Okay, Here Goes... Part 2: Unbearably Stupid And Incredibly Dangerous

 

"There doesn't have to be a process, as I understand it... if you're the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, 'It's declassified." Even thinking about it, because you're sending it to Mar-a-Lago or to wherever you're sending it. And there doesn't have to be. You're the president, you make that decision. So when you send it, it's declassified. We--- I declassified everything."

 

 

 

~Donald John Trump 

September, 2022

 

 

 

On June 13th, Donald John Trump was finally arrested for taking classified documents from the White House, when he left office and storing them at two his various homes. For what reason? Hell if I know! I don't know. Maybe to brag? Maybe to impress women? Maybe to sell to a hostile foreign nation for money? Any of those things could be true! He has never had a consistent explanation since this story erupted in the press last year. But what I do know is that he was asked, nicely, and given a lot more leeway than other folks in the same position have been given, to return them to the National Archives. He chose not to, despite telling the powers that be, including his lawyer, that he had returned everything. Big surprise, he lied. Let me repeat... HE LIED! So now he is under arrest again, under among other statutes,the Espionage act, because he just can't bring himself to NOT BE STUPID! Since his arrest, he has continually changed his story in the press, which is fine, because it's not going to help his case, at all, and frankly I don't wish him any good luck at all! He is incredibly dangerous, and he needs to go to prison. It seems like there is some kind of light at the end of the tunnel, but the true glee I thought I would feel, is instead, just plan relief. 

Its going to be a long hot summer.

 

 I just wish Treat could be here to watch it all play out. He genuinely cared about this country and I think he wanted to see the Trump years out, wherever it took us. Carl Reiner did too, and I still miss his wisdom daily. I will think of those two men as go along, and of course, as each verdict is read. Carl, Treat, you are in my heart, today and every day.

 

 

Okay, Here Goes... Part One: Autumn Friends

 "Death ends a life, not a relationship"

 

~Mitch Albom

Tuesday's with Morrie

 

I said I have two things to share. One will obviously be about the second indictment and subsequent arrest of Donald Trump. That took place on Tuesday, June 13th, but something happened before we all got there. On Monday, June 12th, Treat Williams passed away. It broke my heart into tiny pieces. It was sudden. An accident that never should have happened, but happen it did all the same. A motorist turned into his path, and Treat never had a chance to stop. He was on his motorcycle, and the wearing of a helmet did not prevent other injuries from happening. I thought I would be seeing a tweet from him about the arrest of Trump, but no, he was just gone in the early evening of June 12th. As I sit here writing this it still seems really odd, and surreal that someone so in touch with the joys of life, who still marveled at so much, and who got so much out of the smallest of things, and simplest of moments, is no longer here. 

 

I had followed him on, Twitter, for the better part of a decade. He made me laugh. He made me reconsider my opinions from time to time. I enjoyed seeing his photos from various sets he was on. Movies and tv shows alike. The man never sat down when it came to his craft. I loved seeing his home and family. His property in Vermont was nothing short of paradise. And the trips he took with his various airplanes took my breath away, especially his flights over Vermont during the autumn. From the sky you could get lost in every single color you could imagine, demonstrating autumn wasn't always about earth tones, autumn was vibrant and joyful and beautiful. It was all... so damn amazing, so much so, that the thought of that amazing life being gone so fast, was never in my mind. Why would it be? He was one of the few, if not the only one at times, that didn't dwell on the negativity of life, but rather how to handle it by searching for the light and the joy.

 

That's not to say that he didn't have his moments. Trump could have gotten to Gandhi. One such moment, I don't even know exactly why he tweeted it, but suddenly Treat tweeted, "Shut up and do your job, you big fat baby!" which I have to say, delighted me to no end! I laughed and laughed and used about 200 laughing emojis in the reply form. Sheesh. Maybe my reaction was a little too much, but I felt that way all the same. He had just expressed, what I had always wanted to say, except it was now coming from one of the nicest folks around, which in my mind made it fabulous. It was funny, and appreciated. Then one day, sometime later, I left a comment about one of his autumn flights over Vermont, and something kinda nice happened, if not downright magical, he answered me! A great big movie star answered me, and I blushed, I really did. Treat said he was, "proud to know me". Wait... we know each other?

 

It took me a little while to consider that. It never dawned on me that he knew I was even there, let alone... gulp... know me. Or... yikes... was "proud to know me." Now what? Are we pals? Are we friends? How did he come to that assessment? Was it the things I said in my rambling comments? It's not like one could ask, that would be rude! Imagine this... "Hey buddy... whats that nice comment all about?" Twitter can be a strange place sometimes. Friendships are made fairly easily, and then just as easily folks can disappear from your timeline, for all kinds of reasons, it's never really been something I take too seriously. Life just happens, and it happens on social media too, only with walls that are invisible, but that are as strong as any wall can be. I like walls when it comes to celebrities. On my best day, as a fangirl of 61, I can sound like a nutty stalker, or a childish girl of 16, amazed at the talents of Shawn Cassidy. Who I also follow by the way.

 

So he answered me a few more times, and wished me a "back at you" at Christmas one year, and sweetly sang for us during Covid-19, at my request, although I think he had thought of it first, and was merely,  again, taking the time to answer me. But it was nice. It was always nice. He made folks feel at ease. He made me feel at ease. He felt like a friend. I guess that's okay, right? Do a few interactions over Twitter make you a friend or does the word "hello" followed by a lifetime of happy lunches and intimate sharing of ideas? Things can get fairly deep and philosophical on Twitter, so I know enough to believe we were of like minds, so maybe that is enough, to consider him my friend in the most basic sense of the word. I looked forward to his silly tweets and his opinions. I had respect for him and maybe that is enough.

 

In any case, I know I will miss him forever, he was my friend. He has left a hole in me. No one fills the holes left inside our hearts when loved ones pass, it's the part of us that belonged to someone special. To fill that hole is too much like replacing them. Some folks are irreplaceable. Treat was a part of me, but I will always have the movie, Hair, to watch in the moments when I am feeling blue about things. As scary as things ever got with the world, he had a way of looking at it and reminding us, we could make it through, and we were all connected as part of the tribe. I was so very lucky to connect with such a good person. And how lucky I was that an extraordinary man was proud to know me. I sure hope I made him smile once in a while, because I was so proud to know him too.

 

Goodnight, Treat

God's speed.

 

 

Limp

“You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.” 

  ~Anne Lamott  

 

A lot has happened since we last spoke. The next few posts will explain, but this post is about being tired. I am tired of settling this condo. I feel like I have been packing and unpacking for two years, and there is a reason for that... I HAVE. Trump makes me tired every day, which is really nothing new, and add to it all is a feeling of incredible loss and deep grief over the death of a man very special to the world and to me personally. Grief is such a personal thing, we can all feel it, but we do so in such different personal ways. As I said, I will speak more about all this in the coming days, but for right now, sigh, I just have a headache and my eyes hurt, and I just need to rest and clean my house, and yes, continue with my project of unpacking and letting go of all the things preventing me from moving on to a healthier place.

Presented Without Comment...

 

PER ABC News...

 

 

The arraignment is scheduled for

 Tuesday, June 13th 2023 in Miami, Florida.

 

 UPDATE: The BIG BABY speaks...

 

 

Two Presidential Candidates And A Blond...

 

"Bad times have a scientific value.

 These are occasions a good learner would not miss."

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

Just three things...

 

1. Marjory Taylor Green used the word, "decorum."

 

2. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, announced his candidacy for President of the United States on Twitter today, with Elon Musk by his side. A fun idea I guess, if only Twitter hadn't continually crashed the announcement and interviews. When will Elon Musk learn that firing all the tech engineers is a bad thing, if you want to play King Shit in the tech/ world? And when will Republicans learn that Elon Musk is a fraud? Oh wait! Oh well, here is what it looked like as a screen shot...

This is funny too, but in the best way possible...

3. Former President Donald John Trump sent a letter, yesterday through his lawyers, to Attorney General Merrick Garland. It can be read in it's entirety below, but I will sum it up right here, right now. It reads...

"PLEASE DON'T PROSECUTE ME!"

 

Did you ever get the impression that you weren't the only

 one with a brain short-circuiting?

 

 

 

Spring Into Autumn

 

"I think the seasons complete me... for once autumn comes I can fall freely along with every leaf. I don nit have to bloom, yet I must die in ever delicate line of October."

 

~Laura Chouette

 

 

About a month ago, or so, we paid a visit to one of my favorite autumn trees, the gorgeous Judas tree in Ione, California. We had a lot of rain this past winter and a little into the spring, so it gave the tree plenty of water that it had been missing due to drought conditions. I am, hopeful that it will produce a beautiful display of autumn color come the fall. It was sad to see it so dry last year, and have no way to help it. Now there is a lot to look forward too.

 

Ione, California

Autumn, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

Haunting Desmond Road

 

"It was that time of dusk when there is a—deepening of the interior shadows. It is a melancholy time: all you need do is switch on one lamp and the inside and the outside will separate, held apart by the reflections in the glass, and evening will begin.” 

 

~Rudolph Delson

Maynard And Jennica

It was getting dark, so it could have been most any bird that haunts Desmond road, but I really believe it was the Red-winged Blackbird, that was sitting on that fences post being silhouetted against that dimming light of day. Photogenic, and singing so beautifully. I have come to love those birds, who are always the highest in numbers of the perching birds. Spring fills the air with the sounds of the last migrating birds, and then becomes deafeningly silent for those depressing summer months with nothing to do, but dread another day taking place. I think I have mentioned this before... I hate the spring and summer with a great passion! The upside, however, is that we are a season away from autumn! I don't count the season I am in when counting. That sounds a lot better than it's 4 months away. 4 is more than 1. Anyway, here are some other photos I have done along Woodbridge and Desmond roads and on a recent trip to Knights Ferry.

 

Woodbridge Road

Desmond Road

Knight's Ferry

It's really lovely out here, but I wish it was already autumn.

A Third Of The Year

 

"Don't waste time beating on a wall,

 hoping to transform it into a door."

 

~Coco Chanel

 

 

So, it's been almost two months since we have last talked, and in that amount of time a lot has happened. One of my favorite things, which actually might be one of my favorite things for the rest of my life, Donald Jessica (John) Trump was finally arrested by the District Attorney of New York City, Alvin Bragg. In this  case, there are multiple cases against him at the moment, involves the hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels, during the 2016 Presidential campaign. He cheated, of course, but this time it is all coming back to haunt him.The next case, which will go to the jury next week, is the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. It will be a part of history soon, so I don't want to go into detail right now. I have the full complaint against him, if I can get it to embed in this post. I am not terribly savvy at that kind of thing. But all of his arrests are important to me, as will be his subsequent arrests and, I am sure, convictions!

 

 

So, why is this particular thing so damn important to me, that I am writing an entire post about it? Because I have been waiting to see this lawless criminal have his day. The chickens have finally come home to roost, just as they did for Rupert Murdock and Fox News, in the defamation suit brought by Dominion!  Trump lied about the election having been stolen, to their network, and then FOX new anchors repeated them on air, despite knowing and in some cases believing it all to be a lie. LORDY, there are tapes! Carlson is gone from the network now, a huge relief for the truth, why Laura Ingram and Hannity remain is a mystery! Perhaps they will be removed when they reach the lawsuit brought by the other voting machine company they disparaged, Smartmatic. Here's hoping they will be brought down. It's possible Maria Bartiromo, the other Fox news liar will be fired next. There is nothing behind her eyes anymore. She is simply a Trump cultist, and that's all that remains of here "soul".

 

Now, let me explain why there is a lovely Bonaparte's gull at the top of a post like this. You see, he represents hope. I have been doing a lot of birding since January. There have been a lot of birds that I didn't find last year, and in fact so many, that recently I exceeded my number from last year. Presently, I am at 136, besting last year by four. So I know I will end the year with many more, because there are easier to find during the summer and fall. Birding has healed me from a lot of the bad things that have happened the last few years, and really the decade. The first move, the hideous depressing second move, the mental break I suffered, Covid-19 (Omicron) the loss of taste and smell and other LONG-COVID symptoms from last year. The stress of purchasing the condo, and the sudden loss of money we had in the account we had saved from the sale of the house.

We are okay. We have fun birding and finding a bird as beautiful as the Bonaparte's gull excited me greatly. I had never seen one, and so it is always a thrill to discover a bird I haven't seen before. Despite finding so many birds, there has been a dreadful bird virus devastating the bird populations, but it seems like they are fighting back because I am finding more and more of the species that have been most affected, so that's awesome. The Pacific Flyway is closing for the year, but I am sure when it begins again in September, there will large numbers of my favorite avian friends. September is a glorious month for birding. I will never forget the sound of 4 Sandhill cranes arriving in Lodi, over Woodbridge road. It just filled my heart!

While DJT remains in the news, and will for some time to come, I have found some peace. The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers that have been arrested for their part in the January 6th attempted coup, have all be found guilty and that is a healing event as well. Perhaps we will hear GUILTY in regards to Trump as well, but if we do, it will be a while off from now. There is still a long way to go, before I am completely me again. But hey, another big step forward is that my eating has returned to nearly normal. I am able to have salad again! That was huge! And we ate out at Red Robin the other day, another victory! The fish and chips were amazing. To make a long story short, I am beginning to feel alive again, and I owe my bird friends, and all their beauty for helping me along the way. Well, that and the occasional GUILTY verdict!

 

It's all good. And Autumn is only a season away! We are two thirds through 2023, there is a lot more to come.

 

 

Me

 

 

Um... Yes... SIgn Right Here Please.

 

"Would you like to know your future?

If your answer is yes, think again. Not knowing is the greatest life motivator.So enjoy, endure and enjoy each moment as it comes to you in it's proper sequence... a surprise! 

 

~Vera Nazarian

The Perpetual Calendar Of Inspiration

 

 

Um... Yes... Sign Here Please.

 

Surprise! I photographed an Oak Titmouse! In my favorite park! In February! And it's in a tree, rather than on the ground where I usually photograph them! Lots of surprises happened in February... also... fuck me, we bought a house! Well, a condo, but still. I didn't think we had a snowball's chance in HELL, but somehow... we bought a condo. This condo. Everything closed on the 15th of February, and as of today it's been ours for nearly a whole month. And what a month it's been! We bought some new appliances, we bought some paint. We even have some new rugs on the floor to place, so it's coming right along. Some windows come next, but that won't be for a couple months or so. We had another surprise, a big financial deal, and it has set us back, but we will regain our footing. I am planning to say more at some point, but for now I would rather just move on from it. So, that's my big news. Before and after photos will come as I do the renovations, but for right now there is a peach pie in the oven, a storm brewing outside, and I am a little old lady who is home for the night.

 

 

96 Tears Or Wood Ducks And Hooded Mergansers

 

"You don't need a vacation. You just need to dig a pond on your land and buy some ducks, and then you can enjoy moments of escapism without ever leaving your property."

 

~Jarod Kintz 

 Music is Fluid, and My Saxophone Overflows When My Ducks Slosh In The Sounds I Make In Elevators

 

Isn't that a great title for a book? I have never read any of Jarod Kintz's books, but the title of that one alone makes me want to buy a dozen, or so, lock the doors, grab a cat and a blanket, and get to reading! 

 Anyway, I spotted a Hooded Merganser down in the channel the other day, but the photos I got were less than my standards. Most birds don't care if you peer at then, or take their photo, while others make an absolute point of posing for you. The Hooded Merganser is not one of them, but I did the best I could, and they can be identified, so I suppose I was successful. I had 90 for the month of January, and I just picked up another six more, that makes 96 for the year so far! Not too shabby. Now about the ducks you see above... those are Wood ducks. My absolute favorite of all the ducks. They are gorgeous, like they were painted by an impressionist painter. I suppose God is the ultimate impressionist painter, so if you look at it that way... they were!

 

 

Sandwich 23152

 "One of the most important things you can do on this earth

 is to let people know they are not alone."

 

~Shannon L. Alder

 

Sandwich 23152

 

One day, late last year, I was in Sacramento doing some autumn leaf photography, when I spotted a sandwich lying on top of a parking meter. I didn't touch it, obviously, so I don't know what kind of sandwich it was, or who placed it there, but I have a suspicion that it was put there to help feed the homeless in, and near, the park. The particular park sits across from the Crocker Museum. But that's just a guess on my part. If true I approve. Empathy is something that isn't practiced enough in this world. No child born aspires to be homeless, and we have no idea what each individual struggle was, so if we can just remember that it could happen to any one of us, perhaps homelessness will one day decline by real numbers, but as long as it remains ignored or treated with ignorance then we are are causing the very thing we revile and fear.

 

 

 

 

23 And Me (Part Two)

 

"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come,

 whispering, 'it will be happier'... "

 

~Alfred Lord Tennyson 

 

23 And Me...

(Part 2)

 

Will the year to come be happier then 2022? That remains to be seen, but so far, yeah, I would say it has potential, even though I am still perpetually in transition. It started with the move, way back in 2015. The anniversary of the first day of this adventure will be here soon, and it still fills me with a unique sadness that I know is deeply misplaced, yet it will be here soon, March in fact. But it feels like I am finally letting go of all that, and I am finally beginning to transition through the experience of owning and losing my first home. That's the easy part. Dealing with the pain of selling my first home, under the circumstances that existed, will be a little later down the road. Nope, I still haven't grieved over the loss of the house, but I know I will one day, and it will be spectacular! 

 

Speaking of houses, grieving, and transitions, guess what? We are currently in escrow to buy the condo! I can't believe it! Nicole decided to sell the place late last year, and the thought crossed our minds to purchase, rather than pack... again... so soon. Its what's best, and as Ajeanna said about the first condo... the one in Patterson that started all this... it's not forever. As I have come to learn, "it's not forever" applies to just about everything. Why am I not bouncing off the walls in a nervous fit? Simple, I don't think we will get it. There is a lot working against it, debt to income rations being just one. If we do get it, well then, life won't change from what I am currently used to, so I guess I am flowing with the white caps, and doing just fine. I'll worry about the potential for Tsunamis after it swallows me up. What else can I do?

 

2023 is revealing itself a little at a time, and I am not scared.

 

Steady on. 

 

 

23 And Me (Part One)

 "It's not like I planned it. It's not like I woke up one day and said, okay, world, today I am gonna spaz."

 

~Shannon Celebi

After Spring Comes

 

23 And Me...

(Part One)

 

 

Sigh. Okay, I meant to do a post on New Year's Day. I really did. But... you see... a big storm came knocking at the door. An 'atmospheric river' if you will. Both literally and figuratively. A REAL series of storms has been pounding California for a couple weeks now, knocking down trees, knocking out power, and basically turning rural roads such as Woodbridge into small lakes and rivers. Great for the birds, lousy for humans. As bad as Woodbridge is, Cosumnes is a lot worse. Flooding so bad we can't even think about venturing down Franklin, Desmond or Bruceville roads. The Clifton Court forebay has been one of a handful of places still available for birding, and Woodbridge is now sufficiently passable, but Yolo is still under water as is the Cosumnes Visitor's Center. The forecast has improved, however, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. With any luck, the roads may be open late next week. We'll see!

 

Oh, and I guess we are buying the condo.

Oh, and as of yesterday, I have 75 birds for 2023!

 But I will save all that for another post! 

 

2023 is off to quite a start!