Beautiful Things Are Coming My Way

"Come, little leaves," said the wind one day, "come to the meadows with me and play. Put on your dresses of red and gold; For summer is past, and the days grow cold."

~George Cooper

Last weekend Alan and I took a drive west, to the East Bay, to check out the leaf progression. Yesterday, it was north to Sacramento! Both destinations provided a lot of beautiful leaves. It's early in autumn, but so far, all signs are pointing to a  the likelihood of a gorgeous autumn this year! I am feeling pretty optimistic! Next weekend is the official start of our vacation!

#7 Leaf of The Day

September 29th 2019

Cull Canyon

 Nikon

Mood: Encouraged

~Me  :)

 

Impeachment Bricks

"And then the sun took a step back, 

the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and Autumn was awakened."

~Raquel Franco

I took this photo on February 17th, of this year, but haven't posted it before now. I am not sure why, it's a gorgeous bird, and I was happy enough with how the photo turned out, but I just never made the effort to share it. That was a shame, I think, that bird made it through cold dark days, and it seemed really beautiful. It had an absolute right to be seen and photographed, it was doing it's part for the earth. Keeping it's promises. And what was I doing? Moping around, feeling exhausted and uninspired. Self inflicted. As the Trump impeachment bricks begin to fall, I am realizing how much energy, time, and emotion I willingly gave to a man who deserved none of it. I let myself fall into a waking depression, and wrote the script for allowing myself to wallow in it, under the guise of, there was no way to feel better until autumn came back. Which was some actual bullshit if ever there was some! Well, I am going to try my best to change things, work a little harder at moving forward with eyes fixed on the time when all this bullshit stops. Who knows, maybe when autumn says goodnight for another year, I won't just stop living again.Who knows what I have missed while it wasn't autumn? What a ridiculous waste of time.

#6 Leaf Of The Day

September 28th 2019

Cull Canyon, California

9/21/2019

Nikon

Mood: Encouraged

~Me

 

Dancing Like Twyla's Watching

"How they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat. Some dance to remember, some dance to forget."

The Eagles

Hotel California

It was the last beautiful flower on the bush it was growing on. All around it, dead and dying flowers, but this one looked absolutely pristine. It was dancing in the wind like it had been choreographed by Twyla Tharp.  I had to pay it tribute. Cull Canyon park was a feast for the eyes last weekend, and I am so glad we visited. I doubt I will be visiting again for at least a couple weeks, because tomorrow I am planning to head to Sacramento to do some leaf peeping, probably near the Crocker Gallery. It's one of my favorite haunts this time of year. I am hoping to be doing a lot more museums on this vacation, but I also want to visit some federal lands and some parks, plus the leaf peeping, and the movies, and Monterey, and San Francisco and Berkeley, and movie locations, and, and, and. I have way too much planned, to fit into just 4 weeks. It looks like there might be an impeachment to hold my interest as well, so there's that! But we are talking about right now, and visiting Sacramento. It's motto is "City of Trees" and I plan to visit as many as possible before autumn is over! They have over 110,000! That's a lot of leaves, dancing around in my brain, like Twyla's watching.

 Leaf Of The Day

 #5 Leaf Of The Day

September 27th, 2019

Stockton, California 

September 21st 2019

Nikon

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Wild Things (Photo By Request) And The Leaf Of The Day

"I like this place and could willingly wast my time in it."

~Shakespeare

It's Thursday, and therefore time for an all new #PhotoByRequest challenge on Twitter. This week Karen chose the topic of, "Wild Things." Here again we have another series of photos from last Saturday, only this time it is about the simple nature of the end of summer, and the last of the ugly grass type hedges growing along Castro Valley boulevard. I have no idea what it's called, because I have pretty much hated it my whole life, but the other day the hedges were casting some cool shadows, and the colors were nice against the colors in the background. Anyway, it was the last day of summer... almost... and these had gone to seed, so I decided it might just work for this week's topic!

And now... 

 Leaf Of The Day #4

Leaf Of The Day #4

September 21st, 2019

Cull Canyon

Nikon

Mood: Happy

Me :)

E Pluribus Unum

"Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half have never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half."

~Gore Vidal

Screening History

Again, a there is a little autumn magic involved in my photo jaunt last Saturday. I am not kidding. I had already left the park and gone for some lunch, when I got the idea to go back and look for some afternoon shadows. When I got there, I got out of the car and began to walk. I was looking over a small slope at the natural, late afternoon shadows. As is often the case, the sun was still way to bright to be able to capture the light and dark the way I wanted to, so I got ready to leave.

As I was walking back to the car, I was looking almost straight down. I do that often, because one never know what can be found. That point was proved last Saturday when I spotted an upside down penny, with the words E. Pluribus Unum, staring straight back at me! It made me smile, and believe it or not, I hadn't seen this particular design! How that's possible, I don't know. Either I haven't been paying attention, or I just haven't come across one. Either way, as I said, it made me smile.

Tonight I am smiling for different reasons, but the penny is still relevant to my mood. You see, yesterday, Nancy Pelosi gave her formal endorsement for an official Impeachment investigation, into Donald Trump and his administration, over his involvement in possible attempts of using tax dollars to extort the Ukraine. He apparently withheld humanitarian funds, in lieu of the government of the Ukraine digging up any and all political dirt on Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden.

It's just one more action of a sick and demented human being. Frankly, I never thought any impeachment investigation would take place, despite his having confessed to obvious Obstruction of Justice, and Robert Mueller having indicated both in his report, which I read cover to cover by the way, and in his in-person testimony, that had Donald Trump not been the President of the United States, he would have been subject to criminal prosecution. Mueller declined to do so, because of Justice Department policy that indicates the opinion that a sitting president cannot be, or should not be prosecuted.

One of Trump's personal lawyers once said that he was against his client speaking directly with Robert Mueller during the investigation because Trump couldn't follow his advice about following a script. Trump likes to go off on long riffs, and consume the conversation. Not a bad strategy in the world of Real Estate perhaps, but when it comes to speaking with authorities, it's not a good idea. I am not lawyer, but even I know, less is more! It was the lawyer's contention that if Trump spoke to Mueller directly, he'd end up in an orange jumpsuit.

 That has always been apparent to me, and now even more. Trump couldn't shut up on that phone call with the President of the Ukraine, and he's in trouble. While this incident probably won't end up with him in an orange jumpsuit, it will make him especially vulnerable to prosecution on any crimes he may have committed both before and after he took office. He can't stop his bitchy whiny tweeting, he can't stop committing, at least illegally adjacent crimes, and he cannot understand what America is about. I'd feel sorry for him if... nah fuck it... there is NO circumstance that could make me feel sorry for him. And because he is now, today, acting like a cornered animal, I won't feel safe until he is no longer president.

One thing, according to lore...

find a penny pick it up, 

all day long you'll have good luck.

... but is it a bad idea to pick up an upside down penny? You know I am a big believer in curses. Especially money related curses. So, did I just jinx everything?

Penny Luck

#3 Leaf Of The Day

September 25th, 2019

Photographed September 21st, 2019

Cull Canyon

Nikon 

Mood: Quiet

~Me

 

Do You Remember The 21st Night Of September

"Do you remember the 21st night of September?

Love was changin' the minds of pretenders

While chasing the clouds away

Our hearts were ringing

In the key that our souls were singing

As we danced in the night

Remember how the stars stole the night away."

Earth, Wind And Fire

"September"

Isn't she pretty? It just so happens I spotted this pretty lady this past Saturday, September 21st, while out doing some leaf peeping, and picking up some take-out from my favorite Italian deli, in Castro Valley. She was standing in the window of the DeJa Blue hair salon, which is a few doors down from Lucca's deli. She made me smile. Yellow and purple are beautiful autumn colors, and on that late summer day, and it seemed to me that she was ready to party! 

Was the party in honor of the end of summer, or the beginning of autumn? Who Knows? All I knew was, I was sure that after closing time, she would come to life like the mannequins in Xanadu did, and party! All my favorite things, in one shot, coming together organically. Music. Strange and surprising photo opportunities, and of course, it was September 21st, so how do I not think of, Earth Wind and Fire, and that awesome song? Now, let's not forget that I also had with me my favorite sandwich! The magic was already beginning!

Leaf Of The Day #2

September 24th, 2019

Photographed September 21st, 2019

Cull Canyon

Nikon

~Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

 

The Ethereal Corrective... Welcome To Autumn 2019

"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 he saw you."

~Stephen King

Salem's Lot

It's here, and all is right with the world. We no it isn't. And I imagine things will be getting a lot worse, before they get any better, just like out of a horror novel, but it's a strange kind of okay, because today it's autumn again. The Equinox. A day that seems to me, to always feel a little more special than other days. I don't know if it's relief that comes from just knowing the painful heat is about to end, or if it's knowing another year has been handed it's official walking papers, but something, always, feels profoundly different to me. More so than if it was a simple matter of one season turning into the next. I swear I can feel the moment it happens. The moment autumn is born into another year! Hopefully there will be something magical that will happen, to lessen the despair the world is feeling. Maybe the slant of light, or ethereal corrective, will shut Trump's mouth for one afternoon, who knows? But even if that doesn't happen, it's still the first day of autumn, and all is right in that world.

And if it's the first day of autumn, it's time for the Leaf Of The Day project to begin again. It wouldn't be autumn for me without that day every year! And so it begins...

Autumn Leaf Of The Day

2019

#1 Leaf Of The Day

September 23rd 2019

Cull Canyon

Nikon

Mood: Happy

~Me  :)

 

Werewolf? Therewolf!

"The doctor once told me I feel too much.

 I said, so does god, that's why you can see the

 Grand Canyon from the moon."

~Andrea Gibson

After having missed photographing the full moons for several months, for several reasons, I decided to photograph last night's full moon. It was a full moon, on Friday the 13th. I couldn't pass that up. There are a lot of facts about this full moon, but the most interesting one, at least to me, is that it's a Harvest Moon that was 14% smaller than other Harvest moons. There is a perfectly good reason for it, but I'm not going to do your homework for you, you will just have to click the link below to find out why. Stuff is weird. Or it's normal. I don't know which any more. Anyway, be on the lookout for werewolves. No kidding, do it!

Read why here > Five Harvest Moon Facts

Mood: Tired
 ~ Me

 

Photo By Request... "Signs"

Golden Gate Bridge

Westbound Gate

Marin County

August 24th 2019

"When you are near the middle of your life, often God will do outrageous things to knock you back on course."

~Francesca Lia Block

Wasteland

Today's #PhotoByRequest challenge is "Signs". I absolutely love the topic because so much can be done with it! You can photograph a literal sign that is interesting in some way, or you can reach for the metaphorical, which would require explanation, at least as far as to oneself. I guess it's a matter of ones comfort zone. As luck would have it, when Alan and I visited the Golden Gate a couple weeks ago, I came across more than one sign. Most are self explanatory. I also had quite a few archived photos I want to share as well. I enjoy looking for signs in the universe, for some reason no matter how cryptic, or how long I have to ponder their meaning, I always seem to come away better off for having noticed what the unseen was trying to tell me.

That's just one more reason I am happy to always have my camera in my hand. My camera helps me learn more about myself, and see a part of life I would have otherwise missed. My camera helps me stay in the moment, as opposed to dwelling in the past. As for the quote I chose for this post, well, I have found that sentiment to be absolutely true. Like in 2015, when we were forced to move to the Central Valley. Lordy, I wouldn't have moved here by choice, but here I am. Probably forever. God, and the whole universe, decided to throw a shit storm and suck me up into it, and Stockton just happened to be where I landed. Never, ever, say NEVER when God is within earshot!

 Signs... (New)

Emotional Signs

Golden Gate Bridge

Westbound Marin County Side

Archived Signs

Bodega Bay, California

We'll Miss You Robin

Tribute to Robin Williams

The Punch Line

San Francisco, California

 Robin Williams Tunnel

Marin County, California

August 24th 2019

I miss Robin so much, but I always smile when I see this sign. We in the Bay Area will never forget that man. He was special.

Fisherman's Wharf

San Francisco

You can't visit San Francisco without seeing this sign!

New York Hotel

Stockton, California

Can you believe those prices?

Dublin, California

Self Explanatory

 "Live To Serve Man"

 A Public Art prank by the Billboard Liberation Front

Read all about this sign/public art piece

 by clicking the title above.

 Pier 14

One of the most beautiful spots along the Embarcadero

 Cal Berkeley Campus

Berkeley California

Autumn 2007

 Reno, Nevada

Autumn 2006

Zanesville, Ohio

October 1992

How often do you get to chose

 whether or not you venture down the road to HELL!

Do you see signs, or just signs? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment thread. I would love to hear from you!

~Mood: Happy
~Me  :)

Clouds Like Hot Air Balloons

"There was a star riding through clouds one night,

 and I said to the star, 'consume me'."

~Virginia Woolf

The Waves

Since last December, I have been looking skyward during storms, because I have seen some of the most interesting cloud types and formations since moving out to the valley, than probably in the entire time I lived in the Bay Area! Its probably due to the air being so different out here. Its moist at times because of the San Joaquin Delta, but at times its a little drier too. Weird. It takes a little getting used to, because I know when the humidity goes up, so does the chance for my newly acquired medical complaint, Migraines. I lucked out the other day, during a really hot day some clouds formed overhead and dropped great big icy droplets. The situation  had all the potential to bring with it the perfect recipe for a headache, but didn't. I just got to enjoy the beautiful clouds, that kinda looked like hot air balloons. It was nice.

~Mood: Happy

~Me  :)

San Francisco

"Where there is love, there is life."

~Mahatma Ghandi 

I was losing my mind last week, when a few really nice things happened to turn things around. First a few folks dropped by on Twitter to be supportive and kind, thank you Susan and Lynda, and then Alan took me home, to the Golden Gate Bridge. Here I am a few days later, and I feel alive again. I love that city, and I really love that bridge! And my goodness, it's nice to be cared about.

Dinner from Tony's Cable Car made wasn't bad either!

After dinner it was time to head home, by way of Marin County, and the Robin Williams Tunnel. I will miss him forever. Sigh. He was a gift to this world.

~Mood: Happy
~Me  :)

And Other Stuff

"That's the worst thing isn't it? Charlie said,

 Things that act alive but aren't."

~Scott Cawthon

The Silver Eyes

I took this photo so long ago, I had a hard time remembering which camera I used. It was my Kodak. Anyway, this post is to fill you in on some other things I have been while on blogging break. Recently, Karen and I started a brand new photo challenge, but this time rather than on Blogger or in the blogging community, it's on Twitter exclusively. Photo By Request or if you are on the Twitter platform itself, its #PhotoByRequest because Twitter is all about the hashtag! This week's subject is "Toys" and it's our third round! We post on Thursdays, and you are invited, just show up with your photo posted to your timeline, and the hashtag. Easy peasy. It's going to be fun! I am looking forward to having a challenge, to maybe inspire me to keep picking up the camera even in the difficult times. Maybe I can get back to blogging full time again. I think it would be healthier than drifting from one negative thought to another.

~Mood: Okay

~Me

Monday, Monday... Can't Trust That Day

"Sometimes souls don't need words to communicate. They  speak with each other through signs, symbols, deep feelings and poetry!"

 ~Avijeet Das

And old fashioned forms of communication from the 1980's.

Cool isn't it? Alan and I went on a ride to San Francisco last Saturday, and we spotted this pair of gems at the Vista Point, on the Marin County side, of the Golden Gate. It really made me laugh because, frankly, I hadn't seen a phone like this in ages! Isn't it something? I'll be looking for more of them when vacation starts in October. I have been missing the 70's and 80's very much, especially the last few years, so spotting these made for a nice surprise. I had no idea they were still a thing!  When I saw them, there was something so wonderfully nostalgic in that moment, that I kinda felt for a minute like I was back home. You know? Back when life didn't move so damn fast, and things stayed the same, until you were ready to say, "okay... I'm ready, lets go." Believe it or not, there was such a day. I remember it. Don't laugh. I do. I think it was a Monday. There problem is, that by the time that last Monday that made sense occurred, it was followed by the next Monday that changed everything. Like the song says, Monday, Monday... can't trust that day." I wonder if 1980 would have been on the other end, if I had answered it?