Remnants

Today, on the way to Prescott: Remnants from last night's storm passing across the desert.  Phoenicians woke up this morning to more fallen trees and flooding.

Cloud Graffiti

I took this recently, one morning after a long, hard desert rain.  Followers of this blog know of my fascination with cloud formations, and this display was beautiful.  Shabbat Shalom.

Aerial Fascination

At the risk of boring you, dear reader, I am posting one more photo of cloud formations.  Maybe my life is one long attempt to get my head out of the clouds.

Billowing

Followers of this blog already know of my love of cloud formations.  Here, a thunderhead hovers over downtown Scottsdale, its coloring an impossible bright white.

Up, Up, and Away!

Skyline of Houston, TX

Upon the morning of my departure, I was ready to go.  While I managed to find some great things about downtown Houston--mainly the beautiful architecture and Discovery Green--I think I spent all of my options there with just a couple of days.  The day of my return flight was a long one--my gate changed twice, the last time really close to the time of boarding--but at least the flight was smooth and relaxing.

The weather alternated between dark rain clouds and blue sky.

Often, cloud litter would fill the sky.

Mountains just look like little bumps. Remarkable in miniature.

Slow accumulation of white thunderheads across the sky.

Followers of this blog know about my love of beautiful cloud formations, especially puffy white thunderheads.  Here, these beauties "pose" for a picture from a different angle.

Entering the vaporous thicket.

Dark storms.

Above and below, dark clouds break apart slowly, permitting sunlight to wash across the desert.

Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

Finally, home!  I was so happy to see my mountain again.

Ethereal Contemplations

Lately, I have found myself entranced by the beauty of luminous clouds floating upon a sea of blue sky. Simply stunning. It can remind us that finding joy can be as simple as looking up.

Beautiful Morning in PHX

Palm trees and a blue sky littered with luminous clouds.  Need I say more?

A Day of Sun and Rain

This was a day of rain intermingled with periods of blue sky. Above, the magenta of a sunrise increasingly obstructed by gathering storm clouds. There were a few episodes of light rain today, which ultimately ended with clearing and blue skies, even the faint traces of a rainbow, as seen below, on the right. I have yet to catch a rainbow for a photograph when it is vivid and bright. This rainbow, when I found it, started to strengthen its vibrancy, but then quickly faded away. Next time, as they always say, next time.

Drifting

Today was another cool, autumnal day in the Valley, and I was a total slacker. Outside of a couple of brief outings, I had no interest in being out and about. It was a lazy day for me, and so I opted to keep my photo ambitions at the modest level of capturing cloud formations. The day started out nice enough, with sun and blue sky. But over the early evening hours, a storm started to drift in. Puffy white thunderheads and blue sky began to give way to a gathering clutter of gray clouds. Cool air met with a brisk wind, and the trees began to sway in the breeze. An hour ago, to the north of Phoenix, my eyes detected the hazy gray slant of rain over the mountains. Could a storm be drifting in? I do recall hearing a mixed weather forecast for this weekend. We don't often get rain in the Valley, but when we do it is a real treat. There is something so beautiful about a desert rainstorm, and the scent afterwards, of damp desert earth and rosemary bushes in the garden, is a definite pleasure. Above is a photo taken earlier, during the sunny afternoon, and the two photos below mark the increasing presence of advancing storm clouds.

Intimations of Autumn

All day today, from morning onward, I was experiencing weather suggestions of autumn. The day itself was relatively cool and in the morning the Valley was greeted with the most beautiful puffy clouds. Yes, two items that are recurring themes on my blog (among the many): rock formations on the ground and cloud formations in the sky. It all makes for beautiful vertical symmetry. Today, despite the palm trees rising into air and the cacti populating landscaped areas and lawns, I could not get autumn out of my head. There was a coolness to the day, a lessening in the intensity of heat, and the air possessed a slight moisture, that I just couldn't resist recalling cool, damp, autumn mornings in Chicago after a night of rain, with clouds parting to reveal a rich, intensely blue sky. Memories. At any rate, today was a photo-rich day, and I have other photos that I will post later. In the meantime, I just couldn't resist sharing these.

Incidental Beauty

Late afternoon cloud, Phoenix, AZ

The theme of my blog (even though I sometimes stray from it) is beauty encountered by happenstance. Here is a sample of incidental beauty. Going out into my backyard late this afternoon and looking up at the sky, I was welcomed by this beautiful sight. One thing I love about the Great American Southwest is that you can often look upward and bear witness to such beautiful, fluffy white clouds. Some of them, puffy and piled high, are referred to as thunderheads. Too often we dismiss such beautiful details, pushing them into the background of our minds, but it is beauty like this that can truly inspire, if we open ourselves up to it. At any rate, I hope you can enjoy something equally beautiful this evening.