Subtlety
I love a bright blue sky day with large white cumulus clouds contrasting the deep blue background. It was a bright sunny afternoon in July. The car thermometer read 108 degrees. It was probably exaggeration. But it was hot out there! The clouds gathered. A storm? No, the weatherman said sunny until he changed his mind. A downpour followed. Surprise!
Bonus! We got a full rainbow. Alas, I was not in a position to photograph left to right and include the whole rainbow in one image. Rainbows are a challenge to photograph for me. Subtle color, it just ain’t easy! There are only so many times you can stop the car. I settled for shooting through the windshield as we drove. Note: don’t try this at home kids.
Spring
Yes, I am aware we are in early summer. We had a period of heavy rains. The beach washed away. A double rainbow? Yes, we got one. Flowers? Of course! Hope springs eternal! Always! When in doubt, one can always comment upon the weather.
Slammed
We live in a zone where it does not snow with much to notice. Or, if there only a few flakes, the roads are a mess and traffic is paralyzed. No one knows snow much around here. Ok! So, the weatherman predicted… when is he ever right? He was!! Right! We got slammed. Overnight! I awoke and could not see out the windows – the snow had blown against the glass so badly that… and the scene was black and white. No color! It was all gray. … to the point that Carol thought I had sent a BxW photo to her. How much snow? How deep? Everyone always asks. … this deep! And we got icicles! It was fun? It was the second time since we live here that I could not go out the door or the garage. They actually closed the roads to all but essential workers. Alas. I am not essential any longer. So! We stayed home! … all nice and toasty. Best guess? Look at how high the snow got on top of my BBQ grill cover, or, on top of the garbage bins.
Storm’s coming
I just glanced up to see this fast-moving storm coming from the west. No doubt. We got the rain a few minutes later. No need for a weather warning or a weather report. We got the expected driving rain in sheets. Dramatic! Yes, it was. I’ve been trying to get a night star shot of the passing comet. Not on this night.
Town
Post office. We have two nearby. We chose the one less frequented. There was no one inside when we pulled up. Two other cars came while I waited in the car. Colleen got the local news – free. The beaches are officially closed. The police patrol to keep it that way. People walk and exercise. Blue sky on one side and storm clouds from the other. We got a drenching downpour complete with thunder and lightning about an hour later. It’s just another exciting day in lockdown.
The dichotomy of the view – you chose – Corona or death – hoax? or real? – Republican? or – One could speculate a storm is coming or, it has passed.
…two months have passed since I scheduled this post. Corona came and never left. The beach opened. Corona is worse around us. Danger! There are folks everywhere. …follow the money.
Haystack before the storm…
The best picture I ever took that I wish I had a do over: Random! Totally! This was on a road trip in Europe. Does it matter where? When? … a very long time ago. We had stopped (the car) many many times. The patience of my passenger/wife? was at an end. No stopping. I had a point and shoot (film!) camera in my lap. Auto anything? I just lifted the camera to the driver side window and fired one shot. One! Single! Shot! That’s it. The moment was gone, never to be seen (ever!) again. Am I clear? I missed out on a real moment. I couldn’t stop. Who knew? Well, I got something to show you all. Regrets? I have a few. But then life did turn out with a happy ending somewhere along the line. And I hope to be on the road again. And my beloved spouse will (though not intentionally) pressure me to keep on the move. Next…
Moving
We almost moved… not. But, there was one Saturday when the water rose and we didn’t know it. We are at sea level. And storms can come and raise the water level. But, on this particular day we were caught unaware. No rain and no storm, all the weather was out to sea. And the flooding was impressive. And the beach was gone. The water was right up to the dunes. And I thought that if the sea rose – with climate change – we would be underwater, and, perhaps we should be gone (from the neighborhood) before that sad day. Colleen had a new place picked out before the day was done. Scotland or Maine, pick. I’m sticking – for now. Packing is too nerve wracking.
Stormy Weather
We dive here. The resort across the way in the image is Dream. There’s blue sky over there. They used to be very crowded with divers. Now my place is where the crowds are. Maybe they became diver unfriendly? Who knows? Waves on the ocean are nothing without some comparison. So, look across and there are whitecaps. You can see some swells. I’m not a boater nor a sailor. I can tell you the wind was steady and hard from the left. The stairs are covered in waves. Hey! I just noticed the stairs! My! They weren’t there before. Someone put them in. Neat! You used to have to jump about three feet into the water. No big deal unless you are there and about to jump. We would fall backwards into the water, no jumping forward. I don’t know why. But falling backward is unnatural. And there is a moment of panic as you let yourself fall. Nope. Not my cup of tea. Ok, they took care of the jump. You can walk the stairs into the water. The trick is climbing back out. No easy feat. There is nothing under the stairs. Right, there is no floor! Go figure!
Anyway, we dove in the morning. We were down an hour. The water was smooth as glass still and calm. And when we emerged, it was as though the world had changed. I did not pay attention. These are not intimidating waves for an experienced diver like me. Smug, aren’t I? But within minutes we got word the resort was closed for diving. There was already a sandstorm in Jeddah. And the wind was picking up speed. Gee, it’s about thirty minutes south to Jeddah, no more than about 15 miles. Sunny, windy, a few waves, and we had to stop diving. Hey! I don’t make the rules. I just play safe. And besides, I was a bit chilled from the first dive. It’s still not full blown spring here. That damn water is colder than my dive computer says. There are times when 79 degrees feels a whole lot colder than it looks. Yes! Mixed metaphors and fractured sentences….
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