Who Let the (Sun) Dogs Out?

 

Who let the "dogs" out?

 

As I turned onto the highway toward Stafford for my Recently Read Book group at the library last evening, the sunset colors had some competition. A vertical rainbow added some additional color to the evening sky. Of course, I had to pull over and take some photos. 

 

I had seen sundogs during a cold patch back in 2019, but those looked a little different. (I wrote about them at this link.)

 

So I wasn't positive that my singular "rainbow" was the same thing. But after some research today, I think it, too, was a sundog or sun pillar.

 

Here's what the AI Overview said:   

 

A vertical rainbow in winter is typically a sundog (parhelion) or a sun pillar, created when sunlight refracts or reflects off ice crystals in the cold air, often appearing as vertical, colorful streaks or bright spots on either side of the low sun. These phenomena occur when plate-shaped ice crystals align as they fall, acting like millions of tiny prisms. 

 

Key Details About Vertical Winter Rainbows:

• Cause: They are formed when sunlight passes through ice crystals in the atmosphere, often from high cirrus clouds or low-level lake effect snow. The ice crystals in the upper atmosphere act as prisms. 
• Appearance:
  They can appear as colored, vertical pillars of light (sun pillars) or bright, rainbow-colored spots (sundogs/parhelia)
  .
Timing: These are most common during sunrise or sunset when the sun is low on the horizon.
Terminology: They are sometimes referred to as "mock suns," "phantom suns," or colloquially as a "snowbow". 

These optical phenomena are not actually rainbows, which require liquid water drops, but rather a form of atmospheric ice halo.

Some interpretations view a winter rainbow as a symbol of the loyalty of friends and family ... or so says one source.

OK ... that's a nice thought.

Writing for the Old Farmer's Almanac, James Garriss said this: 

In medieval times, the three bright lights were sometimes interpreted as the sign of the trinity, a sign of great fortune. Nowadays, they are a sign that you were lucky to be looking at the sky at just the right time.  

I like being at the right place at the right time. And then I got to hear about some favorite reads at my local library? That's a pretty great evening in my "book." (A little library humor for you!)

 

One Photo a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

 

Brent and Susan gave me a book for Christmas: One Photo A Day Keeps the Doctor Away by Joost Joossen. The subtitle is Inspiring Ways to Slow Down and Look Around.

When I opened my gift, they both said they know I take lots of photos already. But when they saw the book while they were on a work/pleasure trip to Maine, they bought it for me anyway.

  "I've always found myself searching for more peace, more structure and a more conscious life that is truly lived in the now. Over time, I began to realize that looking and seeing, and by extension photography, was the key to all these things. ... Taking pictures is like shining a spotlight on your subject, temporarily making it or them the most important thing in the world. Together, we stop the clock and share a moment."

--Photographer Joost Joosen

 I used one of the photo prompts several days last week. It said: Take a few pictures today to describe how you are experiencing the weather.  

I didn't even have to go outside for a few of the photos. The howling wind deposited snow inside our old farmhouse.

Maybe Old Man Winter took my front door decoration a little too literally. I didn't really mean for it to "snow" inside the house.

And then there were memes from several people on my Facebook feed during the winter weather:

If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you will have less joy in your life, but still the same amount of snow.

 

So I ventured out, keeping in mind the quote that Joossen included on that photo prompt page:

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.

-- David Foster Wallace

 

Time to Think

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold."

—Aristotle

(From a Guideposts devotional)

 

Yeah, so much for the "one photo" a day. And the photo prompt did say to "take a few pictures." 

I've always been an overachiever.

An important note from the author:

Whenever you're feeling overwhelmed, like the day is getting away from you, and you know you need to take a break: That's when it's time to grab your camera and open this book. ...Most importantly: You can only do one photo challenge a day. We already multitask more than enough as it is. Tomorrow is another day and another photo. Today, just do one, and be done. ... You will continue to see new things. Keep looking. Keep seeing. Keep photographing.

--Photographer Joost Joosen

 

Snow Perspective

 

Changing your vantage point can make all the difference in the world. It's true for photos. And it's true for life itself.

As the snow started falling near dusk on January 8, I took several photos from both my front and back doors. The photos were pretty. But I kept looking at the wires, draped from the windmill to the house, and wishing they weren't there. (OK, if I'd really thought that through, I would be mighty thankful for those wires. Electricity is a wonderful thing.)

So, I shifted my lens to the north, trying to avoid the lines. Mission accomplished ... except that the yard light couldn't illuminate the swing the way I'd hoped. So I put on my shoes and I shifted my perspective. That change of vantage point yielded my favorite shot of our January 8-9 snowstorm.  It also made my sweatshirt and shoes wet, but they dried off.

 

I didn't really think about it at the time, but there's a lesson there for life, too. We get "stuck," looking at people and situations in the same old way - at least, I can do that. Sometimes, we need to shift our perspective to see those same things differently. 

That lesson was further illuminated - so to speak - when I compared snow photos I'd taken on a gloomy January morning - January 5 - and photos taken in the morning of January 9 after the sun started shining. Those sunless shots seemed almost blue. But, with the sun shining, there was less "flatness" and more dimension. At that point, I couldn't get down our road for a re-do of the shots. The January 8-9 snow and accompanying wind left behind plenty of drifts. 

But that didn't keep me from wandering our farmyard. Thankfully, I didn't step out of my boots, though it was close a time or two.

 I decided to take my dusk scene in the sunlight ... different perspective, yet again!

 

We have windbreaks on all sides of our house. But the wind-driven snow still made drifts on the trees and bushes, as well as the driveways.

 

It took me awhile to warm up after my snow excursion.

But the temperatures then entered the deep-freeze zone. It may start to get better tomorrow.

Hmmm ... I guess we're back to that perspective thing again.

Life is like a landscape. You live in the midst of it but can describe it only from the vantage point of distance.

Charles Lindbergh

 

"I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields that it kisses them so gently? Then it covers them up snug, you know, like a white quilt. And perhaps it says, 'Go to sleep, darlings, until the summer comes again.' "

Lewis Carroll

"Snow ... blots and softens the top of every object like ice on a plum pudding. Hedges, telegraph wires, cars, postboxes, recycling bins. The world is losing its edges. Look upwards and it seems as if the stars themselves are being poured from the sky and turn out not to be vast and fiery globes after all but tiny, frozen things which melt in the palm of your hand."

Mark Haddon

 

And speaking of perspective ... These photos are pretty. But the wind chills that have put Kansas in the deep freeze are UGLY. I have not missed having to spend my mornings in a feed truck during these multiple days of sub-zero wind chills. (That truck never really warmed up.) I've thought a lot about the people who have been caring for livestock, fixing utility lines and doing other outside work in these frigid temperatures. 

I'm also thankful for the people who spent time in our cold attic, replacing a water pipe! Unfortunately, our old farmhouse pipes fell victim to the cold. We are thankful for the prompt and attentive service of a local business - Meyer Electrical in Stafford. Pipes to our upstairs bathroom sink burst Sunday night. Thankfully, we were still up and heard the water dripping from upstairs and through the dining room ceiling, splashing through the chandelier. We knew there was nothing they could do then, but Randy called Meyer's answering service to get on the list for first thing Monday morning. But, soon after, Jake Meyer called us back to check on us - even though it was after 11 PM. Randy reiterated that he had turned off the water to the house and that there was nothing Jake could do. We kept mopping up water and listening to it drip into the tin pans I'd placed under the chandelier. And, true to their word, Meyer Electric was out to make the repairs first thing Monday morning. 

These photos are dark, but I didn't turn on the light. You know, electricity and water don't mix!

 Thank you, Meyer Electric! We appreciate you!

 

Kansas is Closed

Taken Friday, January 5, 2024

It's been awhile since we were all that interested in the cancellations banner, running at the bottom of the local news. Back when Jill and Brent were home, that's the way we discovered if school had been canceled for the day due to snow.

 

Today, we were supposed to have an important appointment with Mrs. Kylie Meyer's second grade class at Stafford Elementary School. As I was writing this Monday afternoon, I imagined that I'd be perched in front of my TV screen Tuesday morning, watching the cancellation notices. 

 

But, in this day and age, I learned via Facebook last night that school was canceled for today. So, Farming: Then and Now - as told by Randy and Kim Fritzemeier - will have to wait for another day.

 

 

It seems that Kansas is closed today for all intents and purposes. But, I also know that those who care for cattle and other livestock will be out there, still getting the job done. (I won't miss climbing into the feed truck today like I used to do. My brother already sent a photo of feeding cattle this morning. Tye and Todd also moved some hay bales to our farm yard before the storm ever started.) I know electric crews, road crews, law enforcement officers, health care workers and lots of others have been hard at work in terrible conditions.

 

 

Back to our school gig: Every year, Mrs. Meyer does a similar unit. She invites different businesses and organizations to talk to her students. The class spends some time doing research at the Stafford County Museum. Besides learning a little local history, the students also learn about contrast and comparison and other cross-disciplinary concepts. 

 

Several years ago, I developed a Power Point presentation using photos that my mom and dad compiled in a family history book they made for each of their grandchildren. Those helped provide the "then" part of farming. And, truth be told, both Randy and I have plenty of "then" stories of our own from our time growing up on our respective family farms. Besides the old-time photos, I added lots of photos from our own farming operation. 

 

When we do get to go to school, Randy says he'll tell the students about the snow days of our youth. I know they didn't happen often. And, as I've thought about, I remember a time when the roads were drifted shut. My dad took us the 3 1/2 miles to school at Byers, driving across farm fields. And the dress code was different back then, too. If we girls wore pants, we still had to wear a dress over it. Man, I really am old!

 

Taken after sunset on Monday, January 8, 2024. Yard light on the windmill in our backyard.

 

A disclaimer: All the photos in this blog post except the one immediately above were taken last Friday. We got some snow then, too, but we didn't have the wind to go with it. 

 

 

Photos from the latest storm will have to wait.

 

 

But last Friday, we had a much kinder, gentler exposure to winter. 

 

 

So Randy and I spent some time in the yard and then drove around for our own version of Eyewitness Weather.

 

 

The wind that is usually so prevalent in Kansas seemed bedded down for a long winter's nap .. or, at least it was taking the day off. (It was back with a vengeance yesterday and today.)

The only other living thing we saw at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge was a deer, who didn't seem particularly concerned about intruders to his domain.

I wish this was better focus ...

We were surprised not to see or hear any birds on the refuge at that time.

I'll probably get some photos of this latest snow at some point. But, then again, maybe I'll read my book for awhile.

A Snowy Weekend

When Will and Avery joined the family this fall, we purchased an igloo shelter. Over the weekend, it lived up to its name. 

Will and Avery didn't seem to know what to think about this fluffy white phenomenon. And, honestly, it had been awhile since we humans had seen this much snow, too. An informal yardstick measurement revealed about 7 1/2 inches of the white stuff. 

Before anyone gets too worried about Will and Avery, they also had plenty of inside time during the snowstorm.

This looked like the very definition of a "cat nap" to me!

They served as lap warmers for TV viewing for one of our home's occupants. It wasn't me.

Besides the quantity, the lack of wind was another unusual phenomenon for this snow. On the first day, it pretty much stayed where it fell, which should be beneficial for our farm fields.

Notice the Cats Crossing sign on the electric pole.

It was not so conducive to driving to Manhattan for the final regular season football game. So, instead, we gave away our tickets to friends who live in Manhattan and watched "Farmeggedon" - K-State vs. Iowa State - from home. (Unfortunately, K-State lost.)

I did take time to wander and take a few photos during our "staycation."

 I was wishing we'd changed my decorative flag from fall to Christmas to better suit the scene.

We had already put out our Christmas floodlights. But only the green one was working at the time.

The next morning, floodlights were no longer needed.

 Sunlight on snow always transforms the scene.

It was pretty - especially since I wasn't the one shoveling or feeding cattle.

“Snow brings a special quality with it—the power to stop life as you know it dead in its tracks.”

Nancy Hatch Woodward

"When snow falls, nature listens."

Antoinette VanKleef

"A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky—unbidden—and seems like a thing of wonder."

Susan Orlean