Saturday "Rainy Day" Sky

I love taking pictures of the sky, so just having this particular day set aside for sky pictures is something I look forward to. Believe, me it doesn't take much to make an old lady, who lives in an apartment building filled with seniors, happy. Because the skies are dark and it's raining (this picture was taken at 1 p.m.) my husband suggested I just use something I already have saved. I have lots of sky pictures of the most beautiful days, cloud formations and such, but this has become a challenge to me. To go out on Saturday and take a picture of whatever is happening at that moment. My neighbors, who always seem to be milling about when I go out with my camera, are not shy about asking me what in the world I'm doing. They are used to me always taking pictures of the flowers around, but now my face and camera are pointed at the sky. The look of curiosity on their faces is most amusing. When I was out taking pictures of the rainbow for Wordless Wednesday, one was curious enough to ask me what I was doing? I shrugged, smiled, and said I have a project I'm working on.

I think if I were in a younger community of neighbors they wouldn't take the time to wonder about this strange white-haired lady, or they'd be to busy rushing in and out, to even notice me. Remember, here in my community, it's often found that most of us living in this place are already starting to loose something upstairs. I wonder what they were thinking about me today, in the rain taking pictures of the rain. For sure there's too many cobwebs in her loft, if you know what I mean.

Well I was thrilled to try and find an interesting way to portray the rain. I looked for puddles to reflect the sky, even thought about the water in the birdbath as a mirror, but there just wasn't enough water in either places to reflect the heavy gray sky the way I envisioned it. Perhaps if there'd been brighter skies, or a bit of sun, the clouds would have been recognizable in the waters reflection. Well, maybe next time.

I had a quote I wanted to share today. I read a book by Derrick Jensen last summer titled, A Language Older Than Words. It was sort of a memoir of Jensen's, the subject of the book was about communication. He used communication with the animals around us to illustrate his points. I thought this quote was important and was something I wanted to remember, so I wrote it down in a notebook that I keep for story ideas and things such as this; I just came across it last night.

"I am only so beautiful as the character of my relationships, only so rich as I enrich those around me, only so alive as I enliven those I greet."

I forget that from time to time. Relationships with family, neighbors, those whom I judge at first sight that I think I might not like to have as a neighbor, friends, and the ever-present stranger—the person at the grocery store, mini-mart, gas station, or at the four-way stop sign.

With all that's taken place in the world this past week, I have to reflect upon my own character and remember, "I am … only so alive as I enliven those I greet."
Thank you Derrick Jensen for that bit of wisdom for me to keep.