Rest In Gentle Peace Notorious RBG

"Fight for the things that you care about.

 But do it in a way that will lead others to follow you."

~Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Rest In Gentle Peace.

Thank you, so much!

~Carly

Stockton, California 

September 18th 2020

20 Minute Parking

"There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying."

~Sarah Dessen, 

Just Listen

I have been enjoying my curbside photography this year. I kind of started doing this kind of thing several years ago, in San Francisco.  These medallions are all over the streets marking the Barbary coast trail. The particular one below was photographed right in front of the Mariners Museum, in North Beach, but I have seen some in Union Square as well. Sometime, maybe this year, I will look up all the locations in the city and seek them out. One great thing about San Francisco, you can go there to photograph one thing, but leave with so much more than thought possible. If you go to San Francisco, and can't find something to photograph, you just aren't paying attention. Well, I suppose that's true of most major cities too, because I found the "20 Minute Parking" inspiration right here in Stockton. I am always in search of new subjects but revisiting old ones can be fun too, which with so much up in the air regarding Covid-19, my photography will have to evolve with this strange new world we find ourselves in. All I can say is, Save Me San Francisco. Lordy I love that song!

~Carly
September 18th, 2020
Stockton, California

Find The Spider 2020 Edition

"the spider's web: She finds an innocuous corner in which to spin her web. The longer the web takes, the more fabulous it's construction. She has no need to chase. She sits quietly, her patience a consummate force; she waits for her prey to come to rendering them unable to escape. Spiders... so needed and yet so misunderstood."

~Donna Lynn Hope 

 I think it might become a new element of my autumn posts, to include a "Find The Spider" post. Do you see the pretty little spider in the picture above? I didn't when I took this photo, but sure enough, there it was when I went to do the editing. The lighting outside is mostly orange, because of the wildfires, so I could have missed it because of that, or maybe it was just that tiny, but this makes the third year in a row I have spotted a spider lurking in one of my leaf photos. Maybe it's a cosmic sign that I need to be more careful while doing photos, which makes sense, because in all the years I have been doing photography seriously, I don't remember enountering as many spiders as I have in the last three years.

I don't like spiders... at all... which is why I haven't done ANY research into why I seem to see more of them during this time of year, but I do know that in some places in California, and some parks, it's strongly discouraged to interfere with tarantulas during October, when they mate. Ugh. Mating spiders. What might that romance be like? Can you imagine a boy spider, looking at a female spider and thinking, "My, my, look at the legs on that lady!" I suppose most boy spiders are leg men. Oh well, who am I to knock romance? Maybe, someday, when Hollywood runs out of love stories for humans, they will take on the spider world. "... And I looked across a crowded web, and there she was, a lady with multiple beautiful legs, she's the lady spider for me!" Ugh. But hey, at least they add a little interesting extra to my photographs, and they are a hell of a challenge!

~Carly
September 16th 2020
Stockton, California
 

Canada Goose

"I've always marveled that geese can feel a call stirring, rise on hardy wings to engage it, and without contemplation, compass or map complete the feat. And could it be that they achieve this astounding accomplishment because far too often contemplation, compass or map rob the call by sterile analysis when we should liberate the call through expectant obedience."

~Craig D. Lounsbrough

Victory Park, here in Stockton, is easily one of the most beautiful parks I have ever visited. It's not surprising, as the Haggin Museum sits right in the middle, as does a fairly large rose garden. I visited there for the first time in a couple years ago, just to sit for a while, get some air, and shake off the day. It was really nice, and not even the smokey air could spoil it. I got in some photography time, and there were plenty of birds to inspire me. I didn't see any Muscovy ducks this time, like I did in 2018, but there were plenty of ducks, swans and Canadian geese! The only thing that disappoints me is the orange color on most if not all of my photos. The wildfires have turned everything slightly orange. It feels like we won't have clean air until winter when the rain comes, but I know its just me wishing things were different. As Ommy used to say...

"... and this too shall pass."

New Leaves...

And the leaves continue to turn beautiful colors and fall,

 and if I have that, all may not be perfect in the world,

 but it's damn close.

More About Canada Geese

 

~Carly

September 16th 2020

Stockton, California

 

 

No Parking Fire Lane

"Aprils have never meant that much to me,

 autumns seem that season of beginning, spring."

~Truman Capote

Breakfast At Tiffany's And Three Stories

This past week, I was treated to one of the happiest sights I have seen in a long time, a decent dusting of autumn leaves under one of my favorite Stockton trees! I have been here for 5 autumns now, and in all that time I have not seen autumn kick in as early as this one, but that's okay, I'll take it with a grateful heart. And actually it's not just Stockton, my favorite tree in Cull Canyon is also in full autumn leaf bloom this past weekend too. I am pretty happy, they are going to help my mood as we move closer to the election. I am hoping it's a good omen about how things will go. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I keep thinking about last year, when I couldn't find autumn, no matter how hard I looked for it. I figure Mother Nature owes us one!And it seems yellow is winning the race so far, and I am loving it!

So far I have mostly photographed leaves from a Liquid Amber tree, but I am planning a visit to Ione, California next weekend, where my favorite Judas tree is. I absolutely love their shape. Kinda like a fan, and kinda like a butterfly, in peaches, pinks, greens and yellows. In other words... the colors of autumn!

 Stay Tuned!

~Carly

September 14th 2020

Stockton, California

Gladys And Friends On Ashby

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.

 It is the fundamental emotion that stands

 at the cradle of true are and true science."

~Albert Einstein

The World As I See It

Remember Gladys? Gladys and I go way back. We made friends back in 2014, while I was stopped in traffic on Ashby avenue, in Berkeley, California. I had just finished with a therapy appointment, and was on my way to do errands in the East Bay, when I looked over, and there she was! As I explained in the original post, I had probably passed her a thousand times, without ever realizing she was there! I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time to notice that tucked back from the road, ever so slightly, was this beautiful lady and some of her friends. Not doing much of anything, just waiting for a slightly sad, perhaps a bit lonely neurotic lady to stop in traffic long enough to notice her.

I don't think her name is actually Gladys, that's just what I call her. While I was studying her that day, that name just came to me, and we have been friends ever since. Eventually I took up politely waving when I passed her coming into or leaving town. I enjoyed doing that. It was a landmark in town that made me feel safe, and comfortable, even downright happy sometimes. She is a cool piece of art, watching over the road, and she is all the beauty and mystery that art should be.

There is some paper attached to the little building that she shares with her friends, but I have deliberately chosen to avoid reading it to see if her real name and story is there. I kind of like things as they are. She's a cool pal, and I like thinking of her that way. I miss Berkeley so much that it makes my heart hurt sometimes, but I look forward to seeing Gladys wherever I visit, and I know she will be right there when I come home. She continually inspires me to look a little deeper at all the places I photograph. What if there are more out there like her, and I simply missed them over the years? Nah... she's clearly an original, but I still find myself looking deeper into the big picture, and for that I am grateful to Gladys and her friends on Ashby, in Berkeley, California.

See you again soon, Gladys!

~Carly

September 14th, 2020

Stockton, California

 

Nuttall's Woodpecker

"Say the truth again and again so that the tedious can grip it.

 Say the truth again and again in the speed of drilling

 in the tree trunks by woodpeckers beak."

~Unknown

Vacation begins in just a little less than a month, so it is time to get in some practice with the camera, and Friday was my first day to get on it. Because of the thick smoke, I couldn't be out as long as I wanted to be, unfortunately, but while I was out I made the most of it. I found some new leaves by Humphrey's College, and this great, Nuttall's Woodpecker, hugging a tree in Victory Park. Well, actually Alan spotted him first, and then shared with me. I wouldn't have seen him at all, if it had just been me, he blended with the tree really well, and his red crown was not as bright as I have seen on other birds. This was also the smallest woodpecker I have ever seen, but it sure is a beauty. It's just under 7 inches long, and has a slender body. I only managed a couple shots of him, before he was on his way across the park. He's an interesting little creature, see the link below if you would like to learn about him. I usually wait until it's officially autumn before I do posts about birds, but in that I found a new one, I suppose it's close enough. I'm happy. So far things are off to a good start for this year.

Nuttall's Woodpecker 

All About Birds 

~Carly

September 14th 2020

Stockton, California

Cottonwood Leaves And 9/11

"Only with a leaf, can I talk of the forest."

~Visnar Zhiti

The Condemned Apple: Selected Poetry

I know what the day is, it's 9/11.

 I have posted a remembrance of those lost, September 11th 2001, on this blog for years. David and Lynn Angell are, of course, in my thoughts, as are other's lost that day, but I think this year I am going to remember and reflect in private. I will speak about why, in time, maybe after November 3rd, but this year, for the first time, I just want to be thankful to those we lost that day by remembering in silence. I will also be remembering John Ritter, lost to us on September 11th, 2003. He was brilliant, and I still miss him so much.

For this post I thought I would share two beautiful leaves I found in the yard Wednesday. Cottonwood is quickly becoming one of my favorite leaves to photograph in autumn. While they don't have an especially striking color, as some leaves in autumn do, they are a deep green until autumn, when they turn a pretty lemon color, the tree is fairly interesting and the lemon color is quite pretty. As the leaf ages on the ground it becomes a light brown/red in color. As it becomes more brittle, they tend to get a lacy appearance. It's a beautiful leaf in it's own way, and I am happy to have been able to learn about more about the leaf and tree. I am probably going to feature the Cottonwood as my first, Leaf Of The Day, for this year's project. It would make sense, in that I have one next door that provides me with so many leaves to choose from. 

We'll see.

 ~Carly

September 11th, 2020

Stockton, California

Fire Light

"There is a season for everything under the sun... 

even when we can't see the sun."

~Jared Brock

A Year Of Living Prayerfully: How A Curious Traveler Met The Pope, Walked On Coals,

 Danced With Rabbis and Revived His Prayer Life

The Santa Ana winds are officially blowing. The smoke from the fires surrounding the Central Valley are making conditions worse than they were a few weeks ago. I can't believe what I am seeing. That (pic above) was the sky yesterday, and by 6:00 pm, I couldn't even find the sun. It was lost behind the smoke. I saw some photos of San Francisco, and everything was lost under an apocalyptic red glow. I never saw the Golden Gate Bridge look like that. It hurts my feelings, and leaves me feeling even more lonely for my beautiful bridge.

 On the TV, the story of the day revolved around the revelation that Donald John Trump is a damn liar. Big surprise... right? But specifically, he lied about how dangerous the Covid-19 Pandemic was. As I told Alan, I am thankful that I never listened to him to begin with. Rachel Maddow was the first to bring us the information about the virus, and her coverage, once again, was concise and accurate. We are lucky that we had her to count on, because if we were left to our own government, we would probably all be dead or dying.

At least we are not all completely alone in this. 

We have someone we can count on.

I am planning to do some photography on Friday. I am not completely sure about the destination, but I am hoping to visit at least the East Bay. I have a mammography planned for the early morning, then it's off on a photo adventure. Hopefully Berkeley will be possible, but we will have to see how the smoke is by then. With a huge amount of luck, San Francisco could be another destination. Personally, I will be happy with the East Bay. Vacation begins in less than a month. With it being so close, I am happy to just wait and have it be really special. Maybe by then there will be a real season outside. Summer ends in about 10 days, and I will be grateful when it does, but the next 8 weeks or so are the height of fire season, and when the Santa Ana's are at their worst.

Life is a lot of things... boring is not one of them.

~Carly
Stockton, California
September 10th, 2020

 

Wouldn't It Be Nice

"Then the trees, after their long silence,

 began to talk again, in yellow and red.

 And the days began to shrink under one's very eyes."

~Hope Mirrlees

That's how I used to think about autumn. Like the the trees begin to speak again, when mean-spirited, oppressive summer is ready to lie down and sleep, but the weather this year is challenging my ideas. This year, this summer, shows no indication that it's cruelty will be backing down anytime soon. The temperature the last few days has broken records all over the state, and in my little corner of the world as well. The coming week is supposed to be a bit cooler, but not by much, and the state is still experiencing wildfires, which is playing havic with the air quality. Things are better than a couple weeks ago, but it really all depends on which way the wind is blowing.

This was the last unofficial weekend of summer. When I was a kid it was exciting because that meant that school was beginning in a couple days, most years anyway, it was the Wednesday following Labor Day. Everything smelled like new clothes and pencils. There was something about that, that made it all exciting somehow. Maybe it was because it was almost like it was a secret, but at the same time, if was a secret, it was more the worst kept secret in the world! But it was special at the time, and in my memory as well. 

Sitting here, with my childhood behind me for too many decades to mention, I find myself lonely for how simple and unafraid I was. We didn't have the wildfires we have today. There was no such thing as whole communities burning to the ground. In effect the entire state of California has been on fire for weeks, that was unheard when I was a kid. We also didn't have to worry about a mentally ill, out of control president, getting us all killed in our sleep. It's all so surreal. Both the natural world, and the world of politics, seem more like some sort of waking nightmare than any kind of possible reality.

I remember the last day, of the last weekend, of the summer of 1978. It was Monday, so of course I watched the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon. Well, it was on my portable TV in my room, but I was preoccupied with the week ahead. I was busy choosing my new denim skirt, pink peasant blouse, denim purse, brown boots and brown canvas book bag for first day of school on Wednesday. I was excited and wanted to be sure that's what I wanted to wear. There was a guy, Scott, that I wanted to impress on our first day back. Little did I know I would see him smoking a cigarette, after Home Room the following Thursday, and fall completely out of the crush I had been carrying for most of the summer. Easy Come. Easy Go.

Fast forward...

I wish I wasn't so scared all the time. 

I feel like there isn't much more that can be said. At least not in this mean-spirited political season.

I remember having the jitters so bad, that I called KFRC on that Labor Day evening, back in 1978, and requested a song. One of my favorites that always made me smile, and feel happy and safe just by hearing it. Wouldn't It Be Nice, By The Beach Boys. It sure did that night, all those years ago. Wouldn't it be nice if things were still that simple?

~Carly

September 8th 2020

Stockton, California

Cottonwood Leaf

Stockton, California

September 6th 2020

Nikon

Left To The Imagination

"Color is descriptive. Black and white is interpretive."

~Eliot Erwitt 

My friend, Karen, has posted some stunning photographs over the past year, some in color, some in black and white. I have truly fallen in love with her work. Often she posts both versions of her photographs, side by side, for comparison, which has lead to my rethinking my approach to photography. I think I have overlooked the impact black and white can make. When I think of my color photographs, it seems I always go away thinking of the pop color it tends to make. The WOW factor. Sometimes it can be a pretty loud sound of color, but it can be soft too, but what it rarely is, is mysterious! The imagination really has no where to go. Black and White definitely leaves more to the imagination to interpret. I like that. I haven't been doing much photography this year, because of Covid-19, so I'm a bit rusty when it comes to any photography, so it's very nice to have a new mission of doing some photos in a different style. I am thankful to Karen for giving me a new outlook. I need a fresh approach, and this change might make all my autumn photos have a new edge. Its something creative to look forward to, just when I needed it most!

Stop by and see her wonderful photos of Tucson, and the beautiful landscape that surrounds it. 

http://twitter.com/mavarin

Carly
September 6th 2020
Stockton, California

The Midnight Hour (Movie) 1985

"If my dreams came true, I'd be living in a horror movie"

~Marty Rubin

Okay, so Blogger is acting up again, so no new photos today, but if you liked the movie I posted a couple days ago, you'll love this one. From 1985, also an ABC made for TV movie, I bring you, In The Midnight Hour. It's a lighthearted take on all things, Halloween, and includes some good music, a few laughs, and yes, what would a horror movie be without some chills? Anyway, it's one of my favorites so sit back and enjoy some fun.

Cast

Shari Belafonte-Harper

DeDee Pfeiffer

Dick Van Patton 
LeVar Burton 

Enjoy!

 Update!

Oh look, Blogger is letting me post photos again. Sigh. But I already wrote this post and added the video. Oh well, enjoy the film and I will be posting some new photos tomorrow... I hope. Check back then. 

Carly

September 5th 2020

Stockton, California

September: Full Corn Moon

"The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen."

~Shannon L. Adler

Isn't that a pretty moon? When I stepped outside tonight, to photograph the, Full Corn Moon, I was surprised to find that it had a light orange appearance to it. I had completely forgotten that there is still just just enough smoke in the air, from the Northern California wildfires, to change the moon from it's usual bright white color, to a shade that is almost pumpkin color. Strange how a situation so scary and so sad, can produce something so beautiful. I am hoping that when all the fire is finally extinguished, we in California, will be done with "fire season" at least unofficially.

Of course officially it will be well into November. It used to be from May thru October, but with Climate Change, that has all changed. Scientists believe that "fire season" is now year round. I remember as a child there being maybe one or two good sized fires in California, mostly over the summer months, but I also remember my teachers saying that if we don't start taking care of the Earth, we would end up with unprecedented weather and climate events. And here we are!

Here is a look back at how the moon appeared

 in the night sky during the Camp Fire,

 in the town of Paradise, California.

 

Our vacation begins in about 6 weeks. Hopefully, all the fires will be extinguished. I am looking forward to some long car rides, and a lot of autumn leaf peeping!

~Carly

September 2nd 2020

Stockton, California