all completely new territory. We have never had a president that designated allocation of relief monies and supplies based on merit. I am scared to death, California hasn't had a large earthquake in several years, so I don't really know what to expect should one hit. I am thinking about adding earthquake insurance to our homeowners policy, but we are stretched pretty thin now. So thin in fact, that you can see through the policy. For the first time in my life, I don't what to expect when I wake up tomorrow. Well, I know Alan and the furry kids will be here, but beyond that, I have NO clue. Will we be at war? Will a nuclear missile have already hit the west coast by this time tomorrow?

I don't know.

I know the current Secretary Of State called Trump a moron recently, which of course, he is. But somehow that doesn't make me feel better. Amused yes, but more hopeful for the future... not at all. I always wondered why I was in therapy, if everyone else in the world is crazy. That's a bit like swimming against the tide... right? But the doctor says therapy will help me feel less alone, and will help me handle all this better. I know it's the least I could do for Alan. So, we'll see. Frankly, I just feel hazy and unfocused on anything but doom. But despite that, I'm trying to keep taking those steps forward. It's just not so easy, when you feel like your brain has given up and you are little more than a wandering zombie on an apocalyptic beach!

#5 Leaf Of The Day

October 5th, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Quiet

Me

 

No Words

"To be poor and be without trees, is to be the most starved human being in the world. To be poor and have trees, is to be completely rich in ways that money can never buy."

~Clarissa Pinkola Estes

The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About 

That Which Can Never Die 

I'm feeling really quiet. Another day of aftermath, from another day's tragedy. I have no words about the words of others, which tend to drown out words of comfort. Words of respect. Words of compassion and words of remembrance. Sometimes I think we have finally arrived at the point where, there is just nothing left to say but, ironically, it takes words to covey that you have no words.

#4 Leaf Of The Day

October 4th, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Quiet

~Me

Red

"Red is the ultimate cure for sadness"

~Bill Blass

I was going to do this post in a few days, but I had thought I would go ahead and post them today, due to the lack of sleep I got last night, I was unable to do the photography I had planned. The tragedy in Las Vegas hit just after I posted yesterday, and it pretty much consumed most of my time, waiting for updates on the news. I am not sure why I do that every time something like that happens, I guess some part of me always hopes the reports get it wrong. It didn't really happen. It was a false alarm. But as the night went on, it became all very real. It wasn't some ill timed drill. And the numbers involved didn't go down... they went up... and by the time I woke up yesterday, it was the worst mass shooting in American history! And it wasn't a group who did it... it was one man, alone in a hotel room, on the 32 floor. 

I remember years ago, my therapist told me that red was a power color, which made a lot of sense to me. She said it gives one an air of strength. Color plays a lot of roles in our lives, and I found the whole thought of one color making that much difference, I began to read all I could about how to use color in decorating. I am not really into Feng Shui, but I do enjoy decorating the rooms in our home in a sort of seasonal feeling. I bet you think my whole house is done in a fall theme... right? No, not the whole house, just the living room, which is done in Rusty Nail, on 2 statement walls.

The bedroom is Cornflower Blue, again on 2 walls. The guest bathroom is two toned. Blue Glacier and Roasted Corn. The coffeehouse is Meditation Green, my office will be Purple Daffodil, and the on-suite bathroom is Crisp Apple and Apple blossom. Each room has a different vibe, and I am enjoying that, because I find as I get older I need more places of refuge when the world turns crazy. It's funny how the older you get, the more you tend to appreciate your surroundings, especially your own home. I know I do. 

The Cornflower blue on the bedroom walls did wonders for calming me down, as I tried to sleep. When I finally did finally fall asleep, I slept only about 4 hours, be they were in a deep, restful sleep. And the cats helped too. All three of them were by my side, making me feel safe, and very loved! Unfortunately, when I got up, I then woke up to the sad news that Tom Petty was clinging to life after suffering a massive heart attack. I loved his music so much! So, my heart broke for a second time in 24 hours. 

Life is really hard. 

There will be time for the rant I have planned about gun control.

Right now I think I will sink into the colors that soothe my soul.

Put on some music. And appreciate how it all comes together to make me whole again. Life goes on, and it's just an unfortunate fact that we have to live through the bad. to really appreciate the good.

To everything there is a season,

 and a time and purpose under heaven.

#4 Leaf Of The Day

September 22nd, 2017

Old Sacramento, California

Mood: Reflective

~Me 

 

Country Things

"Country things are the necessary root of our life... and that remains true even of a rootless and tragically urban civilization. To live permanently away from the country is a form of slow death."

~Esther Meynell

Make NO mistake, I am a city girl through and through! I don't care for giant bugs, or spiders, both of which seem to really enjoy the open spaces of life in the country, not to mention their friends the rodents and scavenger birds. It seems like a strange system that all those creatures depend on each other to live. One feeds on the other. I guess that's just life... one thing feeds on another. 

 

It's all part of the food chain.

I try not to think too much about it, but since moving to a relatively rural part of California, one can't help but notice how nature works. I wish I had the courage to photograph those exotic creatures, but I don't and I am skeptical that I will be able to anytime soon, but at the same time, you never really know about these things. Before we left the Bay Area, I had started to come to terms with certain spiders I was encountering in my rose garden. Let's just say... we had an understanding! 

I wouldn't kill her, if she didn't crawl on me when I photographed my flowers! It worked out pretty good for most of one summer, until one day, she was gone. I am pretty sure she became a juicy tidbit for a Blue Jay, that began hanging out in our yard later that summer. I had been scared to death of that spider, but when she was gone I found I truly missed her. It was a strange feeling to miss something I had been so frightened of. 

Anyway, as time goes by, and I acclimate more to my surroundings out here, I see some intriguing opportunities to stretch my photography muscles, on subjects I haven't covered over and over,  like barns, cattle and all things country! There are fruit and vegetable stands everywhere, and its all quite lovely, in it's own way. The San Joaquin delta is quite lovely in places, and it goes on for miles. I am hoping to devote some time on vacation to hunting down little inlets and visiting some surrounding towns.

I spotted the barn, in the photo above, somewhere along Highway 37 between Novato, and Sears Point raceway, which runs along San Pablo Bay. All along that stretch of highway, you can spot some really interesting things, like one moment you are photographing a barn and the next moment you might see an abandoned boat! Which is kinda fun, because I took all these photos while we were driving! When I get the chance to investigate closer, I am sure they will be be more interesting, but still, considering I took them completely by instinct, rather than planned, but I think they capture the imagination, and they inspire me to want to see more! We'll see what comes from a whole world just waiting to be noticed, but I think it will be more barns and boats, and less about the spiders!

Famous last words... right?

And now...

Leaf Of The Day

October 2nd, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

 

The Last Sunset Of September...

"Ah, September! 

You are the doorway to the season that

 awakens my soul... 

but I must confess that I love you only because

 you are a prelude to my beloved October."

 ~Peggy Toney Horton 

Yesterday was the last day of September, and it left this year on a high note! There was a cool breeze and a sunset that reminded me of both summer, and autumn. Warm air, cool breeze and gorgeous colors found in autumn leaves! While I am not usually a big fan of palm trees, I have kinda made friends with this one. It's very near the corner of the street I live on, and when the sunset is just right, it's a stunning companion! It was a pretty way to end September!

 "After the keen still days of September, the October sun filled the world with mellow warmth... the maple tree in front of the doorstep burned like a gigantic red torch. The oaks along the roadway glowed yellow and bronze. The fields stretched like a carpet of jewels, emerald and topaz and garnet. Everywhere she walked the color shouted and sang around her... In October and wonderful unexpected thing might be possible."

~Elizabeth George Speare

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

 Today's Leaf Of The Day reflects a little of the red in last night's sunset. It was so beautiful... brown and brittle, with just enough of the red and purple from the sky to link the two seasons in all the best ways... 

Leaf Of The Day

October 1st, 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Moon Phase Waxing Gibbous 71% Full

"Moonlight is sculpture, sunlight is a painting."

~Nathaniel Hawthorne 

Not a lot to talk about tonight. At least not a lot that I feel like talking about. I am working on some projects around the house, and doing some research into what we will be doing, and where we will be going, on vacation in a couple weeks. I know we have a date to go to a movie in Orinda... that is set in stone... but that's about all I am absolutely sure of. We will have four weeks, and I know I am ready to spend as much time with Alan as possible. He is so much fun, and we always have a good time together.

I think we will be doing some long car rides in search of leaves, and adventure in places we have never been to before. There might even be a new lighthouse or two to visit. We'll see. One thing I do know, I am looking forward to doing a lot of moon photography, weather permitting. Maybe some sunrise photography from Twin Peaks. There is so much I want to do, and so little time.

Picking up the camera again has been good for me. It clears all the head noise and puts me in a very nice state of mind. I need that right now, as the year moves along, and more Trump/American devastation unfolds, my heart seems to break daily, but I'm hanging on, thanks in part to my cameras, and the moon in the sky.

Like the moon tonight, I am about 71%.

Leaf Of The Day

September 30th 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Quiet

~Me

Horse Sense Is Just Common Sense

"Most horses don't walk backwards voluntarily, 

because what they can't see doesn't exist."

~Terry Pratchett

Soul Music

Last year, in late autumn, I decided to go for a ride on the road that crosses right by one of my favorite parks in the East Bay. It's a beautiful, quiet road to drive, its about nine miles long, and on any given day you can see all kinds of animals, and at times, some pretty unusual birds along the way. I used to really enjoy it, especially, between dusk and deep nighttime hours, because that's when the really interesting wild life moved about. Deer and opossums, raccoons, and on one evening drive Alan and I spotted to cutest black and white kitten, which as it turned out, was in fact not a cat at all, but rather a small baby skunk! Thank goodness it wasn't intimated by us in the least, and we got away with not being scented, but that was pretty silly, and we were laughing pretty hard at our stupidity by the time we got home! 

Life changed a bit when we moved to Stockton. While it's a rural area, there aren't any canyon roads like in the East Bay. You don't get to see animals like this close up, like we did back home. See, I still do that after 2 years, I still refer to the area I was grew up in as "home." It's difficult to break a habit like that. I was in my 50's when we packed up and moved, and since we moved here, I haven't ventured out much on my own, and I guess that is part of the problem. I need to go on short car rides, alone, and learn my way around, that's the only way to break out of this self imposed shell. Perhaps this is the year to start doing that. I have been well on my way to becoming an agoraphobic. That doesn't make a lot of sense to do. 

I am not really sure why I have climbed into this shell. It's not go for a photographer, even if it is just a hobby. I have seen things through my lens I would have never seen otherwise, and I know my camera made me mature both as an artist and a human being. It has helped me really see my own life, through my pictures. I have a good life, and live really worth living, but I haven't been doing much of that! I crawled into the safety of a life half lived, inside the walls of my house. Not alive, but not really dead. A life half lived. but really, a life half lived is no way to live a life! 

I wonder what pictures I have missed in those two years?

 It's been a really difficult few years, but it's really time to move on.

It's just common sense!

Leaf Of The Day

September 29th 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me

My New Lunch Horizons

'When engaged in eating, 

the brain should be the servant of the stomach."

~Agatha Christie

Mmmmm... lunch! I used to say, Mmmm, Mmmm good, but that is yet another part of my life which changed because of Trump. You see, he used to have a business advisory committee, made up of different companies. GM, Campbell's, General Electric, you get the idea. Well, it lasted about 6 months before Trump opened his mouth, and stupid, once again, came drooling out. Profoundly stupid. If you're not particularly into politics, you can read all about it here. 

Suffice it to say, Trump took a tragety, made it about himself and completely alienated those around him. It was Trump being Trump. So why do I have a can of Progresso Soup in the photo? Well, to be honest, most of the advisory board resigned in protest to Trump's actions and words early in the weekend, and it felt to me that Campbell's resigned because they saw the ship sinking, rather than because it the situation didn't represent the Campbell's values as a company. Half the board resigned over the weekend, Campbell's, and a few others early the following week. I know that doesn't sound long, but it felt to me like forever.

I know it wasn't, but real time and Trump time are two vastly different times. It is surreal to think he has been in office less than a year, and he has managed to cause so much divisiveness. Some that didn't exist before he took office, but some divisions did... and he uses folks to his advantage, to further divide Americans over American ideals and values. He is a master at playing folks, and sometimes the passion just takes over, and before you know it, the breach in understanding occurs, and the wall goes up.

In some ways it was all for the best. I have switched to Progresso Soup, which is amazingly delicious, and according to their website, they are Non-GMO and contain no food coloring or MSG. The believe is sustainability, and they have a line of organic soups that look delicious, which I will be trying next! The Tomato Basil was soul hugging tasty, and I paired it with some cheese toast. OMG... it was so good, a short nap had to follow! It was happiness in a can! LOL. Progresso is a product of General Mills, and I admittedly don't know a lot about them, but I will do some research. I try to not purchase from companies that go out of their way to hurt people, (cough... Hobby Lobby) but life gets busy, and in Trump's America, you never really know where the next punch will come from. Right now, I am just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

If you like tomato soup, consider buying Progresso Tomato Basil. It's fabulous! And don't forget to pair it with the cheese toast, because to do otherwise, would be just silly!    :) With to cooler days of autumn, is there anything better than a big bowl of soup to chase the chills away? Well, maybe a cup of cocoa, but we will share that adventure for a different day! Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Leaf Of The Day

September 28th 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

Dried Lavender

"Just as a painter needs light in order to put the finishing touches to his picture, so I need an inner light,

 which I feel I never have enough of in the autumn."

~Leo Tolstoy

Behr Paint

Purple Gladiola

MQ4-59

 

I love lavender. I love the color, and I love the plant. I love the scent because it promotes well being and a good nights sleep, and I even enjoy cooking with it because, in the right measure, it's downright delicious! I meant to plant some in our front yard this past spring, but I allowed other things, and certain people, to distract me. That won't happen next year! I am planning to paint my office soon, sometime in October, in a shade of lavender that the Behr paint company calls... Lavender Gladiola. I think it's going to look really nice, and I think it's going to do wonders for my mood.

Shades of purple have always been some of my favorite colors of fall. It's such a nice contrast to the usual oranges and rust shades. When I was a little girl, my favorite color was pink. Everything had to be pink, but as I grew older I began to enjoy all the colors my eyes could take in, with a deep appreciation for all of them. So much so that I really couldn't settle on one, but rather combinations. I think I owe that to my love of Impressionist art, and Claude Monet, in particular. Life his individual paintings, they all made me feel different emotions, so it helped me immensely in my photography, when attempting to set a certain mood. I used to plan trips around a certain color at times. To date, reds are the most challenging to me. 

Don't get me wrong, I also went through a stage of monochromatic. Everything was grey. EVERYTHING was grey. I looked for natural lighting that would produce a seemingly black and white photo, that was, in fact, taken in color. I loved that project. And from that I moved onto attempting to use the fog in the Bay Area, and along the coast to create photos with an ombre affect, which produced some of my better sunset photos, and one really good photo of the early morning mist, near Monterey, California, as the mist as it moved on shore off the Pacific.But this year, as I feel my photographic mojo returning, I feel drawn to shades of purple, lavender in particular. Oh... I did I mention that it's also good luck to plant some by a garden gate?

Here are a couple of my favorite Purple/Lavender

 colored leaves from the last couple years...

2015

2016

And now the Leaf Of The Day!

  

Leaf Of The Day

September 27th 2017

Manteca, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

We The People

"Loyalty to country ALWAYS.

 Loyal to government when it deserves it."

 

~Mark Twain

 

One can say a lot about Berkeley. It's beautiful. It's a college town. It's sits up in the hills, and gives one a beautiful look at the San Francisco Bay. It has a decent college football team... GO BEARS! It is also the land of free speech, but make no mistake, there is a difference between free speech and HATE speech, and generally speaking there is little stomach for hate. But that doesn't stop folks who don't even live there to come and cause trouble, whether a liberal or a conservative is speaking. I have seen it for myself, when George W. Bush was in office, too many times to count. For the most part, those who cause the most trouble are there for the sole purpose of causing folks to turn on each other.Break windows. tag walls. You name it, opportunists will see their chance, and act on it.

 

I am not going to get into a big deep diatribe here about what goes on in Berkeley, instead I want to talk about what's happening on a national level. Our president has decided, yet again, to insert himself into the debate of who, how, when, why, and where free speech should or could exist. Trump wants to have it both ways. He want's to tweet like he is a private citizen, yet use his power as president to try to limit the rights of the people he serves to peacefully assemble, protest, and use their voice. It goes against all that we, as Americans hold dear and it shouldn't be tolerated. As president he does not have the right to intimate those who choose to use their voices as Americans. Period.

 

But so far, there are too many in government willing to remind the president that he has crossed a line, particularly this last weekend with his ridiculous attack against the NFL and NBA who have chosen to bow on one knee, during the National Anthem. I didn't think I would write much about politics anymore, but this last weekend cut deep with me. The fact that Trump would question Americans loyalty to this country, as he literally protects Putin's regime even after overwhelming proof of their interference in the 2016 election. It's sick. It's wrong. And it's scary because there is a lot of noise about what a buffoon he is, but very little about any kind of real censure or sanction, for tying to limit free speech in such a blatant and overtly manner.

 

 It's just one more chip away at our democracy carried out by this man, and at this point, the GOP. And that's not the least of which he has done this weekend. He is continuing is pissing contest with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Again, with very little blow back from our government! And, yesterday it was widely reported that Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump have been using private emails addresses to conduct government business. Anyone remember the HELL Hillary Clinton was subjected to? But where is Trey Gowdy? Or Jason Chaffetz? Well, Jason is off working for Fox News, and Trey Gowdy just walks around paler than usual, but silent.

There is so much happening, I can barely keep up. I walk around scared and my speech has been off, big time, because of the lack of sleep messing with my Fibromyalgia. I want to crawl into autumn and never comeback out. I want to just focus on the leaves, but I am afraid that each sunset along the Pacific Beach will be my last one, because Kim Jong Un will launch a nuclear missile at San Francisco. I think about whether I am safe in the Central Valley. If it did hit the bay, would the fallout reach this far? All because Trump can't seem to understand words have consequences. He literally doesn't know the meaning of free speech, and how yelling FIRE in a crowded theater is not one of the forms protected. Right now he is yelling NUCLEAR in a crowded theater of the Pacific, but whose going to stop him?

No one.

So, I can chose to retreat into a shell of depression.

 

Drown myself in abstract terror.

 

Become one of the lucky ones, who can live their lives completely oblivious of the danger, as a form of self-preservation and freedom  from responsibility.

 

So far, it's been a combination of all three on any given day, or sometimes on the same day!

It's all so surreal, that at times I wonder when I died, and why no one will tell me when it happened, and under what circumstances. Life is always a difficult balance, but this new stress is on a different level. I'm not sure I am weighing it all in proper proportions. Sometimes I don't want to get up, but then I see that autumn sunlight peeking through my window, and I want to go out into that sun and soak it up because autumn only comes around once a year. I remember thinking last November, that everything looked so vibrant and amazing, that it might just be the last autumn I would see on earth, because who knew what he would say or do to get us all killed. And here I am, a year later, still worried, only it is about every... single... day. With autumn leaves as my only respite. But, as respites go, at least it's all about vibrant beauty, and a reminder to live life to it's ultimate color. And I appreciate that.

Thank you for letting my mind wander in and out of the head noise.

I promise I won't make this a habit!

#5 Leaf Of The Day

September 26th 2017

Cull Canyon

Mood: Quiet

~Me

 

The Essence Of Autumn

"Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind.

 Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks.

 And their roots give names to all things.

Their language has been lost.

But not the gestures."

~Vera Nazarian

The Perpetual Calendar Of Inspiration

I have a pair of favorite trees. They are in the tiny park of Cull Canyon in Castro Valley, California. I have documented them each autumn for the last 10 years, long before I began posted my autumn albums. When I lived in the East Bay, I would visit them from time to time, usually in the autumn, but in the summer months as well. I would pack a lunch, and a few cameras and I was on my way. I can't even count the number of leaves I have photographed under those trees, most of which didn't make it into by albums, but are still in my files all the same.

On September 16th, of this year, I took my first jaunt down to Cull Canyon, just to see how my trees were doing, and if they had begun to show their beautiful colors. Liquid Amber produces some of the most beautiful colors in autumn, and they really give Ginkgo and Sugar Maples a run for their money in dazzling cinnamon and deep purple colors! Unfortunately, as I turned the corner that leads into the park my heart just sank! It seems one of the trees had apparently died over the summer, and instead of the beautiful colors of autumn, there were only dry brown leaves and some ugly green moss left on it's brittle grey branches!

Last year, almost to the same date, that tree looked like this...

... and I continued to photograph it well into January, as the last of autumn faded away. By that time, there were about a million or so leaves under that tree, well, maybe not a million, but there were so many that I wished I had more time to visit, because I could have photographed every individual leaf! They were absolutely stunning! It makes me incredibly sad to think I won't see this tree continue to grow, or the colors that it would have produced this year! No tree should ever die... right? But the conflict is, ironically, also the very concept of autumn. 

The sweet, delicious, passing of yet another year of life, and I see the beauty in that death, and I also mourn that same death, when the last leaf falls, and the air turns to the bitter cold winter. Life has it's seasons, and time passes, and so passes even the most vibrant beings... sometimes well before we are ready to let go, but in it's own time. I will miss my beautiful tree, but it's older, bigger brother still thrives on, like a vibrant, feisty old friend, so I will continue to photograph his progress, and be glad to know it's beauty shines on!

The Leaf Of The Day

September 16th 2017

Cull Canyon, Castro Valley, California

 Mood: Sad

~Me

The Season Of Discarded Couches

"Don't throw away another day! No more procrastinating!

 Only YOU can make it happen.

 So, UN-ASS the couch and make it happen!"

~Steve Maraboli

Unapologetically You: Reflections On 

Life And The Human Experience 

As I mentioned before, I did very little photography this year, as  compared to other years, where there was literally a folder for every single day of the year! But I wasn't a completely absent, I did a little, especially last May. On May 13th it was finally warm, and the Fibromyalgia wasn't hurting me too bad, so Alan and I made a day of it, by attending the annual Rodeo Parade in Castro Valley, then we hit Berkeley for some lunch, and after that it was off to San Francisco! It was good for my soul to get in touch with all my favorite places! I needed to get a workout with the camera, and a workout I got. I posted some photos of San Francisco in a previous post, but this is the first chance I got to post the photo of the couch!

When I lived in Berkeley, I loved it when May came around. Not only was it finally warm, but May seems to also be the start of Discarded Couch season! Berkeley is a university town, and as such you have tons of student housing all around Cal Berkeley. So, as the year ends, and summer begins, so begins the throwing away of the no longer needed. Couches, toaster ovens, clothing, sometimes even basketballs and stuffed animals can be found along Berkeley's sidewalks and curbs, but most often, its couches. And I love photographing them immensely!

When I lived there I had a huge file of street furniture, but I gave up that subject a couple years ago. I miss it terribly, and next year I might go back to do some of this type of photography a little more often, and maybe even branch out to different cities around Northern and Central California. It makes for a fun day, you never quite know what you will find, sitting on a curb, waiting for it's final destination. And it's not just in May, it's pretty much a summer activity, ceasing sometime around the end of September, as a new season of couches begins. Out with the old... right?

#3 Leaf Of The Day

September 24th 2017

Old Sacramento, California

 Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)