This evening, as I walked out of my favorite coffee shop/cafe, I glanced skyward and was rewarded with an interesting dance in the clouds above. At first, the bottoms were covered in mammatus pouches, which usually signal severe weather. Within a couple of seconds, the pouches began to unfurl like paper streamers, or fat curls of hair released from bobby-pins. Luckily my point-and-shoot was in my bag and I was able to capture these pictures. I've never seen anything like this in my entire life!
I walked to the rear of the cafe and found that the winds had smoothed the lumps and bumps and tendrils into smooth streaks. Breathtaking color and rhythm. It was like watching an invisible paintbrush laying multi-hued streaks of light across a fathomless canvas. The show was mesmerizing, spirit-lifting - unforgettable.
Wow! Isn't this universe amazing?
(I have a thing about numbers, so when I started writing this post at 11:11pm, on 11-1, I thought that was a good sign. A good sign of what, I couldn't say; just felt it was auspicious.)
11 comments:
Very pleased to see you back, Crow, and gazing skyward!
I often think that what Iris Murdoch said about flowers - 'Anyone coming from a world without flowers would think we must be quite mad with joy to have such things about us'- is also true of clouds, another world overhead, and such an endlessly various, dramatic grand one!
O Gawd. Just when I thought I didn't have to worry my pretty little head any more about meteorology, along you come with mammatus pouches. About which I wot not. I'm sure they don't occur in the UK and that, at least, is a blessing.
They sound anatomical.
A spiritual moment, Martha and perceptive of you to have seen, enjoyed and recorded it for us all. There is an old photographer's maxim, "always carry a camera" and it paid off for you. Although these days with mobile phones which double as cameras (and everything else, rather like a Swiss Army Knife) the ability to record such images is always possible - shame that the young only seem to use these marvels to take "selfies".
Water, in all its phases, must be one of the truly magical compounds in the universe, as well as its ability to sustain life. Its appeal to our species - and who can say to what other species - is profound. May your luck run well, Martha. Happy November and then some.
Amazing!
Gorgeous---thanks for sharing!
[Will you be joining Zhoen in her attempt to Blog Every Day in November?]
The kind of sunset they must have had during the Renaissance! A truly painterly sunset.
nice shots....good to see you are still about
Wow, that's wonderful. The whirling winds playing with the vapors, creating and erasing and redrawing the world.
I'm with you, looks like good omens.
Have you ever read Good Omens? Terry Pratchett with Neil Gaiman.
I'm glad you saw this, Martha, and that you had your camera ready so you could share these magnificent images with us. The world is indeed an endlessly unfurling Mystery of transcendent beauty.
Nice, Martha.
I got back yesterday, a bit of a change from the warmth of the Med, and the reality of Butte.
Hope you are doing well.
Mike
Beautiful. My favorite skies are the pink ones.
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