Sky

            Today, my followers, we shall consider the sky. By “sky” I don’t mean outer space, and all the infinities that go with it. Nor do I mean the relatively nearby (inner-outer?) space where we place satellites and such.

 

            No, the sky is what we see when we look up. It’s visible, whether with stars, clouds, clear blue, lightning, kites, northern lights, the moon, etc. Think of it as a canvas or a screen, there for us to see. Yes, there is sky on the other side of the planet, but that’s their good luck, not mine. The sky is a visual experience. I know this because Kim has photographed it.

 

            Even without thinking about infinite space with more stars than I can count on both hands, looking at the sky makes us feel insignificant. That’s what we need, right – more insignificance? If that bothers you, just go post something about yourself on Facebook, giving yourself the illusion of significance.

 

            Paying attention to the sky gets us to lift our eyes – generally a good thing unless you are driving. For many people, religion also gets them to lift their eyes – in a way that’s vastly more complex. But I’ll go for the superficial similarities.

 

            The sky also has an emotional life. My personal favorite is “sullen clouds” – what a great word “sullen” is! A rainbow is joyful, even without the pot of gold. Northern lights are exhilarating, even when we miss them as we did a few nights ago, for just knowing the sky can do that reflects or expresses something like joy, the way watching magically talented dancers does. The sky helps those of us who are not in touch with our emotions.

            Here are a few samples: 

    You might notice that, just as you can see your face better when you look at it in a mirror, you can often see the sky better when seeing it reflected in a lake.

Just Another Torch Lake Sunrise

You may notice that several shots were taken moments apart.

Sandhill Cranes in the Sky

Sullen?

Sometimes the sky looks best when framed by land.

Better with shore showing?

    And some days, as happened this week, the sky sends down gifts in the form of snow.