Cloud gazing

All day yesterday, whenever I had the opportunity to be outside, I was sky and cloud-gazing. It was one of those days when the air was pristine, the landscape in the distance seemingly washed clear (although we have had no rain for a long time). The crispness, details, colors — everything out there in front of me in the natural world seemed perfect. A gentle wind and clearly defined clouds scuttling across the sky.

At Folly Beach, there was a flawless palate of colors in the marsh and martime forests, the sky and across the dunes and sea oats. Yellow day-blooming wildflowers in the sand. Again, perfection. A delight for the senses.

I went to the grocery store late in the day, around sunset, and kept looking at the clouds, changing colors before my eyes — purples, pinks, mauves, rose-tinted edges. Just before that, as I was crossing the Connector, I kept turning my head to the side to look out over the marsh and the Ashley River at its confluence with Charleston Harbor and the Atlantic. Looking out to the infinite ocean in the distance.

It was a day of seeing deeply and smelling the air deliberately, using as much of my powers of sense as possible to experience each moment in its precious and fleeting brevity. That I can still do this with wonder and awe, as if sometimes I were seeing these things for the first time, gives me great comfort as I get older. I don’t want to ever have this capacity diminish, although I may be wearied by the ceaseless struggles of life and with keeping a positive frame of mind in the face of the sometimes thankless work I do. I try to persevere, and when my mind seems dulled from the effort that has been necessary to survive the traumas that have afflicted me in the past, and when their lengthy aftermaths are revisited in my memory, I take heart from ceaseless observation of Nature and its quiet and steady inevitability, its reassuring beauty, bounty and steadfastness. A trail through oak woods, the wind in pines and palmettos — these never let me down, never fail to buoy me up when my spirits become listless for a time as I tread cautiously across the long plateau my life seems to have entered. Along that flat plateau the journey continues, as it does for most of us, but I hope to climb higher on the road ahead, mindful, however, of the many deep valleys I have traversed.

Oh, mockingbird, your joyful and eternally youthful song has been missed of late. I hope it returns soon in the morning to cheer me because there is no birdsong quite so sweet and ebullient, to me at least.

Sure you will climb higher…and the mockingbird, he will return! Hugs!

Mockingbirds do sing a happy song, but they are mean little devils. They dive bomb my poor dogs who are just walking around in their own yard minding their own business 🙂

Every entry you write is a breath of fresh air, mixed with poignant observations about life and the feelings we face. I must find Folly Beach when I pass through there, will check my map. (If it’s under another name, clue me in by email.) Remember that even times when it seems the work you do is thankless, it doesn’t mean it is without value. Everything has a meaning 🙂 xxoo, [forever in motio

some of us need the sky and the water to remember perspective. Beautiful Oswego. I have been reading here all along, and the other place as well, just quiet. hope you don’t mind.

The other place?!?!?!?What other place??? *panic sets in, having missed something important*

It’s so noice to know that when I need a break from the iron and concrete jungle I live in, that I can come here. For a moment, I am taken away to a place that can soothe me.

I’m a cloud nut myself. I love all of them. Nice writing!

Beautiful writing…*S* Almost like being there with you…

Isn’t it wonderful, my friend, that we can still do the things we did when we were young and appreciate them all that much more now! I love to cloud gaze and yes, the mockingbird has a most sweet sound. But for me, strangely, I love the sound of a whipper-o-will’s plaintive call on a late summer evening. Sad, perhaps, but soothing as well. Beautiful entry!

There must be an Echo in here… Other place … What am I missing? Nice writing

I am glad you see such beauty in your daily life, O. The cloud forest here often causes me to rush out into the dawn with my camera hoping to catch a portion on it. A camera has its weaknesses but I am always happy to stand there just for my eyes to take them in.

Looking up

November 15, 2001

Hey, I am Looking up. CLOUD GAZING, a favorite of mine, hence the name- including general sky gazer, nite and day , anything that moves or is fixed. nothing is fixed , I know. At Wrightsville , once I saw along the ocean’s horizon, a stateley line of cloud battleships, moving in a long steady procession northwardly. Reading you,avidly LOOKING UP.

Bramble

Isn’t the sky wonderful! We always have it to look at and it puts on such a show…each time a once-only experience.

It is some sort of magic that these delights exist in such a complex world. My mother, at 88 years old & frozen with Parkinson’s, still responds with deep appreciation with words like “wondrous”, words that sound to me like prayers, at the sight of fresh flowers or autumn leaves…She too loved the sea. Thanks for sharing your magic with us.

Charleston is beautiful at this time of year. I can’t express enough how much I enjoy your writng and the ability you have to take me to the place you are at for that moment. I wouldn’t mind standing on the beach there near the batteries and following it by am good lunch at Mildred’s. Warnmed by the corn bread and soup after the briskness of the beach…….

Life is a long plateau across whose reaches we ‘march’ or ‘wander’, I think wandering is better for the human soul. You seem like a true wanderer to me. God bless.lol

I’m so glad you are able to deeply feel the healing effects of nature’s beauty. That’s a special aspect of my life also.

Beautiful writing, my friend! Yes, it is important to have this ability to look at “old” things as new. Sunset and sunrise are so wonderful here just know – all these colors of the sky. Awesome. Really awesome

The joys of nature never let us down. I find I enjoy spending time with my cats, such lovely creatures, when I need calm and peace. Especially if they’re chasing falling leaves or their own tails! :O)

Yes, those little tricksters do have wonderful songs–I am thankful that you have such keen powers of observation to lift your spirits when low–a precious gift from the Creator, I’d say. When at the recent art festival, I thought of your writing that you could go through a crowd and frame photos in your mind as you scanned…I found myself trying, but lacking your long practice, not sure I can..

Edelweis

November 13, 2002

And I enjoyed this one again so very much! Beautiful! Have a good evening and a nice day tomorrow! I try to do my best tonight and leave the pc sooner…I hope so.:o)Tomorrow will be a long day! Take care dear friend,

Beautiful. And how wonderful that you still have that sense of wonder. Seems like I’ve always enjoyed looking up at the sky, day or night. Some of my first field guides, even as a child, were about weather and the stars. 🙂