A Face In The Crowd: HWY 580

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile,

 but rather sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Just when I really need to stop taking life so serious, along comes something that makes me smile. Like the smile on the back of this truck. I don't think it's a smile on purpose, but rather that just happens to be the way that particular container is close. But then again, maybe the manufacturer saw the chance to make the product serve two purposes. It's original purpose, and then why not make folks smile if they have to look at the back of a commercial truck in heavy traffic? Sure. Why not? It's a good idea. I know it put a smile on my face, and it made the traffic a lot less daunting. Cool. Right?

By any chance, do you know what the original purpose

 of the smile container/object/tool is?

 If you do, please feel free to chime in! 

"If I saw you hitchhiking, I'd smile and return your thumbs up, 

just for doing such a good job of being

 a positive roadside influence."

~Jarod Kintz

Leaf Of The Day

October 10th, 2015

 Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Boehner Of Their Existence

"If a man harbors any sort of fear,

 it makes him landlord to a ghost."

~Lloyd Douglas

Forget Halloween, the world of American politics is plenty scary these days! Can you feel surprised, and not surprised at the same time? Because I have been feeling that way when it comes to the latest Washington doings, specifically in regards to John Boehner and the issue of who will replace him as Speaker of the House. I was genuinely surprised when Boehner stepped down as speaker, and truth be told, I felt sorry for him. I really thought when he rose to that position, he would be strong enough to serve, well, until things changed through the people's voice. I never thought in a million years he would resign the office due to pressure from the wingnuts in the GOP, AKA the Tea Party teabaggers, and their demands for the selfish and unreasonable. You know... things like shutting down the government until we make Dixie the national anthem, and Sarah Palin their Goddess. 

His resignation wasn't good for anyone, but lets be clear, I am not a fan of Boehner. Nope. But he did have something going for him, he was a Reagan republican, meaning he didn't go about bashing members of his own party, and he did the best he could to represent all of the GOP, and not just the agendas of a few, crazy, unreasonable, selfish individuals. I think the time of the true Reagan republican has probably come to an end. Since the rise of Sarah Palin to the national stage, we have seen a dark time in America. The age of the stupid and mean spirited agenda is upon us. It's never again going to be enough to have accomplished something, no, now you have to have a political kill on your resume, even, and sometimes especially, if the kill is within the GOP's own party. And the GOP has no one to blame for this current predicament but themselves.

They built the house of cards that will come down upon them.

It also didn't much surprise me when House Majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, took himself out of the running for replacing Boehner. He, again, is a lot like Boehner in political style, and in his speech yesterday, he hinted strongly that his decision to step back was based at least partially because he wasn't willing to bow to the far right of his party, when it comes to the fight over the debt ceiling. The Tea Party has already said they would not support Boehner or anyone else who votes to raise the debt ceiling again, which means, in effect, they plan to shut the government down when the vote comes up again in December. 

Sigh.

The ignorance is simply unbelievable. The possible damage will be deep, and far reaching, and once it happens it will be devastating and difficult to repair. America will never be the same again, and when it happens it will happen to all of us, not just those who hunger for the downfall that's coming! I fear watching that devastation. I hate that those selfish tea party politicians are serving themselves, while deceiving their own constituents into thinking they are representing their best interests. After it happens, and the devastation is felt by all, their every day voting supporters will see them for what they are. I hope. But I do wonder what will happen when the Tea Partiers in office finally realize the consequences of what they are about to do? Will they suddenly grow a conscience? Or is it possible that the ghost of Ronald Reagan visit them in the middle of the night just prior to the debt ceiling vote and warn them of the imminent visitation of 3 more ghosts of the past, present and future? 

Who knows?

All I know is these are scary times. And their is a lot to fear.

 And that means ghosts are everywhere!

Hold on, it's going to be a bumpy, scary ride!

Leaf Of The Day

October 9th, 2015

Mood: Curious

~Me :)

Falling...

"It was a beautiful, bright autumn day with air like cider 

and a sky so blue you could drown in it."

~Diana Ganaldon

Outlander 

It's a little difficult to post a "Leaf Of The Day" project to your blog, if you have an ISP that has issues causing it to go out several times a week. That's what's been happening in my world lately, most recently, Monday evening. I don't know what's going on with AT&T Uverse in the Stockton area, but since I had it installed, about a month ago, the service has gone out several times. I have had 8 repair/technicians in my house in just this last month. They always shrug and say... "I dunno." And as they have replaced the gateway, the DVR box and most recently, yesterday, they replaced the entire line out of the house to the main pole. Hopefully that will take care of the issue, but I think I would like to see a full month, without an issue, before I will breath easily. 

Shrug.

I have to admit, it hasn't been making my current blue mood any less blue, which is why Alan suggested that he and I get out of the house for the day yesterday, and head down to Berkeley. We walked out in the sunshine and cool air of Tilden. I did some leaf peeping and photos by my favorite little foot bridge, and we picked up lots and lots of cheese from the Cheese Board Collective down on Shattuck, in the heart of the Gourmet Ghetto. It's always an amazing treat to stop in there. I will be posting some photos later this week of the cheeses we purchased, because cheese is almost as photogenic as autumn leaves!

It was good for me to get out with the camera, and clear my head a bit. It's been one hell of a year, but ruminating on things isn't doing me any good, in fact it is only deepening the sadness I have been feeling. So, I got the cameras ready, and off we went! Berkeley isn't quite filled with autumn splendor just yet, but there are gorgeous pops of color here and there that just made my heart dance! The trip home reminded me that autumn is here, and it's time to plan some day trips for us to go on. Apple Hill. Lake Tahoe. Carson City, Nevada. Plumas National Forest. Monterey and Carmel! It's all waiting for me and the camera! So, that's what I will be doing the next few days, planning some trips to take during the next few weeks. Our vacation officially begins on Tuesday, which is also our 25th Wedding Anniversary, and I don't want to waste a minute on anything as useless as depression!

Stay Tuned For Vacation Updates!

Leaf Of The Day

( October 6th, 2015 )

Leaf Of The Day

( October 7th, 2015 )

Leaf Of The Day

October 8th, 2015

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

The Cat In The Window

"I am what I am. I would tell you what you want to know if I could, for you have been kind to me. But I am a cat, and no cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer."

~Peter S. Beagle

The Last Unicorn

That kitty in the window is my Joey. He is Alan's Joey too, of course, but it's me he snuggles when it's time for bed. At least he used to. You see, we moved the little guy into a big house. It's the biggest space he has ever lived in. The cottage in Berkeley was a one bedroom, with a tiny office space. The hotel room was almost the same size as the cottage, only laid out slightly differently, but this place is 3 bedrooms, and two bathrooms, and a big family room/laundry area and it's all quite overwhelming for him sometimes. Truth be told, it's overwhelming for me as well! I don't know if I want to live here forever. It's a lot to deal with. Ideally, one day I will be able to comeback to the Bay Area. I am not picky, about where I am, as long as we are all happy. 

At the moment, I am restless. I don't know if the emotional end of this adventure is finally catching up with me, or what it is, but I am blue. Sad meanies. It's been a hell of a year, I am ready to just stop for a while, which it seems we have, it's just since we moved in here, Joey has refused to come into our room at night. He won't go down the long hallway that leads to the bedroom. Dylan and Hendrix do, they are by my side every night, but Joey will have none of it! NOPE. WON'T DISCUSS IT! I just miss my boy. So that is adding to my mood. I trying to be patient. I know he will work through it at some point, but until then, I just wish everything was back to normal. I wish Joey would come sleep with me tonight. I miss his big, warm paws.

I suppose we are just in a period of adjustment.

This too shall pass.

Leaf Of The Day

October 5th, 2015

Mood: Happy But Sad

~Me :)

Blessings Be On This House

"Blessings be on this house", Granny said, perfunctorily. It was always a good opening remark for a witch. It concentrated people's minds on what other things might be on this house."

~Terry Pratchett

Witches Abroad

Isn't she lovely? That stylish little witch is my very first bit of Halloween decoration for the house this year! She came yesterday, in a box from Amazon.com. I kinda dig her pearls, and that cute purple dress. She has a mind of her own. She's shy. She absolutely refuses to face the neighborhood, favoring instead to fly repeatedly into the kitchen window. LOL. A good witch does have a mind of her own methinks. She makes us smile anyway, and so whatever she says goes. No since pissing off a witch this close to Halloween... right?

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Leaf Of The Day

October 4th, 2015

Mood Happy

~Me :)

That's No Ghost Lady, That's A Raccoon

"Can you imagine life without the horror genre? 

There would be no monsters, only assholes."

~Michael A. Arnzen

Alan and I bought a new house. Well, it's new to us, but in reality it is 53 years old. The same age Alan and I are. And as a 53 year old it has some problems with plumbing, and waking up in the morning, and remembering. Yes, I said it, remembering. The automatic timers are a bit eccentric. We moved in on the 1st of September, and all seemed normal, then one night, a couple weeks ago, we heard it. That sound. That strange, disembodied sound of something wet... and terrible...moving around the house.

Glooop, GlOOPY GLOOP GLOOP.

Me: Alan! Did you hear that?

Alan: Hear what?

Me: That Gloop sound.

Alan: No, honey, I don't hear a gloop... snore. SNORE!

Me: ALAN! LISTEN!

Alan: SNORE. SNORT. I will check it tomorrow.

Well, tomorrow came and as you might guess, no gloop sound. Then three days pass without even a peep, when once again, GLOOOOOOOOP. GLOOOP. Bubble, bubble, bubble. Like a witches cauldron. Only this time it happened on a night when Alan was working the graveyard shift. Perfect! It was absolutely perfect. There was a gloop, gloop ghost, or witch, and I was home alone! So what could I do? I did the only thing I could do. I turned on every single light in the house, and 3 TV's! The ghost/witch was so frightened, it gave up and went wherever wet ghosts/witches go. 

The gloop sound came and went over the next few weeks. Sometimes in the daytime, but mostly at night. Late at night. Now, fast forward to a couple days ago, when the whole spooky situation came to a logical and embarrassing conclusion. You see, that is when we had the first visit with our professional pool person. He explained that the gloop, gloop sound was nothing more than an ill timed pump, that was on a timer, because, you see, Stockton has certain days of the week, and times of day, when you are allowed to water plants and add water to pools. 

Alan: HA HA HA. A ghost? Ha Ha Ha.

Me: I don't know, it could still be a ghost, look at what I caught on camera!

(See Above)

Pool Guy: Um, that's not a ghost lady, that's a raccoon!

Alan: HA HA HA HA HA.

Me:*?%#^^%!@&! (Censored)

Thanks A Lot Alan!

Leaf Of The Day

October 3rd, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

The Key To Ridding Yourself Of Vampires

"Theres nothing worse than waiting not knowing

 what'll happen to you. 

Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor."

~Rochelle Meade

Frostbite

Vampires. If we don't know any personally, we probably know someone who does. Maybe they are real, maybe they were just folks who suck our will dry. Vampires are needy. They are also demanding, charismatic, annoying, they keep odd ours, and they, if allowed, will suck you dry of compassion and common sense. I have known a few in my lifetime, but one day I grew up and learned the word NO. NO is a lot like holy water, or a pretty sterling silver cross, but not quite as lethal to the dear vampire as a wooden stake through the heart.  Funny thing about vampires, when they realize they don't frighten you anymore they lose all their power. They actually become mortal. I slayed a vampire this past summer, and it felt mighty good. Oh I had some help... an Angell actually, of the Angell Law Firm. LOL. It helps to have an Angell on your shoulder when evil comes calling!

The memory of that slaying brought another fond memory to mind. Last year, during our vacation, Alan and I visited Ripley's Believe It Or Not, at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. It was filled with all kinds of curious things, but the Vampire Killing Kit was my favorite of all the exhibits. I took as many photos of it as I could that day, specifically to do a post this October. Did some part of me see my vampire encounter coming? Nah... I don't think so. How could I? No, I think I just found it fascinating that someone would go so far as to actually create a full kit for riding the world of that kind of evil. But when you really ponder it, it makes sense. If something is bothering you, you create a way to make it go away! Vampires aren't a new thing, and getting rid of them will always be a challenge, but like I said, sometimes looking them square in the eye, and saying, "NO! YOU DON'T SCARE ME. I HAVE AN ANGELL ON MY SHOULDER. BE GONE EVIL ONE!"... works pretty darn well!

So, what's the key to ridding yourself of vampires?

Tell The NO.

If All Else Fails...

 Find the right lawyer to tell them to go away!

Leaf Of The Day

October 2nd, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Look Back At The Summer And September 2015

"They say to never look back.

But sometimes I do.

It's gratifying to see how far I have come."

~Richelle Goodrich

Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts And A Little Poetry For Every Day Of The Year

Despite all the drama, I had this little pockets of fun this past summer. I didn't do a lot of photography, but I was happy with the end result of my time with the camera. I missed blogging regularly. I missed being online, but the connection through the hotel was less than stellar. Anyway, September got me back into the swing of things, and as a result, I have a nice retrospective of some of my favorite summer photos, and a collection of what I photographed in September.

So, onward...

Summer 2015

September 2015

The Leaf Of The Day

October 1st, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Late September Sunset

"Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it.

 And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are. 

There cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel, I remember wondering, to be always together, yet forever apart?"

~Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook

The sunset Tuesday night was nothing short of amazing! It was the softest shade of purple on the outside, but the center of it was the most vibrant orange I have ever seen! 

It was GORGEOUS!

I really do need to photograph more sunsets!

:)

Leaf Of The Day

September 30th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Paul The Second

"A tree with red leaves is like an old man with gray hair.

 Likewise, my love for you was blue, now it's orange,

 and that's a compliment."

Jarold Kintz

This Book Is Not For Sale

Meet our new tree Paul 2! Yes, his name is Paul 2! Why? Well, you see, I had a beautiful Japanese Maple tree when I lived in Berkeley. We picked it out. We planted it. Nurtured it. Loved it. Fed it the best plant/tree food available, and watched it grow for about 6 years. Then, one day, earlier this year, I found out suddenly that I had to move. I had planned to take a cutting from the tree so I could take a new generation of Paul with us, but then we decided to purchase a type of dwelling that made it impossible to take a tree starter with us. Little did we know at the time that our plans would change so profoundly. We ended up buying a house instead, where we could have brought the new tree to, but alas it wasn't to be. Cruel fate had played a dirty trick. 

But it's in the past. I will just have to hope that Paul The First is still thriving among the rose garden I planted, and that he will grow to be a lovely tree, enjoyed by someone, for many, many years to come! But that brings us to Paul The Second. He was a kind of housewarming gift! You see, the wonderful man who owned our new house previously, offered to purchase us a new tree as part of the closing deal! How lovely is that? He even looked till he found me a Japanese Maple! It's not the same variety as Paul The First, but it's lovely in it's own right, and as of yesterday, it's a permanent fixture on the property and member of the family!

Oh, and about the name Paul. Well, our landlord, the one who originally rented to us 14 years ago, was named Paul. He was a terrific man, and always to pleasant to do business with. Unfortunately he was stricken with cancer several years ago, and it just tore his poor body apart. It was very, very sad when he passed away, I still miss him very much. Anyway, when we found out about his passing, we planted the Japanese Maple in the yard in his honor. And in a strange way, we wouldn't be in our new home, had he not rented to us originally. So, Paul The Second is a tribute to a lovely man... and the fate of finding our old place!

Fate.

What a fascinating thing you are!

Leaf Of The Day

September 29th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Well... It DOESN'T!

"Shoving feathers up your butt doesn't make you a chicken!"

~Brad Pitt

Right... so sometimes I simply don't have anything to say. It's in those times that I search out some mildly interesting photo from the archive, that didn't make it to the post, for whatever reason, and I make good use of it by posting it to bring you a grin. The chicken I you see above sits by the side of the road, just on the outskirts of Turlock, Ca. It made me smile, so I posted it to Twitter. And now it makes it's debut here. Turlock might be HELL on earth, but you see some interesting things there!

 

Leaf Of The Day

September 28th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

 

Past Interpretations

"A path is a prior interpretation

 of the best way to traverse a landscape."

~Rebecca Solnit

Wanderlust: A History Of Walking

This past summer I was on a path. A path that came along suddenly, and seemed to only have one direction. When my rental cottage was ripped out from under me, it meant one thing, Alan and I would be moving on, and moving on meant one thing, it was time to buy our own place. Buying our own place meant one thing... we would be leaving the Bay Area and heading east. And that's what we did! We moved east! Well, not at first. At first we planned to move slightly southeast, but when that all changed we took out a map, and a Zillow app, and ended up in Stockton, California. Oddly enough, Stockton was where I thought we might move to, prior to the ill fated decision to move southeast. Anyway, to get to either place from the Bay Area, one must travel through the Altamont Pass.

 The pass can be one of the most tranquil drives in the area, or a bumper to bumper nightmare, depending on time of day, and the day of the week. I took this picture almost a month ago, on one of those bumper to bumper drives, which as it turns out, would be my last trip over the pass. A bit of information I didn't know at the time. But that day, as I looked at that moon shining in the sky, I felt tranquil and ready for the future, whatever that meant. I don't know why, but the sight of the moon made me feel safe somehow. I had my camera out, the moon was posing for me, and the landscape was serene. I am smiling now just thinking about it, and I know that it makes me want to try really hard later tonight when the moon goes into it's eclipse.

 After all, I will be photographing it from the comfort of my own back yard! How awesome is that? My first lunar eclipse, in my own back yard! I have all the cameras charged and loaded with batteries! I have some snacks and beverages ready. My tripods are all set up, and everything is a go! Well, except for the ridiculous end of the world theories and the possibility of some low fog out here in the San Joaquin valley. It's always something! If the end of the world doesn't get ya, there is a "possibility of fog!"

LOL.

Am I worried? Nah! I am not worried in the slightest! If the end of the world comes, then so be it! All I ask is that I am not in the shower when the trumpets blare.And as for the fog, well, who knows, maybe some fog will give the photos just the edge I am looking for! Phooey on fog and end of the drama junkies. I am happy. 

And I am home!

Leaf Of The Day

September 26th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Too Pretty To Eat? Nah...

"That's it cupcake, you're going down."

~Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero

Dangerous? Yes! Necessary? Yes! Worth it? You bet!

Need I say more?

Go... skidaddle...Get Thee To A Bakery And Buy Yourself Something Delicious!

That's my advice for this weekend!

You're Welcome!

Leaf Of The Day

September 26th, 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Hoot... Hoot Hoot

"You are Mr. Owl. I am Ms. Hummingbird.

 We may be from different species but as long as you're a bird,

 I'm a bird too."

~Glad Munaiseche

Isn't this owl basket adorable? I found it at Michael's for 50% off, so I purchased two of them. Right now they are sitting in the living room, on the cubby stands we bought recently at IKEA. They bring a whimsical touch to the room, but let's face it, the add that autumn flavor as well. LOL. I have been becoming a fan of owls in the last couple years or so. The new key chain I treated myself to, after purchasing my Chevy Spark, has an antique-like owl on it, and over the summer I purchased a set of owl figurines, which I thought were just too dam cute to pass up! Also on the list of new owl objects is a set of four mugs which have different colored owls sitting in a rather bare tree. Okay. Yes. I guess it's official, I am now an owl person, which kinda makes me sound like I perch in barns late at night, and hunt small rodents. LOL. How about instead we say I am an owl enthusiast!

Leaf Of The Day

 September 25th 2015

 Mood: Happy

~Me :)