Friday, September 9, 2011

An elemental post - Air

This week I had to cycle up to town to pick up some books for the new school year and a battery for Son 1's watch. It's good to visit the local traders for this kind of thing... but they turned out to re-open at 3pm, not at 2pm, as I'd stupidly assumed. (Don't knock them - they do stay open until 7 or 7.30, so they are working for a usefully long time.) Anyway, I cycled round the backstreets of the bastide a bit and then went to find the restored windmill. After a while sitting in its shade, I decided to lie down in its shade instead, and spent a profitable 15 minutes staring up into the air. This reminded me that I had some great sky photos taken on holiday last week - how wonderful it is when there's time to gaze upwards!This one was spotted by Ben's dad after lunch, as we sat on the patio of the gîte. It's a halo around the sun - pretty amazing!This is another view of it - a circular rainbow in the sky! How many of these things do you think we miss, because we're not looking?
These thingies are something special too. Son 1 was given a Cloud Collector's Handbook by Ben's parents this birthday. He's read it carefully so was able to identify these little wave-shaped cloud formations as something special. They are not very good examples of Kelvin-Helmhotz waves, and although they're not as good as this one, we wouldn't even have noticed them if he hadn't been reading his book.
j
Personally, I favour a combination of idle and informed sky-gazing. I don't want to know about everything but I do enjoy a bit of knowledge. You've probably guessed...
j
Thanks so much to all of you who've entered my giveaway, below. If you're not already in, please do have a look at the books on offer and choose two! The giveaway closes on Tuesday. Have a great weekend, friends.

14 comments:

Jane and Chris said...

I am afraid my cloud recognition is limited to "ooh, that one looks a like a.....".
Jane x

Unknown said...

I love cloud photos- I always take so many!

Suzy's Vintage Attic said...

I love gazing up to the sky. As you quite rightly say, we probably don't do it enough! Stunning photos Floss, beautifully captured.
Bon weekend!
Isabelle x

A garden just outside Venice said...

I had a good laugh at your "Mediterranean" opening time..here shops open at 3.30/4 pm..
I hope you were wearing sunglasses whilst looking at that amazingly sunny sky!
Have a good weekend and happy thrifting if accidentally you're cycling to a vide grenier, he he..
x

Marigold Jam said...

I love skies and clouds but you wouldn't have wanted to lie down here today as it's not that warm and also decidedly damp underfoot (or body in the case of lying down!) Have a good weekend.

polkadotpeticoat said...

These formations were amazing....

Kit said...

What a wonderful way to while away the time. :) Kit

Sherri B. said...

I remember lying down on my back quite a bit as a child..I had quite an imagination and found all kinds of things in the clouds. How fun for Son 1 to have an entire book on it.

Have a great weekend! xo

Serenata said...

A bit of sky gazing is good for you I believe, the wonders are a sight to behold and there is something peaceful about it as well.

Angela said...

Today our weather is mostly High Winds - but on Monday we had a fabulous double rainbow over our village.

scrumptious days said...

I remember seeing one of these when I was in Canada, by Lake Ontario. Just amazing, I thought it must be something to do with being near the Arctic, but now I'm going to look out next time I'm in France. How wonderful!

Olga said...

Hi Floss, it's been a while.. Thanks for the post - it is very true - sometimes we forget about the most important things due to being in a rush and being preoccupied by something which long-term is actually not at all that meaningful. Thanks for reminding about this. Hope all is well. Take care.

Olga

Catherine said...

Beautiful photos! Cx

fee @ chipper nelly said...

lying under a windmill - thank goodness you got there too early!
have a good week
fee x