California Quail

 

“Birds are the eyes of Heaven.” 

 
~Suzy Kassem

  Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

 

In case you didn't notice, I took a few days off to... well... get ready for the trial of Donald Trump. Yesterday, we paid a visit to Bodega Bay and, of course, did some birding and it sure did pay off! I found this gorgeous California Quail, a bird I look forward to every spring, and I also found about 5 additional birds! One of them, a completely new bird that I had never seen before. The Red-necked grebe. I will post his pic later this week. Right now the day belongs to this quail. He was a treat. He sat on that branch, with the beautiful blue water behind him, and sang his little song, and in those moments everything was just about perfect! By the way, I've used that quote before, because my gosh, it nails it!

 

 

Like The Caine Mutiny Without The Ball Bearings

 

The true measure of a man is how he handles adversity.

 

 ~The Caine Mutiny

 

Jimmy Kimmel, and the Academy Awards, is what the Don Snorelone has to worry about at 7:18 AM, on the only day he has off from his current criminal trial? That tweet reminds me of the final scene of the Caine Mutiny, where it becomes painfully apparent to everyone that Captain Queeg that is indeed fucking NUTS. Sorry... mentally ill. Donald Trump needs help. As someone who has had to face depression my whole life, I know of what I speak. He needs help. Take this tweet alone, he lashes out over the Academy Awards, why now? It happened over a month ago. The ratings were not bad, in fact they gained 4% over the previous year's telecast.

 

 By the way, it wasn't Jimmy Kimmel who handed out the Oscar for Best Film, it was Al Pacino. And the"Winner is" was changed years ago to, "And The Oscar Goes To." Maybe he should be sleeping, or strategizing with his legal teem, or perhaps planning whatever he has mind for his campaign. Anything other than barking at the moon. I expect as we move alone, and things seem to be moving fast, he will demonstrate more and more that he needs help! He will have his Captain Queeg moment, and like in the Caine Mutiny, he will have folks continue to support him, while not realizing the hurt they are doing to him. The hurt they are doing to all of us.

If you have never seen the Caine Mutiny, I encourage you to go watch it! It's my favorite Humphrey Bogart movie, and Fred MacMurray was amazing as well. 

I repeat, Donald Trump needs help.

 

 

 

Paradise Lost

 

“What hath night to do with sleep?”

 
~John Milton,

  Paradise Lost

 

 

 

For the second day in a row, he fell asleep.

 

There. That's the post. 

 

Accept to say... Bwahahahahahahahaha! 

 

And this...

 

It looks like the jurors plus

 the 6 alternates will chosen sooner rather than later. 

 

 

Don Snoreleone

 

“I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart

 when I'm awake, you know?” 

~Ernest Hemingway 

 

He fell asleep. He fell asleep at his own trial. 

Maggie Haberman, of the New York Times, noticed.

 

Trump glared at Maggie Haberman.

That's it. That's the post.

But that was yesterday.

Stormy Days And Mondays

 

“If you are reckless enough to leave yourself to the mercy of the storm, then you are unlucky enough to learn that the storm has no mercy!”

 
~Mehmet Murat ildan 

 

 

"Blah, blah blah, blah, very unfair. Blah, blah,"

 

Boy HOWDY, today is the day! Donald Trump's very own, very first criminal trial begins today in Manhattan. First comes the selection of the jury from a pool of 6,000 candidates. Jury candidates that is. However, before that officially begins, Donald Trump will have to answer for his behavior over the weekend, when once again, he apparently broke the expanded gag order Judge Merchan issued just two weeks ago. I have no idea what will happen. I know that any other defendant, who has as little personal restraint as Trump does, would already be behind bars. Threatening juries and witnesses tends to make judges a bit grumpy, but Trump seems to get away with a little more than most folks do. I have never quite figured out how, or why that is. Folks give up their reputations. Their families. Sometimes even their very freedom, such as the case with Allen Weissleberg. Trump's former CFO is back in Riker's Island. He is doing 5 additional months for perjury on behalf of Trump at Trump's civil fraud case. It's astounding. 

And I imagine even more jaw dropping events are to come. He posted to Truth Social, just this morning, that he wants the gag order dropped. Yeah, deliberately pushing the limits and then asking for favors isn't how it works. I can feel it... I am going to be posting all day, aren't I? It's official. Trump has arrived at the courthouse, and with that, history is made! The first criminal trial of a former American president is going to begin!

FINALLY!

 

Who Are Key Players in the Trump Manhattan Criminal Trial?

New York Times

99 Cents Store, Over And Out

 

“It is always important to know when something has reached its end. Closing circles, shutting doors, finishing chapters, it doesn't matter what we call it; what matters is to leave in the past those moments in life that are over.”

 
― Paulo Coelho

  The Zahir

 

It's the end of yet another era. The 99 Cents store has decided to close all of it's stores nationwide. I shopped there, especially when I lived in the Bay Area, for years. Truth is, I could get odd ball stuff that I liked, in affordable amounts and prices. Before hubby retired, he would be furloughed from time to time, the last furlough took three days out of his paycheck per month, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it makes a dent. We had some very lean months, the balance was not fun, but the 99 Cents store was a big help. On a different note, they carried some awesome stuff that was cool to come across. One example was Zhu Zhu pets. They were a brand of robotic pets (hamsters) that talk and move about when you pressed a button on their back. Dylan had a favorite. Pinky. He loved that toy completely. Sometimes, because he didn't quite understand how it worked, I would catch him picking it up and throwing it across the floor to get it to go. It was absolutely delightful! I couldn't help but stop whatever I was doing to play with him. The interaction meant a lot to both of us.

 

 

 

 We bought about 8 of them, and I gave them to Dylan on birthdays and Christmas. He enjoyed all of them, but he always came back to Pinky. One day, Pinky broke, and he dragged him over to me to fix, unfortunately there was nothing I could do. Sigh. My heart kinda broke for him, but the play went on with the other pets.

So I am thinking about this and other memories that came by way of the 99 Cents store. When I think of how many stores that have shut down, just since I moved to the Central Valley, it makes my head spin. Toys R Us and Pier One just to name a couple of examples, and I understand Dollar Tree may close as well. Macy's hasn't closed completely, but it's closing it's Union Square store and that saddens me. San Francisco doesn't need another financial hit. Beginning in 2008, 99 Cents store began raising their prices and continued to do so until the pandemic began, stores like the 99 Cents store have raised their prices to the point you couldn't call it the 99 Cents store with a straight face. I think that was a big part of their undoing. The pandemic play a roll, and will get a big share of the blame, but I think raising their prices may have a lot to do with it too. It's really sad they didn't survive. 

Thanks for the memories, 99 Cents Store!

 

2.5 Years Later

 

“These so-called bleak times are necessary to go through in order to get to a much, much better place.” 

~David Lynch 

 

Ugh. Covid. I may have mentioned, once or twice, that I have some lingering symptoms from my bout of Covid, now 2.5 years out. I am tired, all the time, and I have an occasional flutter in my chest. I still cannot eat mushrooms, or dark rye bread. I loved both of those things prior to Covid-19. Now they both leave a dreadful taste in my mouth, like they were picked out of the trash on a aircraft carrier. Metal and mealy and oily. Without going into too much detail, understand, I still feel the effects of Covid-19 (Omicron) 2.5 years later.

John Hopkins has a list of myth-busters concerning Covid-19. By now we all know the shit from shinola, but it makes for interesting reading. The fact that a former president of the United States would suggest that consuming bleach might be a realistic treatment for COVID is absurd. And the fact that the GOP continues to mention, that Dr. Anthony Fauci deserves to be prosecuted for his service to the White House during the outbreak is a dangerous. I remember someone in the media mentioning that he had become more popular than Donald Trump, and that was all it took for the hatred towards Fauci to begin.

Educate yourself now. If Trump wins it will difficult to get accurate information about any medical condition, let alone Trump's biggest failure while in office, let alone Covid-19.

Freudian Reporting?

 

Hmmm... curious. What could have possibly caused the reporter for the Los Angeles Times to make a mistake such as this? It's quite a mystery, right? Or could it be that everyone knows that what O. J. Simpson, and Donald Trump had in common, in fact the only thing the had in common, was... wait for it... their obvious mutual criminality? Hell, I am just surprised that Trump didn't find a way to involve him in any way in any of his crimes. Strange.

 

Well done, Los Angeles Times! 

 

 

Note: The original L. A. Times story has been corrected.

Note: The circle typo at the top of this post is by way of

 Countdown With Keith Olbermann.

 

 

Little Laws

 

“The more complicated the law the more opportunity for scoundrels.”

 
~Robert A. Heinlein,

  The Door Into Summer

 

Laws about using the crosswalk, and the penalties for jaywalking, are pretty straightforward, sometimes one just needs to be reminded that if you let the little laws go, the big ones will follow. I am really proud of this gal, she is a wonderful example of how to live your life. For safety sake, always walk within the lines. By the way, in California, the fine for jaywalking prior to January 1st 2023 was $196. As of that date it became legal to jaywalk. However, obviously, if you dart out into traffic you can be cited for creating a dangerous situation. 

So definitely don't do that.

 

Macarons

 

“It isn’t magic, but who’s never felt better after a cookie?”

~Rosie Pease

  Cookies and Curses

 

I tried a new cookie the other day, the gorgeous French cookie, Macarons. I had seen the cookie in movies, television and in magazines, and I always found them pretty and elegant. I am not sure why I never tried making them when I was baking during Covid-19 and the Trump administration. Shrug. I don't know, maybe that should be something I try. Cookies are a lot easier to make as opposed to cake because dear hubby hates most forms of cake. In fact, he is not really a sweets eater, but he does enjoy a cannoli. So, when I do make these, I am going to go for a filling as close to cannoli as possible. These cookies are great as an afternoon snack, with tea. They are crunchy on the outside, and like a nougat on the inside. I got mine at Costco, the brand is Le Chic, and with a $4 off coupon they are well worth it! The cookie flavors are Raspberry, Pistachio,  Lemon, Vanilla, Salted Caramel and Chocolate. My favorites are the Raspberry and Chocolate, but I wouldn't turn any of then down.

 

Pistashio Macarons

W/Cannoli Cream

 

(Better Homes And Gardens) 

 

  

Half Way To October

 

“October knew, of course, that the action of turning a page,

 of ending a chapter or shutting a book, did not end the tale.
Having admitted that, he would also avow that happy endings were never difficult to find: "It is simply a matter," he explained to April, "of finding a sunny place in a garden, where the light is golden and the grass is soft; somewhere to rest, to stop reading, and to be content.”

 
~Neil Gaiman,

  The Sandman, Vol. 4: Season of Mists

 

 

 I have mentioned before, that I had never really seen clouds before I moved to the San Joaquin Valley, so every time I see a day as stunning as this, no matter what season it is, my heart skips a beat! I think the light is a little prettier in autumn, but its hard to deny that sunny days in April hold a magic all their own, days that rival the perfect days of October. If only there could be leaves of autumn, in all the earth tones of my favorite season, could be found in spring as well. All the trees are producing one color... green. A nice color, but not nearly as beautiful, emotional and filled of personality as autumn as the autumn leaves are. We are six months away from my favorite seasons return, and I can't wait, but in the mean time, this isn't bad either! I will just focus on the clouds and the wildflowers until October returns!

 

 

 

 

Solar Eclipse 2024 And Puppies And And And...

 

"Nations, like stars, entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night. Down and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul.

 

~Victor Hugo 

 

It was a morning. There was a solar eclipse, and there was a group of puppies roaming the neighborhood to help us enjoy it. I hope to update this post later today, with pictures of the puppies, but for now just know they are... awesome. Labradors... I think. One is a gorgeous mink brown, the rest are black with white spots, although a bit different on each one. I call the brown one Peanut. The smallest one is black, with white on his chest. He has one blue eye and one brown. A little slower then the rest of the litter, but friendly, and he seems a bit shy, or maybe. He's a great dog. I call him Aidan. All of them will be, and I wish them the best of luck. It's apparent someone dumped them here, sigh. So they deserve some luck. They are so wonderful, and my heart aches to take them in, but... well... kitties live here right now. It's just bad timing.

 

 

Now, onto the Solar Eclipse and other stories in the news. First of all, it was only a partial eclipse in my area. About 35%. Still it was fun, and I enjoyed attempting some photos. It's a bright sunny day, cold, you can feel the snow in the Sierra, but as days go, it was a stunner! So it was fun. It was nice to stretch my photographers legs and try for a difficult subject. I am happy with the way it turned out, but I think I did better last fall, with the eclipse. Shrug. The next total eclipse will be in 20 years. I will be 81. While I may stop blogging by then, I am hoping my camera will still be by my side and ready to go. Perhaps by then, I will be good enough, with even difficult subjects, that I will be able to stun the world with my beautiful photographs of the total eclipse of the sun. We'll see! In other news, Donald Trump is still trying to stall his hush money trial, and Marjorie Taylor Green hasn't been raptured yet! Weird... right?

Finally, macarons, new shoes, new toothbrushes, and a new wheelchair, all appeared in my life, all on the same day of the eclipse and the puppies. Some days are like that. No matter what, puppies should always be involved in any day.

More later.

 

 

EArthQuakE!!!! Right Under Trump National Golf Club

 

“An earthquake achieves what the law promises but does not in practice maintain," one of the survivors wrote.

 "The equality of all men".” 

~Sebastian Junger

 Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging

 

I am not one for conspiracy theories, in fact I think they are kinda stupid, but here are some questions for you to ponder dear readers...

 

In that the quake hit, right under the Trump National Golf Club, do you suppose Ivana Trump is rolling over in her grave?

 

 Maybe she is of the undead?

 

 Maybe tonight zombie Ivana will rise from the grave to walk the grounds where she was buried, looking for her lost mink?

 

 Maybe zombie Ivana didn't want to miss the upcoming total eclipse of the sun, and the comet that is passing by? 

 

Maybe zombie Ivana is just fucking tired of Trump's bullshit and she want to turn over the documents he buried with her?

 

I ponder in good fun. I love zombie movies and horror movies in general, so I am just enjoying it. But I will update this post in the event of an actual ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE!  

 

 

 

I'm just kidding. Sorta. 

 

 

A Guns And Roses Update

 

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” 

~G.K. Chesterton 

 

See My Previous Post, Guns And Roses

 

 

Okay, call it fate, or an Easter miracle, or even dumb luck, but the bad neighbor who likes to shoot guns at his girlfriend in the middle of the day, has moved. The occupants of the entire condo are now gone! As you can see, this is how they left things as they exited our little bit of paradise, which thrilled everybody to no end. Why did folks do this? They began packing up a LARGE U-Haul truck on Saturday, and it took a full day to create this mess, and finally take their leave. The shooting incident happened on March 22nd, or about 10 days earlier, so either they were kicked out over what happened, or they were hopelessly embarrassed, which I doubt, so what happened? I have been through my share of stressful moves, but damn I never pulled out a gun and pointed it at a loved one! Or even someone I just like! Ultimately it's none of my business, and I don't plan to think about it. They are gone, it's over. No need to think about it again. Now excuse me while I download my, Active Shooter Event Quick Reference Guide, from the FBI.

 

Six more days, and I wouldn't have been a statistic of gun violence. Thanks, guy, for the additional instance of PTSD.

The Cliff Swallows Have Returned To Thornton Road

 

 

When the Swallows Return To Capistrano

By Leon T. Rene

When the swallows come back to Capistrano

That's the day you promised to come back to me
When you whispered, "Farewell" in Capistrano
T'was the day the swallows flew out to the sea

All the mission bells will ring
The chapel choir will sing
The happiness you'll bring
Will live in my memory

When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me!

 I don't live in Capistrano, of course, I live in Stockton, but just as

 when the Cliff swallows to Capistrano, they also return to Thornton road. 

Under the HWY 5 free underpass to be exact! They are beautiful birds, 

with a tiny, but mighty voice. I am glad they are here. It was a beautiful sunny

sunny day today, and it was as zen as it gets with these lovely birds built their

home! They came all the way from Mexico and other places in South

America, up to 7,000 mile travelers. They are small, but so mighty! When 

swallows return to Thornton road, I am happy again. It's not really spring

without them. 

 Nope the photo is not upside down, the birds are!

:)

Happy Easter 2024

 

Easter is…
Joining in a birdsong,
Eying an early sunrise,
Smelling yellow daffodils,
Unbolting windows and doors,
Skipping through meadows,
Cuddling newborns,
Hoping, believing,
Reviving spent life,
Inhaling fresh air,
Sprinkling seeds along furrows,
Tracking in the mud.
Easter is the soul’s first taste of spring.

~Richelle E. Goodrich

 

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

 

I am a person of faith, and I don't speak about it much here because my faith is too personal to expose it to the ugliness of social media, but all the blessings you see listed above, and more, is because of God, and his son Jesus Christ. If you aren't a person of faith, I stand by you, I will not try to change you or your values in any way, you have my respect in your values, but on this one day, allow me to share the part of me that I keep to myself. My faith. Believe me, I have felt God's love and empathy in this past year, as I have navigated the death of my sister, niece and nephew. It helped me get back up from my depression and I am beginning to move on. I think about them every day, but the lingering sadness isn't lingering as much anymore. I hate this last part of letting go, because then they will really be gone, but there is a strength in all this, and it has come through really hard work, and God being there every step of the way!

 

 And by the way, Joe Biden is right...

“There will come a day, I promise you, when the thought of your son, or daughter, or your wife or your husband, brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. It will happen. My prayer for you is that day will come sooner than later.”

~Joe Biden

 

Happy Easter to you and your family.

I hope your day is filled with love, warmth,

 and every blessing and kindness too.

 Never forget the strength of kindness.

Don't forget to be kind to yourself.

 

Life With The Car And The Placard

 

“I'm used to functioning in pain, asshole. Are you?” 

 
~Rebecca Yarros

  Fourth Wing

 

 “I love the days when my body cooperates.” 

 
~Rebecca Yarros,

  Fourth Wing

 

I reported this driver. I don't usually, it was not about getting the driver in trouble, but it was rather to maybe encourage some training and encourage a little less thoughtlessness. It doesn't make a bit of difference how long this truck was there, I was made to walk around the truck, which on that day was a painful venture. I needed that ramp. We might be in spring now, but the wind brings chill from snow in the Sierra's and that chill is like a knife going through my body. It seems I need a little more help then I used to, and that help is a blue placard. Oh well, at least plenty of folks still care about it, you'd laugh if you knew how many times I have been yelled at, after I have forgotten to affix my placard to my mirror! At least I always have it with me, and it's a quick correction, as it's always in my purse! Unfortunately, my memory is usually residing in my make-up bag! I forgot to take a photo for this post, of course I did!

Less Trump, More Cowbell

 

 

 

“That's the thing about depression: A human being can survive almost anything, as long as she sees the end in sight. But depression is so insidious, and it compounds daily, that it's impossible to ever see the end.” 

~Elizabeth Wurtzel

  Prozac Nation

 

Bruceville Road and The Cosumnes Wetlands.

 

Spring Bloom 2024

Okay, it's time for more cowbell! "I gotta have more cowbell!" Just kidding, but I need more humor, because Trump is beginning to live rent free in my head again, and it has to stop! I know how I am voting in the fall and I can't stop the decisions of others or should I say, the cult. Joe Biden has done more for me in the last 6 months, then Donald Trump did in the four years he served! In fact Trump's record just on Covid alone was devastating, but folks have short memories, and his cultists look with glee, on the man who did so much for them. Like causing the deaths of at least 17,000 folks during the pandemic. By contrast, because of Biden's current infrastructure bill, this beautiful spot on Bruceville road will continue to thrive. The adjacent wetlands will continue to attract the birds next autumn when the Pacific Flyway opens again. And I will see my Greater White-fronted Geese, and the Snow Geese. The Black-backed Stilt and the beautiful Sandhill Crane once again. The Earth needs this balance. So do I. So, for the next week, no matter how negative Trump goes, I will not respond to it. Call it political training. I ate a chocolate cake again the other day, I cannot do that again! He lived daily in my mind when he was in office, but right now we have criminal Trump, not President Trump, so I need to enjoy that fact for as long as we have it. Less negativity, more cowbell. I need to focus on the extreme likelihood that he will lose the 2024 election, and he will face jail time in 2025. As it should be, let it be.

 Poppies In Bloom

Snow Goose

Ladies and gentlemen... Blue Oyster Cult.