"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air."
-Eric Sloane
It was cold and rainy here yesterday, so I decided to spend the day looking into my archives to see what I did in autumns past. Here are some of my favorites. I am thinking about reviving my photo gallery blog, Ellipsis... Vignettes Legeres D' Ambiant (Ambient Light Vignettes). I don't know, we'll see. For now I have the following photos, hope you enjoy the look back with me.
When I look into your eyes I can see a love restrained But darlin' when I hold you Don't you know I feel the same 'Cause nothin' lasts forever And we both know hearts can change And it's hard to hold a candle In the cold November rain
-Guns N Roses, November Rain
I love walking in autumn, you can experience the most delightful things, completely unique to the season. Animals, leaves of every imaginable shade and hue falling silently to the damp earth. Mist. Shadows that make you think you are being followed by a phantom. And to make it all come together, the air is filled with the scent of the first lighting of fireplaces, and the sound of birds seeking shelter from the coming storm. I love autumn.
"It's not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
-W. Edwards Deming
Forgive me, I am feel introspective today.
I am a silly girl... well... woman. LOL. I haven't been a "girl" for a while now... but anyway... I live for autumn, yet I resist change at all cost! LOL. It's so strange, autumn is all about change. It exists to teach us that change is not only inevitable, but something that shouldn't be feared or resisted because change brings renewed growth if you just have a little patience. I bubble with excitement each September as the leaves on the trees transition from shades of healthy green, to the earthy reds, yellows, deep purples and browns, yet I rarely allow myself to think too long about what it all really means. Change.
It seems that everything changes too fast. But then again, is there any other way to move on but one day, no, one minute at a time? Time. Something else I will never understand. One day I am petting Elvis and putting his little chef's hat on him as we write up the menu for Thanksgiving dinner, and the next I am missing him to the point I am sobbing... and he has already been gone over a year! I miss him. I miss his little habits. I miss his insisting that there should only be 4 plastic bottles per recycle bag. I miss his kisses first thing in the morning, and I miss his whiskers, which he would rub on my knees as I sat typing at the computer. That was change I could have done without, and yet I love my two little boys Dylan and Hendrix so deeply, I wonder how I ever lived without them. Does that make sense?
I have had other changes in my life recently, changes which are a little less profound. I am probably the last person on the Internet to finally get a Twitter account. LOL. Yes, I am now a TWIT. LOL. I don't know... I guess I shy away from new things on the net because I don't really want to be found by folks I would rather not know any more. Does that sound mean? It's not that I hold any bad feelings, it's just that why reopen doors that aren't good for you?
I signed up for Facebook earlier this year, and it's kind of fun, but again I tend to keep myself in a small space by not adding every single person who asks me to. I don't know why, I am just not comfortable with adding the whole universe to my list of "friends." I was pleasantly surprised to get some invitations from some of my buddies from the old AOL days. Hi again Vince, Robbie and Amy. :) You guys always make me smile. But when I went to hit the "find friends" feature one day, someones profile came up that I haven't spoken to in at least 3 years... and it was difficult.
It's not that we parted company on bad terms, we didn't, we just didn't part as friends. Sigh. Sometimes there is a strange sort of limbo in relationships, and yes, it gets to me sometimes. I had forgotten this person was even in my Internet address book, and then POP there they were. I could have sent an invitation to be a friend on Facebook but why? 3 years seems like a long time, too long methinks. After all, I did the best I could to deal with the change presented to me at the time, and did a really good job of adapting, so why go back? Still, it's November and I always think about Mr. November when the leaves change.
Enough said.
Sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing as Internet Claustrophobia? I really like keeping my Internet life small, and yet I LOVE getting comments and seeing that my "Followers" list is up to 41! LOL. It's not a lot of folks, but I am happy to see each one that's there. I even get excited when I see "anonymous" has been by. Hi Anonymous! LOL. I sometimes click on the "next blog" feature and visit new folks just to say hello, that's how I met Suzanne, and yet I shy away from really getting to know people. I have some really strong walls built, and I can't help but wonder... why? When you add it all up it doesn't really equal claustrophobia, but it does have name, I am just not sure what it is.
Is it because it's easier to be lonely in a crowd? Is it because I don't want to get close to too many people because ultimately change will happen? I still miss my friend Pam. She died too young. So did my friend Frank. They were there when I really needed a friend, and now they are gone. I think about both of them during the holidays, and I miss them, but I am glad I got the chance to be on the path with them, if only for a little while. Sometimes I wish I could get an IM from Frank just one more time, asking to borrow some peanut butter. LOL. That guy!
At least I can see the next really big change coming. In today's news I read about AOL cutting back it's entire workforce by 1/3. That's big! I wonder how much longer it will even be in business? I haven't been a paying AOL customer for over 6 months, but I still log into it every morning because I prefer the way it looks to my current ISP Comcast. AOL always did have a nice look about it, but looks just aren't enough, so I finally made the big move, years later then I should have, and yet I have kept my email account, and still use it as my main contact information. LOL. Sing it with my now...
You put your left foot in, you pull your left foot out, you put your left foot in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey poky and you turn yourself around, that's what it's all about.
LOL.
One day AOL will be gone too.
Stuff happens.
Change happens.
But for now...
I am over here and here and here... and I am doing fine.
"Research has proven: Trains do not run on time, but on electricity."
-Loesje
EMPS #64: TRAINSNOW CLOSED! WooooWoooo! All aboard! Grab your cameras and photograph TRAINS. As always, the type of TRAIN is entirely up to you. Thomas The Tank, or an old Western Pacific railroad car, it's all good! An abandoned railway station works, as does a modern subway. Anything relating to TRAINS will do nicely.
Extra Credit: Show me a conductor or engineer along with your TRAIN photos!
**PLEASE READ** This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET. That means you have nearly a week to get your photo, upload it to your website, blog or journal, and come back here with the direct link back to it. Please remember, the link you leave must be a link which is specific to this week's photo shoot assignment. Please double check the link you leave, as that is the one I will be adding to the Linking List next Monday. It is your responsibility to make sure the information you leave is correct. Also, please link back to this entry, so other folks will be able to find the assignment and play along. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at Ondinemonet@aol.com.
Weekend Assignment #292: Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving ahead, and Christmas advertising has begun. So how about it? When do the holidays begin for you? Do you avoid thinking about Christmas and Hanukkah until after Thanksgiving, or is any time after Halloween okay? Is it time for Christmas lights in your neighborhood, and do the neighbors agree with you? How about Christmas music? When does that become okay, if ever?
Extra Credit: Have you bought any holiday presents yet? If not, when do you think you'll start?
Holidays begin for us all the way back in May. You see, there is a small rodeo parade here in the East Bay, which is held every Mother's Day weekend, and it is kinda the unofficial kick-off of summer, or at least it is for us. Two weeks later comes Memorial Day, and then my birthday and well, you get the idea. We don't really stop celebrating until January 1st. But if we are talking about the holidays... holidays... then I would have to say, they begin with Halloween.
That is when I get into our storage room and get out all the autumn/winter decorations. I get all of it out at the same time, because it just makes more sense then to lift the boxes over and over every month. Autumn is just one big celebration with Christmas and Hanukkah only barely official winter holidays. I love it. Life is too short to not put up colored lights. Tee Hee. And this year seem especially festive, as all the towns have put up the "Happy Holidays" banners. It's been really cold, so it's really all coming together nicely.
Extra Credit: No, no gift shopping yet. I think gift giving going to be a little sparse this Christmas, which is ok, I am at the age when I have everything I want. Although I am eyeing a "Monster in A Bag" for the boys. They will need something to keep them occupied during the rainy season this winter.
"If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are."
-Oprah Winfrey
16 minutes ago, well, actually, more like a year ago, not too many people had heard of Carrie Prejean, can we just go back a year and start all over!? Sigh! Why won't she just go away! SIGH AGAIN. You know, when she was asked about gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant, she gave the answer she as she actually feels... she spoke her mind. She didn't lie about her true feelings, so I have to give her props for that, but sometimes I wonder what she is willing to lie about. When you ask someone for their opinion, you have to be prepared for the answer they give you, good, bad or indifferent. But when you speak your mind, you also have to be prepared for how your words affect others. In both cases it is how you conduct yourself from that point forward to tells the real tale. Doesn't it?
I know it has been a rough road for Carrie, at least she feels it has. I know she has been subjected to a lot of ridicule and perhaps even some hatred, but to continually put yourself in circumstances which not only tend to bring it on, but indeed cause it yourself, then who do you actually have to blame? Ms. Prejean refers to herself as a Christian, conservative woman. If so, she has the ability to conduct herself in such a way that would set an example for other young, Christian, conservative women. To assert herself, without robbing others of their opinions or who they are as humans. But that's not what we have been seeing, we have been seeing is a sullen, rude, bitchy, self-centered young woman who can't seem to move on from playing the "victim."
The thing is, I don't think she knows what else to do. It seems to be Carrie v. The World. There is a big potential for growth here, but she doesn't seem to be allowing herself to do the one thing that will further her the most. That would be to learn her lessons and move forward. As Barbara Walters pointed out to her on The View yesterday, the best thing that could have happened to her... has. And from it she has a book out, which tells her side of the story as she sees it. It's her voice. It was an appropriate way to present her side of things, but every time she acts out as she did on Larry King Live last night, who can have the patience to listen to her, let alone read her book?
What's sad is that if you believe her when she says she is a Christian conservative, then you have to consider who her roll models in the last few years might have been. Michelle Malkin? A woman who once tried to connect Rachael Ray with terrorism. Anne Coulter? Another woman who uses rudeness as a charm affect, and who once said "I never saw wives enjoying their husbands deaths so much," when referring to 9/11 wives. It's sad really. Why does being a strong woman, have to mean you give up compassion? Why do these woman have to try so hard to be, well, BITCHES?
Carrie, GO AWAY. GO FIND YOURSELF. Don't try to be a cheap imitation of anyone. Go and gain some insight. When you understand your own actions and the consequences of them, give this FAME thing another go. See what people say then, but in the mean time, stop embarrassing yourself and blaming the world for your problems.
Ever since I brought my Dylan home, I have referred to him as my "YAM." He is orange, quiet, and at times... potato-like. Sweet Potato-Like. LOL. He is such a different cat then Hendrix. Oh don't get me wrong, both of them are little love bugs, but both are very independent, in very different ways. Hendrix is a little more self assured and outgoing. He knows almost NO FEAR! Dylan, when frightened, becomes almost paralysed. He is affectionate, but usually in a much quieter manner. Where Hendrix is a lot more demonstrative with affection, Dylan will stay by my side, and sometimes ask me to play or maybe just sit in the sun with him as a show of affection.
He had been through a lot before we me, and was the child of a little homeless cat who had been turned out into the world. She was removing her kittens from the their nest, similar to the way birds give their babies a nudge into the world, when it happened. See, she didn't understand the ways of the world, and was hit by a car before she could go back for Dylan. Knowing cats the way I do, I am sure she saw that he was insecure and frightened, so she was probably going to keep him with her a little longer as cats do sometimes. I am still so sorry that she passed away, clearly she was a good momma who loved her little orange **Sweet Potato** tabby. I hope wherever she is, she knows how much I love our boy!
Cats are a gift to we humans good health. Cat owners have a significantly lower risk of having a heart attack, stroke or contracting certain types of cancer. Click on the link below, to read all about the health benefits of being owned by a cat... or two! LOL.
"Farmers only worry during growing season, but towns people worry all the time."
-Edgar Watson Howe
EMPS #63: DOWNTOWN. NOW CLOSED! Easy one this week! Grab your cameras and photograph the DOWNTOWN area of where you live! Big city, small hamlet... it's all good! But for this photo shoot I want to see brand new photos, so NO ARCHIVES this time around!
Extra Credit: Photograph your DOWNTOWN both during the day and at night!
**PLEASE READ** This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET. Please folks, that gives you nearly a whole week to do the assignment, post it to your blog, journal or website, and comeback here with a link (NO HYPERLINKS) which goes back to an entry specific to this week's assignment. Please be mindful of the date and time the assignment closes. I turn off the comment thread at 9:00 PM, after that, NO ADDITIONAL ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED! Also, please be sure to link back here in your entry, so folks can find the assignment and play along!
Thanks so much for participating this week! I will see you next week with an all new photography assignment!
-Carly
NOTE: If you enjoy the Monday Photo Shoot, then why not try the Weekend Assignment? Just hop on over to Karen's blog for a new assignment each week! Here is this week's assignment...
The oldest thing in our little cottage, just happens to be Alan! LOL. He is 7 months older then I am, and therefore the oldest "thing" in our apartment. :) If we are talking about day to day possessions, I don't think I have anything that constitutes and actual antique...yet. I do have two portraits in a lovely Victorian style that hang over our bed, but alas, I don't have a photo of them, at least not on this computer. I bought them back in the mid 80's, when Victorian pieces were all the rage. I love them so much that I believe they are the one thing I would grab if the house were burning down around me. :)
Extra Credit: Yep, now that I think about it, the oldest of my personal possessions is a stuffed turtle named Timmy. My brother brought him back to me when he came home on leave from Vietnam. I think it was in 1966 or 67. I don't have a photo of Timmy, and I don't display him anymore. He is safely packed away in my storage room, keeping some of my other "old friends" (stuffed animals) company. :)
"A celebrity is someone who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized."
-Fred Allen
TMZ comes up with the weirdest things sometimes, but frankly I don't see how they will ever top this one... An Indiana prisoner is claiming to be the father of not only Kate Gosselin's children, but Nadya Suleman's children, and the grandchild of blogger Sarah Palin! WHAT THE HELL? LOL! Go read the handwritten court documents here.
"And where two raging fires meet together, they do consume the thing that feeds their fury."
-William Shakespeare
While in Half Moon Bay, a couple weeks ago, Alan and I came across a slow, controlled burn along the side of the road near the town of Pescadero. It was burning between HWY 1 and the cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean. I am afraid of fire, even under the most controlled circumstances, but on that day I just had to stop and snap off some photos. I thought the smoke, with the ocean behind it, made for some interesting shadows. Funny how even the things that scare me the most, become less frightening when I have the camera with me. I take it everywhere, but I am never more grateful for it, then when I am frightened. Strange how brave I feel with just a little help. :)
"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be ableto keep our mind strong and clear."
-Buddah
EMPS # 62: Autumn Fruits And Vegetables. NOW CLOSED! We are in a delicious time of year, so lets see some AUTUMN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! Show me something yummy, found particularly during this time of year, that gives you that little bit of extra energy to fight not just the dark, cold days of autumn, but also the cold and flu season, which is about to be upon us. For the purpose of this assignment, lets do new photos this week, rather then reaching into the archives. For those of you outside the Northern Hemisphere, there is an alternate assignment below.
Extra Credit: Show me your AUTUMN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES all prepared and ready to enjoy!
EMPS #62A: FAVORITE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES STILL LIFE. For those of you who live outside the U.S., and who are not currently in the season of autumn, do a STILL LIFE of your FAVORITE everyday FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
Extra Credit: Same. Show me your favorite FRUITS AND VEGETABLES all prepared and ready to enjoy!
**PLEASE READ** This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday, at 9:00 PM. ET. Please submit your entries by that date and time, by getting your photo, uploading to your blog, journal or website, and then come back here with the direct link back to it. REMEMBER... it must be a link which goes back to an entry which is specific to this week's Monday Photo Shoot assignment. NO HYPERLINKS ACCEPTED! Also, please link back here, so other folks can find the assignment and play along with us! If you haven't played before, and if you have any questions about how to play, feel free to email me at ONDINEMONET@AOL.COM.
"A house is never still in darkness to those who listen intently; there is a whispering in distant chambers, an unearthly hand presses the snib of the window, the latch rises. Ghosts were created when the first man awoke in the night."
-J.M. Barrie
This is my entry for this week's Monday Photo Shoot! My two little boys, all dressed up and ready to go Trick or Treating! I wasn't sure if dressing up and indulging their mommy in some photographic cuteness would be their cup of tea, but to my delight, they were not only happy to don their costumes, but did so with a good bit of happiness! I think they feel special when I take their photos, they are always at ease around the camera! Here are my two little fellas, Hendrix the Devil, and Dylan the Witch of Berkeley!
"Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world."
-William Shakespeare
It's midnight, see, look at the time stamp! And since it's midnight, and a storm is approaching, I am going out into the dark, damp night to enjoy the best holiday of all, the one day I look forward to all year... HALLOWEEN! Honestly, the mere mention of the day, brings me to a silly childlike giddiness. So excuse me dear reader, as I am off to haunt the village, and hopefully, find myself in a time warp.
Sing it with me if you dare...
Time Warp
It's astounding, time is fleeting Madness takes it toll But listen closely, not for very much longer I've got to keep control
I remember doing the Time Warp Drinking those moments when The blackness world hit me and the void would be calling me Let's do the time warp again, Let's do the time warp again!
It's just a jump to the left And a step to the right With your hands on your hips You bring your knees tight But it's the pelvic thrust that really drives you insane Let's do the time warp again!
It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me So you can't see me, no not all all In another dimension, with voyeuristic intention Well-secluded, I see all With a bit of a mind flip You're there in the time slip And nothing can ever be the same You're spaced out on sensation, like you're under sedation Let's do the time warp again!
Well I walking down the street, just having a think When a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink He shook me up, he took me by surprise He had a pick-up truck and the devil's eyes He stared at me and felt a change Time meant nothing, never would again Let's do the time warp again Let's do the time warp again!
BWAHAHAHAHA!
;)
-Carly
PS: Be sure to comeback later today, to see Hendrix and Dylan in their Halloween costumes! And remember, there is still time to play along with this week's Monday Photo Shoot! The assignment is "HALLOWEEN."
Look what I spotted in traffic yesterday, while out and about! Let's have some fun, shall we? Caption the photos! Pick one or do both, it's completely up to you! I can't wait to see what you come up with!
I love photographing all kinds of butterflies, because each one presents a different behavior. The easiest, at least for me, is the Gulf Fritillary. It is a fairly large butterfly and it when it lands on a flower or stick, it usually spends a couple moments there. That gives me ample time to get both closed and open wing photographs. My favorite butterfly overall is the Painted Lady. It has such beautiful colors and is almost as easy to photograph as the Gulf Fritillary.
Do you enjoy garden photography? Do you photograph butterflies? If so, feel free to share your favorites with me. I would love to know about your experiences with photographing butterflies.
"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."
-Stanley Horowitz
I was treated to a very nice surprise this past weekend, when I paid a visit to the Plumas County Visitor's Bureau web page, to view the latest leaf-peeper report, I found that they had linked to my blog and to my Autumn Pictorial from last Saturday! How cool is that? They had some lovely and encouraging things to say about my photography, which, of course, always means a lot to me. Thanks again folks! :)
Plumas County is such a lovely place, I have completely fallen in love with every inch of it! And every person I met on my travels throughout the county were just as nice as they could be! I was so impressed with the area that I am already planning my next visit. Hopefully it will be in late May to photograph the amazing collection of wildflowers they have, but if not, it will definitely be in autumn. Glorious, spectacular, amazing AUTUMN!
An Autumn Pictorial PT 2: One Last Lovely Look Back At Plumas County October 21st, 2009
