We saw a rainbow that started here…
Bright, double rainbow that appears to start in the corner of the field, captured at dusk after a March rain, photo © 2009 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
…and stretched across the entire sky…
Faint, rainbow’s mid-section, photo © 2009 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
…until it landed there…(you might see it if you squint)
Fainter, rainbow’s end, photo © 2009 by ybonesy. All rights reserved.
What do you see out your window?
-related to Topic post: WRITING TOPIC — WINDOW and Tonight’s Sky, With The Help Of My Computer
redravine.wordpress.com 
I see the phosphorescent light from the former car lot across the street. Once, there were used cars, refurbished and lined up for easy inspection, illuminated by this light mounted thirty feet skyward. But then the owner moved the business into town, leaving the light behind. It must have noticed, for now it shines brightly for about a minute before blinking dark, like an eyelid closing in slumber. Slowly, it begins to burn again, awakening to keep watch over the abandoned gravel and sprouting weeds. Bored, it blinks out again. Over and over. A relentless loop of now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t. Only I see it, even when it isn’t looking . . .
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Wow, Brian, what a beautifully written comment! Like a short writing practice in and of itself.
Too bad the former owner didn’t take down the light; that’s kind of the pits, although it sounds like it’s become a fixture that you’ve grown to live with.
BTW, one thing that bothers me when I look out at the windows at night is when one of our neighbors has a bright light shining. One street over someone has a horse arena and once a week their arena lights are shining. Sheesh. And the lady on the other side of the main road has a bunch of lights. I guess she wants to brighten the place so that the burglars can see what they’re doing. 8)
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OK, what do I see out my window now? Dark clouds. The patio is wet from last night’s rain. Color. Yellow-green meadow. Dark brush that looks almost black. Light pink of the old Japanese plum contrasted by the deep green of a bottle-brush pine. The clouds look like they may be breaking up but I hope they don’t. I want it to rain more today.
Jim said that winter’s back but without the cold. Although, it looks pretty cold out there.
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ybonesy, what knock-out photographs of that rainbow! Wow, nothing like the New Mexico sky to get the full view. I love how you can see the storms approaching there from beginning to end. In Minnesota, at least in the Cities, they kind of sneak up on us. We can only see parts of the sky at a time.
Brian, great description of the blinking light from the old used car lot. Kind of like a mini Writing Practice.
Out my window this morning, I see gray skies, 3 birdfeeders, 2 overturned forest green recycling bins, 1 upright garbage can waiting for the truck to come and empty it (don’t want to think about what’s in it right now!). I see 2 cedars ready for Spring, 5 buckets covering the tea roses, 1 ash that needs a trim, and 1 rope swing lashed high on an oak branch, completely still. No wind.
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ybonesy, you know what’s strange about the end of Winter is that it sometimes feels colder than mid-Winter. For us, huge mounds of snow are melting on a daily basis and it leaves the air damp and Winter humid. It goes right though your bones. What Jim said about how Winter’s back but without the cold reminded me of that damp feeling. It’s finally up to 19 degrees here, warm compared to last weekend.
Last night on the way home from Poetry & Meditation Group, the almost Full March Moon looked stunning on the horizon. I think it was just rising as we were heading home around 10:45 or 11pm. The Winter air was so clear, it was just beautiful, quiet and still. That’s one thing I like about Winter. How quiet and still it can be.
About the lights, we have a park across the street from us and cattycorner. In the Winter, high bright lights come on when the ice skating rink is maintained. I find it kind of comforting. And it’s beautiful when it snows. They’re on a timer though, so they don’t keep us up. 8)
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There is a Night Sky ordinance in our community that helps control the lights in this area, so it’s not that bad. But I’m always perplexed by people who move into a rural or semi-rural area and proceed to surround themselves with bright lights. Not soothing lights, but bright obnoxious lights.
Several communities have started to adopt Dark Sky ordinances as a way to minimize light pollution and preserve star-gazing. Here is an interesting article, “Our Vanishing Night,” on the topic in National Geographic [LINK].
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QM, the moon has been beautiful these nights. I think of you whenever I see the full or near-full moon.
BTW, it didn’t freeze last night. I hope the cloud cover stays, because if it doesn’t and the night gets super clear, it could freeze tonight.
The Sandia Mountains have snow this morning. As Jim said, What a difference one night makes.
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ybonesy, that’s a great article in National Geographic. I just read it. I love the description of London around 1800:
For most of human history, the phrase “light pollution” would have made no sense. Imagine walking toward London on a moonlit night around 1800, when it was Earth’s most populous city. Nearly a million people lived there, making do, as they always had, with candles and rushlights and torches and lanterns. Only a few houses were lit by gas, and there would be no public gaslights in the streets or squares for another seven years. From a few miles away, you would have been as likely to smell London as to see its dim collective glow.
And then think about what we see today, especially in urban areas. Light pollution is everywhere. One of the joys for me of traveling to Taos is the night sky there and in other parts of Northern New Mexico where it’s not as densely populated. The nights are so black and the stars are so clear and bright. It’s the same at my friends’ cabins in western Montana. The night sky is like nothing you’ve ever seen.
I was blown away by the numbers of animals, birds, insects affected negatively by light pollution in that article link you provided. From sea turtles that can’t find a dark beach for their eggs, to bats and blackbirds. That’s astounding. Good article.
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Lovely photos! I always enjoy the photos you and QM post up! They’re wonderful and inspirational even! I need to use my own digital camera more. lol 😛
Anyway, what I see out my window…
I’m at work, so beyond the blinds, I see serrated leaves of a Treasure-Troll-looking palm tree and the vein-like branches of a much taller tree beyond the black iron (or steel?) gate. The fog is thick and there is a slight rain right now, making nature softer to touch. A wailing firetruck just passed by. There are a lot of white vehicles in the parking lot. My gaze crosses the street, and I see even more white and gray vehicles in the HEB parking lot.
Sitting on my window sill are a stuffed animal (a horse), a fake plant with pebbles in its pot, and another plant that becomes greener when I remember to water it! This green plant has heart-shaped leaves, a goodbye token from my supervisor who left my workplace as she was laid off. Sometimes I think of her and wonder if she’s alright. She was and still is inspirational, and she made me understood and appreciate the (vocational) life of a nurse. A nurse isn’t a professional career, but something you have to be passionate about if you’re willing to dedicate your lives to others. As of now, I’m 3 courses closer to getting into nursing school, and I am anxious about the application process. I hope I get in!
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There’s my window of opportunity to write about windows! Please enjoy! 🙂
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And you wrote about your window of opportunity to move into a new career! 🙂
But seriously, you’re on the move in the big way. Interesting, too, the difference between a vocation and a profession. I hadn’t thought about that. We use those terms a lot in describing careers and educational options, but when it comes down to it, there is a life-choice significance in the term “vocation.” And you’re right about the passion and dedication.
It’s great that you had (and hopefully still have) a mentor to help guide you. I’m sorry to hear she was laid off. These are tough times. As I tell others and myself, keep your down, work hard, we’ll all get through it. (The ox in me.)
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Isn’t it magical when you catch a glimpse of a rainbow in your daily life?
I feel bad for those cynical people among whom rainbows have become a cliché. It seems a shame to miss out on any opportunity whatsoever for wonder in this lifetime.
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yb, the quality of light in your latest photography is wonderful. I’m not a very observant person (what with my spinning brain) but I do notice light and how imperative it is to making a great photograph. You have done that here…with a very inspiring rainbow. How lucky to see it from end to end! I think I can see the other side just behind the front tree. I matched the clouds up in 2 & 3 😉
Rainbows are indeed magical, as Elizabeth said above. When I was a small child, I believed that God created rainbows, like a bridge, for us to walk into Heaven. Sure, they can be explained with all that technical stuff…but the child in me will always believe in magic…and rainbows will always be magical
oh, and from my window…I have a large 10 foot x 6 foot in my livingroom. I love to stand there and look out. On any given day I see big happy dogs pulling out-of-breath masters …kids on milk-crate-seat skateboards with their broom handle masts (complete with wind filled sheets) sailing by…a neighbor driving his amphibian car with a mini alligator head hood ornament and pirate flag….or the lady with the large hair and larger ass, always bending… to get at a stray weed…
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Good thinking, Heather, to match the clouds. 8) The rainbow’s end is barely visible in one of the clouds and then it drops into that one long tree.
I agree with you and Elizabeth; rainbows are magical. I love your childhood (and adulthood) interpretation about the bridge to Heaven.
Hey, that amphibian car sounds like a hoot! It seems like in every town there’s a guy who glues a bunch of interesting stuff to his car. There’s a car in Albuquerque that is plastered with colorful little plastic toys and fruits. It’s wonderful. A piece of folks art. And speaking of asses, there are two donkeys across the way. One is a mini, the other a standard size. They are a burro and a burrito. 8)
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Beautiful photos!
Windows…
http://leakelley.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/thank-you-for-windows/
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I’m always fascinated with rainbows. I always feel like seeing them is a miracle in some way. I mean, it’s so hard finding them in a heavily foggy city!! So if I get to see one, it makes my day!
And Yb, yes, I think what you should do in your life should be a vocation. After all, it’s better to enjoy what you’re doing and stick with it for years and years and working on it like a craft–like poetry! So that’s how I see nursing. I just hope it’s my right vocation because I’ve always been interested in the medical field, and I love getting to know “strangers” up close and personal.
Right now, I’m scared as I feel like I won’t get accepted into nursing school, but I just hope that God helps me find my way and guide me. I’ll definitely let you and QM know when this November comes if I get accepted! 8)
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Beautiful photos of a beautiful rainbow.
I see brightly lit gray clouds. That might seem like an oxymoron, but the clouds are thin today so the sunlight shines through in a way that will require sunglasses if I’m going to keep staring out the window. I can also see the edge of an elm tree, its bare branches curving to the right and taking up about two-thirds of the small window.
That’s it. If I stood up I’d be able to see a bit more. The ground, perhaps, and the bushes to the right of the window where the birds feed on berries throughout the late winter months. I don’t know why they save them until the end of winter, but the always do.
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Thanks, Robin. I’m wondering, if you happen to check back, do elm trees in your neck of the woods turn green before almost any other tree? Jim was commenting this weekend that it seemed like the elms were turning green before our eyes. And they’re almost a neon lime color. So bright.
A~Lotus, it seems like you’ve given good thought to your vocation. That’s important, and doing it for yourself is most important. I went into business because I knew that’s what was acceptable to my parents, and although I’ve made a good living and mostly enjoy what I do, I am still struggling to pursue my passions. I am pursuing them, but I do sometimes regret not pursuing them from the start.
leakelly, thanks for posting a link to your piece. It was rich in detail.
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I don’t have any science to back me up on this, Ybonesy, but the elms are usually the first to green up here, too.
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That should say “I’ve noticed the elms are usually the first to green up…” I’m not quite awake yet this morning. 🙂
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