Flying...Cat?

~ Great Winged Cloud ~

 

As I was working in the vegetable garden last summer at the end of July I happened to look up at the sky as I quite often do, because one never knows what amazing whimsical sights might be seen up above.

 

This particular July day I was not disappointed! There floating above me was a beautiful great wing. At a loss for not having my camera at hand, I quickly dashed into the house to retrieve it, hoping the winged cloud would stay just as it was.

 

Upon my return the cloud still remained...hovering in place as if waiting. In fact, it hovered quite long, changing very little, as I clicked image after image until I was quite satisfied there were enough good images to capture its amazing and unusual beauty!

 

Later that evening the images were downloaded and stored for future viewing. Then, last night as I began to sift through my collection, the great winged cloud came onto the screen, its beauty as striking as I had remembered it.

 

Now, its not the first time I have been captivated by an unusual or stunning cloud. Nor the first time I had totally missed other "hidden" elements in its beauty. Somehow, focusing only on the giant wing that had been floating above me, I completely missed that this wing was part of...

 

...a flying cat!

 

~ Flying Cat's Head ~

 

I give you my word that this is the exact cloud image I took! When finally seeing the cat's face I was stunned by its eye!

 

I wonder...

what other cloud images have I stored that hide creatures floating in them? 

 

 

 

After the Storm

~ Pink Daylily ~

~ Mammatus Clouds ~

~ Orange Daylily After the Storm ~

It is not uncommon for Minnesota to see turbulent storms in any of its seasons, from blizzards and heavy snows in winter, to tornados, large hail, and torrential rains in warmer weather. Wednesday began as one such day, with severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings covering nearly the entire state. By late morning we had received significant rainfall, and ancient trees were toppled just blocks from our daughter's house. These storms kept us all on our toes for quite a few hours.

When the heavy weather began to lift I took a venture outside to view the amazing beauty left in its wake. The sky was filled with incredible Mammatus clouds that seemed as if they would drip to earth with an enormous splash.  And every petal on every flower and every leaf was covered with silver drops of rain, each reflecting a tiny version of the world around it.

Today the sun shines and a gentle breeze blows, giving not a hint of the raging storms nature produced for its Minnesota inhabitants two days ago. I wonder what beauty awaits for me to discover today.

Olde World Bubble

Olde World Bubble

Nature's Paintings in the Sky

Sleeping Dragon

Spring Sunset

Clouds in their many forms and color create beautiful ever changing paintings in the sky.

~ Sleeping Dragon ~ Laying on his back, feet in the air, this magnificent glowing golden dragon slumbers as he slowly drifts on Spring air currents, spewing a waft of cloud steam from his nostrils with a gentle smile on his lips.

~ Spring Sunset ~ Infused with rich pinks and peach from the setting Spring sun, these puffy clouds set against the gorgeous blues of sky create a stunning image at the close of day. 

Stars in the Sky

Stars and Dragon Clouds

Amazing Cloud Patterns

Do you believe in wishing on stars? Star clouds!

Yesterday the weather pattern changed, the sun came out, and a warm wind blew in from the south. By chance, during one of my short breaks, I was stunned as I looked up to the sky and was met by a gorgeous yet very unusual cloud pattern. What instantly caught my eye was the distinct image of stars, appearing to be falling from the heavens above. Knowing clouds usually change patterns very quickly, I dashed for the camera, in hopes to capture the whispy stars before they melted away. There was nothing to fear, for these clouds remained perfect for nearly 10 minutes as they slowly drifted across the blue horizon. That evening the images were loaded into the computer, and lo, I found not only stars, but a dragon swishing down (top right of first photo), and a hidden animal head as well (look closely in the top left of the last photo)!

What wonders do you see in the cloud images above?