September 21, 2010
Borrowed beauty
![[IMAGE] weather over Waldron](/blog/blogpix/Waldron1-.jpg)
Almost like a tornado…
![[IMAGE] weather over Waldron](/blog/blogpix/Waldron2-.jpg)
It leans east and there’s a hint of color…
…about the musicDrama from my desk.
![[IMAGE] weather over Waldron](/blog/blogpix/Waldron3-.jpg)
Oooooh…
![[IMAGE] weather over Waldron](/blog/blogpix/Waldron4-.jpg)
Oooooh…!!!!!
One of our fellow Kelphistos laid down the gauntlet a week or two ago, and challenged me to photograph rain.
I shall obey. Soon. When we have some.
But this… yes, this was rain. Intense rain, from afar. Borrowed from those wetter than I, for my personal visual delight. Rain that circled my island on three sides but barely landed. Sometime soon, I will explain the meaning of “rain shadow” to the non-locals reading this. You will hate us San Juanians even more.
So, lacking rain of my very own, I gazed out from my desk two afternoons ago (I am pinching myself to realize that yes, this is actually what I see while I’m aligning all those notes you hear) and watched this downpour appear to float above lovely and even-more-remote-than-me Waldron Island, with little Flattop in front of it tapped with a wand of technicolor grace.
Wow. I need not write a word more. The pictures say it all.
Glenn Buttkus said,
September 22, 2010 @ 9:40 am
Wow and wowzer, your prolific blogging has given
we of the Kelp, the phistos of the mist and distant
storm, lying on our backs on the wet beach
ingesting the rainbow over Little Flattop,
pleasure and pause to envy, once more,
the Princess of the Salish, the bender of tones,
the newest SJ celebrity, we through her wit,
camera, and prose–tickle us, nurture us,
and like little Oliver, come back to the table
with our wooden bowls raised, begging for more,
please, can we have some more?
Loved our time, 3:22, AT THE ABYSS,
allowing us ample moments to peruse
all of the cavalcade of images you
provided. It is always fun to revisit
and hang precariously at its edge,
and yours, giving so freely of your
ear candy to we urchins.
Borrowed Beauty
The gauntlet was laid down
a week or two ago,
and I was challenged
to photograph rain.
I shall obey. Soon.
When we have some.
Lacking rain of my very own,
I gazed out from my desk
two afternoons ago
and watched this downpour
appear to float above lovely
and even-more-remote-than-me
Waldron Island, with little Flattop
in front of it
tapped with a wand
of technicolor grace.
Yes, this was rain. Intense rain, from afar.
Borrowed from those wetter than I,
for my personal visual delight.
Rain that circled my island
on three sides but barely landed.
Alex Shapiro
Glenn Buttkus said,
September 22, 2010 @ 9:43 am
Mid first paragraph, that is “where” through,
not “we” through. God knows that I struggle
daily to keep my old fingers to keep time
with the snapping synapse beneath my brow.
Bernard said,
September 23, 2010 @ 6:52 am
Thanks for this latest clouducopia. I think that’s the shortest rainbow I’ve ever seen -more of a rainapostrophe. With so many grays, gray-blues, and gray-whites around it, it’s breathtaking the way it punctuates the picture though. Impatient for your explanation, I googled the “rain shadow” phenomenon. I take it sales of umbrellas are a little slow on San Juan…
Barry said,
September 26, 2010 @ 7:36 am
Nice set of pics, Alex, the rainbowette is quite amazing. The white light must be coming from above.
My curiosity is piqued about the strip alongside the bottom window frame in the first picture. Is that a power strip or a sculpture of animal figures?
Alex Shapiro said,
September 26, 2010 @ 8:17 am
That, dear Barry, is part of my plastic dino collection. I have mini-dinos lining the sill and keeping me company (plus, enjoying the view). The ultimate power strip. They’re 1 to 2 inches, each. In the kitchen, my cooking (if you can call it that) is supervised by full-size plastic dinos (y’know, like the 10″ T-Rex you’d get a kid). Now, if I could only teach them to chop…