We search for the silver lining, as clouds loom over us in our everyday life.
But just look! Things can always get better.
The silver lining has turned to gold.
Clouds may loom
Through doom and gloom,
But please do stop your whining.
Category Archives: Weather
Sunday Sailors
What an opportunity to learn to sail! The protected bay is perfect for it. A very light breeze keeps the would-be sailors on their toes, lest they get caught making a turn in the wrong direction.
Yes, there is strength in numbers, taking courage from each other, as long as they don’t all need help at the same time.
The guide boats keep a close watch on their assigned groups and are motorized for quick access to anyone needing extra help.
As long as you don’t end up in the water unexpectedly, this could be a lot of fun.
One other day when the sea was less calm it must have been training day, and luckily almost everyone was prepared for this “rescue mission.”
Or perhaps it was done on purpose to show the would-be sailors what to do if they took a wrong turn and flipped over.
They were obviously prepared for getting wet that day.
I think I’ll just stay on dry land whenever I can.
Snaky Cloud
The long thin cloud looks straight enough, but look at the shape its shadow takes as it hits the contours of the hills below.
Clouds are not uncommon here. We’ve had them all winter long, long, long. What makes this cloud different is the sunshine above and below it.
And before you feel sorry for the little animals who happen to live in the shaded part of the hillside, take heart. By the time I came back into the house and set the camera down, that cloud had moved on to make way for total sunshine – at least for a few minutes. So far, so good.
The thin gray cloud intends to shroud,
It stretches ‘cross the sky,
Its wiggly shade is poorly made,
Like wings outspread to fly.
The shadows long come out all wrong,
They waver and despair,
The darkening doom imparts no gloom,
As breezes clear the air.
The Eagle-eyed Weatherman
My eagle eye inspects the sky
To ferret out the chill,
And now I’m left to wonder why
The snow came down at will.
I know it’s colder in the heights,
And all the air was wet,
So pondering that, I knew by rights,
That snow was what we’d get.
I’ve fluffed my feathers up a tad
To keep the warmth inside,
I’ll check the depth of snow we’ve had,
And take a chilly glide.
I hope you’re hibernating, all
You creatures of the hills,
You must have known this snow could fall,
It’s testing all our wills.
But worry not, the rain will pour,
And wash the ice away,
Then soothing days will evermore,
Bring sunshine every day.
Then and Now
Ski hill lit up in a magical spell,
Dreamy night setting that suits skiers well,
Silence is broken so gently and slow
By boards that grip sideways and crunch on the snow.
Icy cold particles stinging the cheek,
As windburn sets in, it is not for the meek,
Face feeling fresher against the wind’s bite,
Small price to pay to descend in the night.
Carving a path through the crisp mountain trail,
Chilling and thrilling, a joy without fail,
Swooping and sweeping around in the glow,
Joyfully living and breathing in snow.
That was then. This is now.
Cool breeze arrives on the ski hill next morn,
Rounding out edges to make them look worn,
Moisture seeps into each cranny and nook,
Skiers raise eyebrows with questioning look.
Where are the lights and the softly lit snow?
Who let this fog in, and why won’t it go?
Damp and encroaching, the low cloud just sits,
Making me thankful I’m wearing my mitts.
One thing is good about groping through mist,
Stunts can be tried that I just can’t resist,
No one can watch me or see as I fall
Ass over tea kettle once and for all.
Oops! Should have specified this poem as rated “R.”
(Sigh!) But “Bum over tea kettle” just doesn’t do it.
It would be too much like hearing a macho man say “whoops-a-daisy.”
Uncertainty
Sun or snow, or rain with breezes,
This is how the weather teases.
Life is full of twists and turnings,
Playing havoc with our yearnings.
Sea Pearls
An ocean of water so gray,
Was suddenly gladdened one day,
The rain tumbled down,
Throwing pearls all around,
Bringing sparkles of cheer to the bay.
Fire in the Sky
Another photo by my friends who are holidaying in Australia. I wish I could take credit for this photo, but it’s all theirs.
electric writing
splits sky with fiery message—
beware my power
Irony at its Best
I had a dream about my friend Percy who told me about a guy he met who had just come back from a trip to Egypt. This traveller went on a desert tour with a group and saw some cool remnants of large monuments. Rulers of the ancient lands liked to leave their mark with colossal statues of themselves to remind the people who is the boss, and to intimidate any would-be conquerors of his land.
One monument, in particular, left a big impression on him. It must have been spectacular in its day, but you can imagine how a couple of thousand years of weather and blowing sand would erode even the imposing 57 -foot statue of Ramses II who ruled Egypt from 1279 – 1213 BCE.
The tour guide pointed out how, even though only the legs were left standing, you could tell from the broken pieces of the king’s face that the sculptor had a real talent for showing emotion on the statue’s face. It showed the lips wrinkled up, sneering and dominating, as he frowned at any potential intruders.
Even though the whole, humongous monument was broken up (except for the legs left standing), there still remained an inscription on the pedestal that was laughable in view of the condition of the statue of this mighty king.
The whole scene told an ironic story, so Percy thought it would make a good poem.
Here is the poem Percy wrote:
Ozymandias
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
Percy Bysshe Shelley
*** Did you know that Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned in a sailing mishap in 1822 just before his 30th birthday? Apparently, the boat was not seaworthy and the three people aboard were inexperienced when it was caught in bad weather off the west coast of Italy.
Chicken Little’s Sky
When Chicken Little saw this sky, she knew there was trouble ahead, so she squawked her famous lines and said, as you know:
Bok-bok-bok!
The SKY is falling,
And WE must tell the KING!
BoddOCK bok!
Well, who would’ve thunk that a chicken could forecast this dramatic weather phenomenon?!
The very next day, the sky actually DID fall. That big dark cloud fell onto the ground and covered the whole valley.
And then, as Carl Sandburg said:
The fog comes in
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
They say that “No man is an island,” but these fir trees aren’t too sure about that.
wordsfromanneli 