Lost In A Crowd

A SPIDER'S sticky thread caught a loosened leaf. The lone leaf in rare glory spun and swayed like a dancing star before getting lost in a crowd on the ground.

See more West Coast scenes at Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. and also at UNDER MY UMBRELLA AND BEYOND: Love The Planet Productions. 

Cotton Candy Cloud

CLOUDS blown by the breeze usually float together but sometimes one rises above the rest. Not pink or blue like candyfloss, the top cloud still managed to look sugary sweet suspended over Crescent Beach. Did it taste like rain? Probably not. The cumulus cloud, meaning "heap" in Latin, of liquid, gas and solids was a lofty mix unlikely to produce rain. Dark and dreary versus light and cheery is my best go-to unscientific guess for any rain-test. This mass of fluff looked so weightless that if I had strings I'd pull it down and take it with me.

View endless skies at SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

See more B.C. scenes at Musings of A Puddlist In B.C. and also at UNDER MY UMBRELLA AND BEYOND: Love The Planet Productions

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Bleak Year Ends With A Beautiful Afterglow

THE YEAR 2016 was filled with bad things happening in the world too numerous to contemplate here. Nature walks were a soothing balm during sad news events but our outdoor excursions were limited this past while due to snow and ice. Recent milder weather just days before the New Year, however, warmed up the pathways and scenery. At this writing it looks like the bleak year will end with a beautiful afterglow. Hopefully, it's a good omen for brighter days to come.

View endless skies from around the globe at Skywatch Friday.

See more West Coast scenes at Musings of A Puddlist In B.C.

Sky Reflections Paint Crescent Beach Blue

EXCEPT FOR a few cotton ball clouds, the sky was especially clear on Tuesday. The reflected hue painted the ocean, shore and distant mountains cobalt blue. A fabric of watery ripples lazily lapped onto the beach floor below the stairs.

Last season's leftover grasses sprouted whiskers on a Blackie Spit Park hill. The mood of walkers seemed up at this glimpse of summer on a wintry day.

View endless skies from around the globe at Skywatch Friday.

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

How Birds Fly In A Misty Sky

THE HORIZON gave a slight hint there was something beyond the fog. As I walked through the wintery mist recently, I noticed a bird coming in for a landing and wondered how it managed to navigate within such a thick cloud.

I learned that waterfowl see two to three times better than most humans (and probably five times better than I can) due to highly developed retinas and amazing muscles that control the curvature of their corneas and lenses.

These lucky ducks (please forgive the irresistible pun) can also soar above low-lying coastal fog to avoid the murky shroud entirely until landing.

This post links to Camera Critters and Skywatch Friday.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

Sitting On A Cloud

THE WOODEN chairs with red cushions drift up as if by magic to the transforming clouds reflected in both the front and background glass. The sky, tinted windows and cloud-shaped couch on the other side are a collection of fact and fantasy that create confusion for the birds and me. I walk by this two-story house with a patio often and am always delighted by the illusions I see.

This post links to Skywatch Friday and Weekend Reflections.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.

No Strings Attached Where My Mind Wanders

THE BUSY CRESCENT BEACH skies reminded me recently that despite my lack of wings I can soar into the blue with my mind and go farther than the birds, planes, whales and kites do.

Unfettered by poles, strings, wings or gravity, it seems I can touch the stars sometimes when I watch clouds brush past unending horizons and hear the wind whistling past roofs.

When inspired by local sights and sounds my imagination takes me anywhere I care to wander. In my mind, I can travel beyond the whale spinning to escape its captor ...

the geese flapping frantically to get into formation ...

and the planes roaring over the street where my feet are fastened.

To view skies from around the world visit Skywatch Friday.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

See more BC scenes at Penelope Puddlisms: BC Life Is A Whale Of A Ride.