Tag Archives: sky

Happy New Year 2022

Red Skies 2

Haiku 282

Oh my! Omicron

Bye Bye 2021

Here’s to moving on!

Another year that has passed as, “Meh!”

No-one in my neighbourhood could even summon up the enthusiasm to make a little noise last night! I guess after 2020 we all hoped that 2021 would be so much better. Well, it wasn’t as bad as 2020, but neither was it great. So, we’ll just have to wait to see what 2022 has in store for us.

I offer my condolences to those who have lost loved ones to Corona.

Thank you all for your continued support and friendship here on WP.

Here’s to a brand new start in 2022.

Cheers from Scifi.

Happy New Year!

Blue

Blue Sky

Haiku 281

Blue infinity

Soul-searching outer reaches

Introspective thoughts

So, I’m sitting in the garden by the pool, under the shade of the giant Eugenia, sipping my vodka, at the end of another hard day, when I hear the sound of the ice cream van, driving past my house, playing Music Box Dancer on an infinite loop.

Instantly, memories flood my inner core, of a long, lazy afternoon in Yorkshire, when my best friend Hilary and I chased the ice cream van around the neighbourhood on our second-hand bikes, buying cheap frozen ices at each stop. I was ten and she was six months younger.

A simpler, happier, time.

post script: If you’re wondering, the leaves you see in the blue sky photo above are from my ancient apple tree, not the Eugenia. And I only include them in the shot to prove that it is indeed the sky, and not a random blue picture. Yes, our sky really is that blue.

Giving up the Ghost

Cloud Rainbow

Haiku 260

I guess it figures

The pandemic affects all.

Colourless rainbow!

As this pandemic drags on and on and on, it stands to reason that eventually even rainbows would give up the ghost and lose their colour!

Yes, it is only an unusual cloud formation; still, just saying!

The Lonely Cloud

Haiku 248

How unusual

A cloudy day in Cape Town

Sunny tomorrow!

This is what passes for a cloudy day in Cape Town!

Although this photo is from a few months ago, during my blogging absence, it still remains the norm. Unless it is actually going to rain, the sky is clear most days.

It was very odd to see this tiny wisp of a cloud, alone in a bright blue sky.

And you will all know the famous line, from William Wordsworth’s poem;

I wandered lonely as a cloud . . .

Well, I never knew a cloud could be lonely, till I saw this one!

Whispering Clouds

Clouds 1

Whispering Clouds

Will-o’-the-wisp

Wistful

Whimsical

Wandering

Wondering

Wishing

Clouds 2

This unusual cloud formation looks like a white fire of mist, spreading upwards and outwards.

Wouldn’t it be lovely to float on high like these clouds, without a care in the world? Especially now in Lockdown.

Wistful indeed.

Clouds!

Cotton Wool Clouds 1

Haiku 222

As empty as clouds

Cotton wool brain, stuck inside

Corona effect

Cotton Wool Clouds 2

I was watching these fluffy cotton wool balls drift by one morning, as I sat outside having my cuppa. Though these particular clouds would not bring rain, we’re doing all right in Cape Town this year.

The dam levels are at 99.7%! Can you believe it?

These water reserves have to last us over the coming hottest summer months, until the next rains fall, a good six months away.

Three years ago in 2017, after lower than average rainfall several years in a row, the dams were at 37.6%. The levels dropped as low as 19% before we got rain.

Back then the whole world was pointing fingers at Cape Town and saying we would be the first major city to run out of water, on Day Zero.

Cotton Wool Clouds 3

I am very happy that we did not run out of water. By drastically rationing and re-using water, we averted disaster. The people of CT still do this, which is why the dams have filled up again so quickly; it’s not as if there have been really good rains recently. In fact, 2019 was quite dry; but by collectively altering our behaviour, we have triumphed.

So I could watch these fluffy clouds serenely, knowing that though they will not produce rain, the dams are already full!

Blue Skies

Blue Skies and Cape Bulbul

Haiku 202

Nothing but blue skies

And chirpy little Bulbul

On sleeping grape vines

I was wandering round the garden with my new cell phone, taking pictures of flowers and stuff to familiarise myself with the camera.

I was snapping away at my yellow honeysuckle when I heard a determined twittering coming from overhead.

I pointed my camera upwards and clicked.

Luckily, before he flew off, I captured this cheeky little Cape Bulbul, sitting in the winter grape vines and telling me to get lost!

Though he’s not quite in focus, I’m showing the photo here because of that blue, blue sky!

And I know I’ve said it before, some years ago in I see Skies of Blue, but obviously it still bothers me, so I’ll say it again.

As a teenager at school in England, I always painted my skies this deep blue colour. My art teacher, who didn’t like me or my work, criticised yet another of my humble efforts, squashing any artistic dreams I might have had, when she briefly glanced at my “work of art” and said, “You don’t get skies that colour!”

Well, Ma’am, “Yes you do!”

Over here, most days, all day, the sky is resoundingly this marvellous deep clear blue. And my blue wasn’t even as deep as in the above untouched photo!

The thing that bugs me is how teachers back then often totally crushed any individuality or creativity in you.

I mean, it was a painting for Pete’s sake. Why couldn’t the sky have been green, had I so chosen?

To see how blue the sky really was, tilt your screen away from you.

Sunset

Crimson Sunset

Haiku 194

A Crimson Sunset

Showing there is life beyond

Corona Lockdown

You have to be jolly quick to catch the evening sunset in Africa, as the gorgeous colours only last an instant. The sun’s last hurrah as it retires for the night.

Being forced to stay home isolated and socially distant, you have no option but to turn inwards and your world shrinks.

Catching a beautiful sunset is a good reminder that the Universe is still out there and that one day we can rejoin it.

Hang in there my friends and Keep Safe.