Author Archives: matthiasleue

About matthiasleue

Matthias Leue is a fine art landscape photographer and writer based in Benicia, California.

A beach stroll some years ago…

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One of the perks of visiting my former dentist was that I got to take a walk on the nearby beach afterwards if so inclined, which somehow seemed to be every single time I had an appointment.

Thus, parking the car and walking across the road past the dune grass protecting the beach, I see the fog rolling over the hills above the city in the distance as it likes to do. Rather polite, not intruding on the East Bay today. Taking off my sandals as I reach the beach, I walk down to the water’s edge. The small rhythmic sloshing waves make for a lullaby sound. On my left several seagulls are napping on the sand, occasionally opening an eye to make sure my distance to their resting position is adequate. A few deem it necessary to increase that distance by flying up and landing a few feet further away. Just to make sure I suppose, perhaps having been privy to the occasional unwelcome encounter or being chased.

The morning sun is coming out now on this side of the bay. Very few people are out and about this morning as it is a weekday. A sandpiper hastens it’s walk as I draw near, the tiny thin legs almost a blur. The smell of sand and the salty bay are a delight to the senses. My toes and feet are happy too, unencumbered by footwear.

As I turn around to walk back I see the rhythmic waves permeated by sunlight as they roll gently onto the shore. It is mesmerizing translucent light. I stop to watch. It reminds me of the time I was on an island off the coast of Venezuela, where my son Patrick and I walked on pure white sand and saw thousands upon thousand of seashells with a turquoise equatorial sea as the backdrop.

As if on cue, a brown pelican approaches, gliding effortlessly about a foot above the water right past me to snap me back to reality. What a humorous creation. God had fun with that one, although the fish may have a different opinion on that.

What’s going on here?

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What a winter and spring it has been in California. After the long lasting drought and many terrible fire seasons, the heavens have opened up and the rain has inundated the land. Surging rivers, flooded farm lands, and trees bowing to the force of the wind. Reservoirs are full and the ground water tables should rejoice once the snow melt starts. A few sunny days have brought people out in droves with the emerald green hills enticing an outdoor excursion. We are said to get a super bloom this year in terms of wildflowers – a term which makes me chuckle – a rather American word if one may say so. Awaiting the arrival of our golden poppies (I have seen some blooming), I decided to start on a watercolor of our State flower.

Working from a photo, my colored pencils assembled themselves in oranges and yellows to contribute. The fun part comes when you use your brush to smooth out the pencil strokes which makes the colors glow. I have a petite heavy wine glass that I use to hold water for the purposes of making my paint brushes happy.

Continuing the project the next day, I noticed that the water inside the small glass had evaporated. Rather strange, as it is temperate inside and one only experiences such a phenomenon in hot weather.

The riddle was solved that evening, when I noticed my cat Calvin who had hopped on the table (a misdeed he gets reprimanded for immediately if I catch him, and always resulting in a quick jump off the table on his behalf) dipping one of his front paws into the glass and bringing said paw to his mouth to enjoy – in my opinion – a not all that tasty drink considering the water is mixed with color. I could be wrong of course as I have not sampled watercolor water.

I have noticed him in the past occasionally dipping his paw into his water bowl and I suspect he may have watched a raccoon mucking about with it’s paws in the bird bath outside. Calvin is rather observant if I may say so and he knows quite a bit about raccoons as well as the word itself.

Have a blessed Easter.

On a walk – a tidbit from a few years ago

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In anticipation of a green spring to come…

I’m a bit lethargic today as sleep was disrupted last night once again by the unsolicited delivery of a stuffed toy mouse, courtesy of my cat Calvin, and thus I slept in longer than usual. I decide on a walk to shake of the remaining sleepiness, and as I’m out of milk at the apartment a stop at the grocery store seems in order too. Moo juice is still one of my favorite drinks, and is held in high regard by my cat too.

Walking under the sprawling branches of the old ginkgo trees near the library which by now all have their distinctly shaped green leaves of spring again, I can see why Goethe loved the ginkgo tree so and why he wrote his famous poem to celebrate it.

Interestingly enough Goethe omitted the letter k from the word Ginkgo in the first draft of his poem as he thought it sounded too harsh. A different era.

Coming back from the store, I opt to walk through one of the many alleys that criss-cross Benicia, rather than trudging down the main street. Next to a tall fence that obscures the view of the lot behind it, something catches my eye: some stacked firewood at the bottom of the fence and a sign up above said same that reads “Stop taking my wood!” Below this stern warning posted by the wood’s owner, the miscreant apparently guilty of this wood theft infraction has posted a response:  “Then why is the wood piled up outside the fence? – signed – the wood chuck”. Apparently a woodchuck with a sense of humor, although perhaps with a more than questionable sense of property rights I muse, continuing my walk.

A March Friday

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It is comforting to see normal March weather for California again after the bone-dry months of January and February. Thank God we got some rain in the fall. What is typical beginning of March weather you ask? Green hills, yellow mustard blooming profusely on said same hills, many fruit trees professing their white, magenta, and pink blossoms. Most of all though it the sudden change of weather, where dark clouds pushed by a brisk wind arrive quickly, empty themselves of rain, only to give way to puffy white clouds with a blue sky and sunshine behind them. This frequent exchange of clouds delights our spring, and it is advisable for the nature enthusiast to carry an umbrella.

The first flower of an Iceland poppy I planted in a pot came up about a week ago. This particular one was a bright yellow-orange and radiated color. Sadly it has already lost it’s petals now due a merciless wind coming off the mountain. We are also supposed to get some more rain tomorrow, perhaps even a storm – or atmospheric river – the current buzzword favored by the meteorologists. We shall see. Rain here equals snow in the Sierras, so a win-win for this time of year, except for my poppy.

Having picked up an almond croissant from the bakery – a café au lait was already in my possession – I drove down to the pier in Benicia to look at the water and and enjoy the aforementioned items. The wind whipping outside, I thought it wise to remain in the car with the window cracked a bit to take advantage of the fresh air, and at the same time protecting my croissant from many hungry eyes and beaks outside. Indeed, the pier is frequented by a multitude of pigeons, flocks of seagulls, ducks, ravens, and sparrows, all hoping for something to eat with minimal effort. I have even seen pelicans on a small island nearby. Numerous signs advise not to feed the feathered pier dwellers – much to the annoyance of the birds no doubt.

There – that was one tasty croissant, and I even managed not to make a mess in the car. Taking a stroll along the pier I notice a woman dumping something on the ground. Unclear of what it might be, the question answers itself a moment later, when a mad rush among all things feathered erupts to eat what I presume is bird seed. Birds and humans unable or unwilling to read the sign make for this frenzied spectacle. It is over in a matter of minutes, with the last ones to hang out being the pigeons, in making sure not a single seed is left behind. I do hope your next meal will have more of a slow food pace to it, somewhat less competition, and with perhaps some better table manners too.

Have a blessed weekend

Peace

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The wind is whipping over the mountain, and the oaks are ducking as much as a tree can duck. Sheets of rain are cascading down. It is dark now. My cat Calvin was not at all pleased to take a walk on his leash today, although he managed to chew some fresh green grass that has sprouted over the past few weeks on the way back. The hills are shimmering again. The command of “wait, I have to wipe your feet” he hears from his caretaker before entering the door is completely ignored in the rush to evade the rain, so I have to grab him before those little footprints get everywhere. It’s like having a kid, although probably not too many kids stop on a walk to chew grass.

I had to mail a package today and the frenetic pace on the roads does not exemplify what the Christmas season should be about, so I was glad to get back home. I had to think again how much more pleasant the driving in Oregon is when I visit part of my family than here in the Bay Area. Yet even here it could be so simple if everyone did their part to contribute to civility.

The highlight of my evenings the past few weeks has been to light the Advent candles before going to bed and to listen to Christmas hymns. Thank you God for the peace that comes. Often my cat will come and sit on my knee, silently watching the candles too.

I have decorated some of the vegetation outside with simple strings of white lights and they lend such a glow to the dark evenings. I am rather happy to say that Calvin has learned the words “Christmas lights” – I have a very, very smart cat.

Have a blessed Advent season as we wait for the coming of Christ.

Cat-astrophic

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Knocking over three quarters of a pint of heavy cream with it splattering everywhere on your kitchen floor (accompanied by colorful language I normally don’t use), is a major mishap. Having half of the contents land on your cat below who then dashes off in a panic is an UNMITIGATED DISASTER.

Ouch

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It was that time of year last week, time to get a flu shot. When the California sun is smiling brightly it is hard to think about such matters, but when you are sniffling under a blanket in January, you wish you had paid attention.

Having obtained a prescription refill a week earlier it came to my attention via a poster on the freezer door next to the pharmacy counter that recipients of a flu shot would be entitled to a free scoop of ice cream. Now that is an incentive! Thus, almost giddy when it was time, I filled out my paperwork and waited in line to get poked. There was one person ahead of me who got his flu shot and he yelled out ouch before he got poked – apparently an attempt at humor – which was warily acknowledged by the pharmacist. My turn. “right or left arm”? “The left please”. It was an ouch moment, but I kept silent. “would you like a band-air”? “Yes please, and where and what kind of scoop of ice cream may I get”? “Sorry – no ice cream, but you can take a bottle of free hand sanitizer from the counter”. Imagine my shock and disappointment. Hand sanitizer? Practical perhaps, but certainly not the same. False advertising came to mind, “bait and switch” tactics, things, one does not expect at a pharmacy. Sigh – hand sanitizer it is then, as I reach down and grab a small bottle, sadly slinking towards the exit door.

Is there a happy ending to this preposterous misrepresentation luring unsuspecting ice cream aficionados into a pharmacy only to get poked and sanitized you ask? There is – a self-service pint of ice cream from the freezer that night, including whipped cream and a maraschino cherry on top in order to recover from the afternoon shock.

Unintentional

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It was my turn to fix dinner yesterday. I had procured some rockfish for only $6.99 a pound, that may have been strategically placed next to the $29.99 a pound halibut. A simple budgetary decision. Seeing the rockfish, I remembered a recipe I have probably not made in over a decade. It’s an easy and tasty recipe I found at a fish counter or in a magazine – I don’t recall. All the vegetables as well as the potatoes (except for a red bell pepper) were readily available in Patrick and Hannah’s garden and basement respectively, so my shopping list was of a short nature.

Mushrooms, the aforementioned red bell pepper, and zucchini seasoned and sautéed in olive oil, mashed potatoes, a butter and orange cream sauce – all complementing the fish which I baked in foil.

As we started to eat, I noticed that our napkins were missing, so I got up, turned around, and grabbed a few paper towels from the paper towel roll holder and tore them into three sheets to use as a substitute. Now I’m guessing I may have been a bit fatigued from cooking as I handed them out automatically, first one to Hannah, then one to Patrick, and a third to my cat Calvin who was sitting upright on the couch next to the dining table. I then caught myself retracting the paper towel for recipient number three and started to laugh as did everyone else. If I may interpret the surprised look on my cat’s face, it may well have been a response of “rather kind of you, but I don’t think I will be needing one of those”.

New Book!

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I am happy to announce my third published book. It has been a long time in the making and has finally seen the light of day. Hey, Roberto Hu is a collection of travel stories: the primary one takes place in Venezuela, with further explorations of California and the Pacific Northwest. The author’s cat Calvin dispenses his two cents worth in the introduction.

Barnes & Noble

Amazon.com