Joy of Clouds

Viki Mather  

3 a.m. - BOOM! Rumblerumblerumble…………..

I’m dragged from deep sleep, from complex dreams. Then I remember that I’m asleep in my little log cabin in the woods – safe under roof, within walls. Cosy and warm under covers. 

The storm comes closer. Sudden light, thunderous roar. Then rain. The rain falls lightly for half a minute, as if a warning to take shelter. I can hear a rising shhhhhhh..… coming across the lake. Then the rain pours down. It pounds heavily on the roof, on the forest all around me. Flash!  The sky lights again. I count slowly, measuring the distance between here and there. It takes a while. More lights flash. The heart of the storm is far away, but when the thunder finally comes, it is huge. The power of the storm reverberates in the windows.

The pace of the rain slows. A steady, gentle shower. I love rain in the night. The storm passes by, not too close – but immensely powerful.

Morning breaks bright and clear. Sun shines warmly to disperse the mist rising from the lake. I’m drawn out to the garden; to pull a few weeds, to pick a few fresh strawberries. Soaking up the solar energy, I love the sun in the morning! 

Inside and outside, throughout the day, I work a bit on this, a bit on that. I hardly notice the clouds rolling in until the light is dimmed. Rain falls in a burst. Heavy showers pelt the lake. I hide inside until it passes, then venture outside once again.

The clouds!  They are so beautiful!  Silvery grey on a flannel grey backdrop. To the north, the showers still fall. The several shades of grey rain down into the forest on the horizon. Lake and sky become the same – same shades of smoky, silvery, pale and deep grey. The water in the clouds, is the water in the rain, is the water in the lake. All the water is the same. I love to watch the clouds dance across the sky in the afternoon.

Evening comes and the clouds begin to disperse. Slivers of blue peek out between the clouds that have become puffy. The sun dips to the horizon. The last rays of yellow peer out from the trees. The clouds now lit from below take on pastel hues of pink and silvery blue. The lake calm, the forest quiet. I love the sunsets of summer.

Ten thirty in the evening, it is still light enough to walk outside without a flashlight. In the northwestern sky, twilight goes on and on and on.