Promise And Enthusiasm

 

“Try things out, be happy to make mistakes, but above all have a go.”

 
~Charles Dowding,

       Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing

 

That gorgeous bird is the Great Blue Heron, and he is standing at the edge of a great BIG corn field! I love photographing heron, not only are they very accommodating to the casual photographer, but they are so photogenic that it makes my heart skip a beat! They aren't my favorite birds, the Sandhill Crane are, but the heron can be found in the San Joaquin Valley in all seasons, so I get lots of practice with my birding photography. Speaking of the crane, I have been tracking them, and right now there is a pair just above Elk Grove! It won't be long, it looks like at least a couple of them will be arriving on Woodbridge road, in Lodi, right on time! Cross your fingers for Monday! Just in case, I am planning to be out and about on the Delta next week, until I find them! I hope that is a realistic goal. I was recently diagnosed with mild anemia, so my stamina isn't what it used to be, in fact I am exhausted just few hours after I get up. We'll see. Here's to promise and enthusiasm the world of birding brings me! Positive vibes, right!

 

 

Questions Deserve Answers

 

“All violence is the result of people tricking themselves into believing that their pain derives from other people and that consequently those people deserve to be punished.”

 
~Marshall B. Rosenberg,

       Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

 

KCRA Sacramento 3 

Stockton family seeks answers after police shooting of 19-year-old

 

We are in dark days. Has the last few weeks seemed a lot more stressful than usual? The name of the young man killed in my neighborhood a few days ago was, Rocco Robinson. The shooter who killed Charlie Kirk is named, Tyler Robinson. Coincidence? Of course! But I have always had questions about coincidences. Are there deeper meanings in them? Are they omens? A they yet another peak into the metaphysical? And do they exist at all? I believe in curses. I written about them many times, but what about coincidences? This coming week will be all about seeking answers to the questions that keep you up at night.

 

Updates About Charlie Kirk

NYT 

 

My answers have to come from within. I need to call Sylvie.

 

 

Pardon My Sunflower

 

“Everything takes time. Bees have to move very fast to stay still.”

 

     ~David Foster Wallace,

   Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

 

Pardon me for yet another sunflower photo, but I am off on a little photo adventure today, which means I need to get in bed soon. So, just another little sunflower, in the late summer sun, making friends with a bee.

 

And all is right with the world.

 

 

I Got This

 

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.

 Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” 

~Rumi 

 

Autumn will be here next week, but throughout the summer I found some wonderful crunchy autumn leaves, as if it had begun on June 21st! This photo was taken in Cull Canyon, in late August. Just a beautiful pile of leaves in all shapes and sizes, colors and degree of life. It was a strange summer. It would seem this autumn will have it's moments. But I have leaves, and Chai lattes, and everything else that heals my heart. Not to mention two kittens who will keep me laughing, and Joey, who never lets me feel unloved. And lets not forget Sylvie, my therapist, who talks me down, and then talks me through it.

 

I got this.

 

 

I'm Tired

 “How many have to die before we will give up these dangerous toys?”
― Stephen King,  

Guns

 

 

Usually I don't begin quoting Stephen King until the first day of autumn, but after last nights events (see my previous post) and the apparent assassination of right-wing influencer and CEO of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, I turn to horror to find my center. The lights you see, shining through my bedroom window, are the lights from the various police, fire trucks, D.A. vehicles, and ambulances. They light shined through my window until 5:00 a.m. this morning. You see, there was an officer involved shooting across the street from where I live, basically right under my window. It's overwhelmingly stressful. (Update)

 

I couldn't stand Charlie Kirk, I believed he was verbally dangerous, and was dangerous politically motivated but I would have never wished this for him. I will not be celebrating his death. As someone said today, we must try to reach deep down in our souls and find our better angels. 

 

(Feeling Quiet)

 

About 18 months ago I witnessed a man shooting a gun, at his wife, in the back alleyway of the condos where we live. He shot toward her second floor condo, while we were driving next to him toward our parking spot. It was terrifying, and it stayed with me for months. I wrote about it here. Eventually I let go of that incident, but I hear gunshots in my neighborhood regularly. Mostly I close my eyes, and try to meditate it away. Mostly. But sometimes I hold in my fear, because what can I do about my situation? Well, we are considering moving, our condo has gained just enough equity to cover a down payment on a new place, and moving costs, but we can't move right this minute. I want more savings toward the move, so we don't go broke by starting over. 

 

Life is hard. Charlie Kirk dying at 31 is horrific. A young father of two, and husband to his wife, Erica, with a full life ahead of him. We must address guns, but we won't, and nothing ever change. We must address political apeshittery, but we won't. We must stop thinking of each other as the enemy, we won't. But sadly, nothing ever changes. 

 

Shortly after the events of 9/11, American's came together. Then we drifted apart.

 

Tomorrow is the 24th anniversary of that horrific event.  

 

(Sigh)

 

I'm tired. 

 

“Time seemed frozen, the applause went on and on even though heads were turning, necks were craning; someone had screamed because there was a man in the gallery and the man was holding a rifle and this was something they had all seen on TV, it was a situation with classic elements that they all recognized. In it's own way, it was as American as The Wonderful World of Disney. The politician and the man in a high place with the gun.”

 
~Stephen King,

  The Dead Zone

 

 Here is a booklet from the Department Of Homeland Security on how to keep yourself safe, should you find yourself in an active shooter situation. It's worth downloading.

 

 Active Shooter and How To Respond ( DHS ) 

Song Of Nature

 

“In their previous lives, poets were bats, and thinkers were owls.”

 
~Michael Bassey Johnson,

  Song of a Nature Lover

 

  

The bats of 2025 were beautiful, but that's not a new revelation. If you know me at all, you know I fell hopelessly in love with every single Mexican Free-tailed bat the visits each year. But this year I cherished them even more, as their numbers at the Franklin boulevard Bridge were noticeably fewer. As were the mosquitos. The two go together. It was disappointing and a little scary to witness such a change. In years past, the bridge would be lined with my fellow bat enthusiasts, the kids love it! But between the strangely cool summer we had, and the lack of our bat friends, it was an unusual year for nature in the San Joaquin Valley. I have also noticed less birds here as well! I am obviously not sure whether it is the decline of the ecosystem due to Climate Change, caused by greed and ignorance, or just one of those off years that happens sometimes! I have my suspicions. California has done better than most states in our fight for environmental causes, but we are far from perfect. There is discarded trash everywhere in the valley. Folks throw their old furniture and tires anywhere they think no one will notice. The folks around me just don't care! Stocktonians are dead inside.

 

Speaking of which, while I was working on this post,

 this happened, right outside my bedroom window... 

 

CBS 13 Sacramento

BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG

SIREN, SIREN,SIREN, SIREN, SIREN

FIRETRUCK

 

(Silence)

 

Stockton Police helicopter circling, in a beautiful sky, above my home.

(Falcon One)

 

It's been 2 hours and the police still have the streets closed off.

 

DRAMA. Useless drama.

 

( Sad, Scared, Depressed, Silence) 

 

Man, this post went sideways fast! 

 

Okay, so lets just focus of the beauty, shall we?

 

 

Stay Safe My Friends,

 And Be Grateful For The Beautiful Things In Life.

It's The Signature, Stupid

 

NBC News

Donald Trump's signature

 

Is it or isn't it his? 

 

Secrecy And Silence

 

“In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. Secrecy and silence are the perpetrator’s first line of defense. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure that no one listens. To this end, he marshals an impressive array of arguments, from the most blatant denial to the most sophisticated and elegant rationalization. After every atrocity one can expect to hear the same predictable apologies: it never happened; the victim lies; the victim exaggerates; the victim brought it upon herself; and in any case it is time to forget the past and move on. The more powerful the perpetrator, the greater is his prerogative to name and define reality, and the more completely his arguments prevail.” 

~Judith Lewis Herman

 

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror  

The quote says it all. So do the math on this man. 

 

 

The Spiders Of Summer

 

“If you run from your fears
And don't bother to find,
The things you think scare you
They'll stay in your mind.” 

~Elena Schietinger,

 

  There'S a Spider in My Closet!

 

I didn't get out this summer quite as much as I have in other years, but I searched for spiders every time I did, and while they were difficult to find, I did find a few I absolutely loved for their colors and shapes. This one, for example. It is an orb spider, and colored in earth tones, which is very much to my liking! I guess you could say, its my favorite type of spider, if having a favorite spider is a thing, but in any case, I highly respect them for their designing capabilities! They have gorgeous homes! I don't know which impresses me more, the beautiful webs they spin, or the beauty of the spiders themselves. I am still not fond on tarantulas, after the encounter with one I had in Turlock, but at the same time, perhaps this will be the year I spot one on Mount Diablo. From the car, of course! 

 

European Garden Spider 

 

 

A Quote And A Hawk

 

“I dreamed my shoulders held up the sky for a thousand hawks that squawked and cawed and beat their feathered wings against the hotness of the day. I supported their flight, watching and marveling, until sweat dripped from my body, and groans crossed my lips over fatiguing muscles.

Choosing to let the sky fall, I awoke.

My eyes opened to a cast of hawks gripping me in their talons. They supported my weight, hauling me high above the clouds through a blue expanse of heaven. And though they struggled—squawking and flapping wearily—never once did a single bird release its hold.” 

 

 
~Richelle E. Goodrich,

  Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year

 

Today, Just a quote and a beautiful bird, the Red-shouldered hawk.

 The world can take care of itself.

 

The Smallest Of The Falcons

 

"A kestrel can and does hover in the dead calm of summer days, when there is not the faintest breath of wind. He will, and does, hover in the still, soft atmosphere of early autumn..."

 

 ~Richard Jefferies

 

This is one of my favorite birds, the American Kestrel. I love it for it's beauty, but just watching how it flies, really draws me in! They soar with such whimsy, and they hover for food with deep precision. They are stunning birds, and in my opinion, not mentioned enough in the arts! Did you know they are the smallest of the falcons?

 

 

Imposter Seasons

 

"If I were a flower…I would be a sunflower. To always follow the sun, turn my back to darkness, stand proud, tall and straight even with my head full of seeds."

~Pam Stewart

It's late summer now, and but there are still some tiny sunflowers to be found along the roads here and there in the San Joaquin Valley. They always make me smile. I want to stop at each spot and take a photo, just so I refer back on cold days of winter, to keep me warm inside. The weather was perfect this summer. Not too hot, if not a little too cool. One night in July, I was actually shivering, while I was batting on the Franklin Bridge. I hardly got bit, there weren't nearly as many mosquitos as in years past. But there were sunflowers, which no matter what, they are always there in summer. That's a good thing, if not, I might not know if spring had ever ended!

Deer Crossing

 

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” 

~John Muir 

 

While out waiting for bats one evening, on the Franklin Boulevard Bridge, I was enjoying that night's twilight of mild summer temperatures, when I spotted a group of deer wading through the Mokelumne River toward the southern bank, and let me tell you, it was just what I needed to see, when I needed to see it! The Mexican Free-tailed bat is a yearly visitor to the bridge, with numbers that on some years reach as many as 200,000, but for some reason their numbers don't seem to have nearly that many this year! When that happens, the photographer in me has to rely on other things in nature to photograph. Birds, dragonflies, even spiders are some of my favorite subjects, and I do have plenty of those to share, but I had been hoping to see something new to try, and then the chance presented itself. It was one of those magical moments, when the camera was with me, and the camera was charged up, and the camera actually had a memory card in it. You see, I tend to forget all those things from time to time. But on this night it all came together.

 

As I said, it was magic!

 

And there's a lot more to share with you!

 

 

I Met A Friendly Little Junco

 

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” 

― Robert Lynd 

 

I was in Cull Canyon Park, birding, and I just wasn't seeing anything, I heard a lot of chirping, but I wasn't actually seeing the birds! They've gotten crafty about evading me. I guess they are taking advantage of the last of the summer's green leaves to hide in. Autumn will be here soon, and some leaves are already beginning to turn, so they know it's only a matter of time until birders like me will be visiting the parks and preserves. This dark-eyed junco wasn't so shy, it hopped right over to my car, and played in the fallen leaves, and I was so jealous, because that was something I would do if I could. Still, I got a lot of happiness just watching him. It was one of the best parts of last week!

 

 

The Smile On The Block Of Something

 

“I never realized how much you meant to me until someone spoke your name and an irrepressible, goofy grin stretched my lips.”

 
― Richelle E. Goodrich,

 

  Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year

 

As you know, I see smiles in inanimate things. It's called, Pareidolia, It's common, but not everybody experiences it at the same rate. I see faces all the time. In trees, in work equipment, in painted surfaces, and even road delineators. I love it! It makes my creative side excel at trying to find out why the object feels the particular emotion I see, it also makes me more aware of how people, even those I don't know, are feeling. And when there is no one around me at all, it makes me feel less alone somehow. I love the gifts the human mind offers. There is a lot to think about!

 

 

By the way... what the heck is that block of whatever, smiling at me?

 

 

Also on Friday, August 29th, 2025

 

 

“There was no other sound in the world like a car crash.”

 
― Maggie Stiefvater,

  The Dream Thieves

 

Also on Friday, as we were returning from picking up our new kitty, Tyler, this happened! Not to us, but these two cars. One was making a left turn into a gated community, the white car was speeding in the right lane, coming in the opposite direction, and hit the SUV and a crash occurred which knocked the SUV on its side. We stopped immediately, to provide help if needed, and to make sure they had a witness if need be. As it turns out, the car parked behind the accident, also stopped, and that man had to run down the passenger of the white car that got out and ran. I am reluctant to show his photo, as he was only 15. But what does that say, that he would leave his friend, who was injured, and run? Amazingly, an off duty police officer was driving behind the white car and saw him hit the SUV! That's very bad news for him!

 

 And get this, that was the second accident we had seen in two days!

 

We had to drive down to the Bay Area on Thursday, to pick up Tyler. That ended up being it's own drama, I will share about that sometime. So, anyway, we were kinda stressed on the way home, which I am sure you understand, and then, suddenly, we were witnesses to an accident. We also stopped at that one. Fortunately, there were no injuries! They exchanged their info amicably and we were on our way again. Luckily, there was no need for the police. As was good, so we were on our way.

 

But...

 

On the very top of the Altamont Pass, the engine light came on in the Cooper! Holy Hell! It turned out to be a minor thing, and again we were on our way, but doggone, can anything else scare the Hell out of me? Whew! Thursday was a day, and Friday had it's moments too, but we were okay. The biggest dramas were happening to others. It didn't matter to me if it was a democrat or republican, it never entered my mind, all I knew was that we had to stop when those accidents happened, and help! End of story. I hope others feel the same, but I don't know, we are all so fractured right now. Sigh.

 

Anyway was a strange week, and I can't help but wonder how much the moon, or sun flares, or just plain being distracted, by all the worldly drama played a part. All I know is we are okay, and that's the story. Driving on HWY 4 and the Altamont is a challenge. People speed, and weave in and out of traffic. You have to really be aware of what's happening around you. You just do. I hate taking HWY 4 in any direction, but if I want to do some birding this year, at the Clifton Court Forebay, we have to take HWY 4. It's the only way to get there! I guess I will worry about it when the time comes, sometime after the middle of this month!

 

For now... Ohmmm Ohmmm, HERE KITTY KITTY KITTY😊

 

 

Friday, August 29th, 2025

 

“There are two means of refuge from the misery of life 

— music and cats.” 

― Albert Schweitzer 

 

So, this post is all about what you see in the above photo. That's not a throwback picture of Hendrix, that is the first photo of our new kitty, Tyler. We adopted him on Friday, August 29th! He is adorable, and is already fitting in terrifically. It's less pressure for Joey, and for us too. One thing about kittens, they will use the hoomans, and the established cats, as scratching posts. Also, less harmfully, when they jump on us out of play and pure joy, kitty nibbles take place! Kitten nails and teeth can hurt. It's called owning a kitten, so I am not super worried about the less fun parts, I am focusing on what about them that fills my heart! I love to watching them grow up! In a few months it will be time to get them fixed and chipped and then it's fairly smooth sailing through their first year of life. It will be fun, and scary and well worth the effort. They are little for a such a short time, then before you know it, you are saying goodbye. But now is they time to celebrate all the love in this house, but also the love we once knew.

 

Welcome, baby Tyler! 

 

Come back tomorrow for Friday... Part Two. It's a really something. 

 

 

 

 

A Late Spring Robin

 

“The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show off. Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when he shows off - and they are nearly always doing it.” 

 

― Frances Hodgson Burnett,

 

  The Secret Garden

 

A few photos of a beautiful Robin, taken just as spring was leaving and summer was arriving. It was strange this year, as it seemed like nature simply shooed summer away and let spring have a full 6 months of the year, well almost. It has a been dreamy having autumn begin in spirit in early summer. It made me want to watch every horror movie ever made, as if Halloween were going to begin any minute! I refrained, however, and they will be waiting for me come October. As will my other fall movie favorites, St. Elmo's Fire, When Harry Met Sally, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Arsenic and Old Lace. Throw in a few Alfred Hitchcock movies and I am all set! 

 

Can you believe Halloween items are beginning to show up in stores? 

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

Here is a little Robin folklore. On that day I saw that beautiful bird, I was grieving so deeply for my boy Hendrix that maybe he was sending me a message that he was okay and beauty and love was all around. Or maybe it was Dylan and Hendrix sending me that message, or maybe it was just the love of a beautiful robin, showing off it's song. I love all those scenarios, and I don't like to limit the possibilities, especially as I grow old. I have a curious mind, and I appreciate just how much magic life holds for us.

 

Crimson Leaves

“I was drinking in the surroundings: air so crisp you could snap it with your fingers and greens in every lush shade imaginable offset by autumnal flashes of red and yellow.” 

― Wendy Delsol,

  Stork

 

My Favorite Tree, Cull Canyon Park

August 26th 2025 

  

Autumn is here. It has felt like autumn began sometime around august 1st. It was a milder than usual summer. We have only had a few days of hot weather, but in general, I could wear long sleeves and not be too uncomfortable. One night, in July, while on the Franklin blvd waiting for the bats to emerge, I was actually cold! Anyway, my autumn leaf guides all point to this being an early autumn, which means the color is already arriving! Ahhhhh... I am tickled to see my favorite tree in the world, showing off an autumn leaf grin. it makes me feel happier inside than I have in months! Just look at that gorgeous tree, putting on it's autumn sweater! There is more to come, so visit often, as this autumn emerges, Especially after September 23rd, when I officially begin my Autumn Leaf Of The day project!