Another one of those almost missed opportunities – if someone else hadn’t spotted it, I wouldn’t have noticed. It was a working day of one thing after another, little time to look anywhere but forward, and certainly not up. Thankfully Sam and her eagle eyes in sunglasses did see, and I captured this amazing perspective.
Nature is amazing and splendid and full of beauty, sometimes inspiring peace and joyful thoughts, other times hinting at less benign circumstances. This sun dog warns that a change in weather is coming, often a storm and rain.
In actuality, after an online search, I learn that what I saw is actually a sun halo. But it is manifested by the same weather conditions that results in sun dogs. Sunlight refracting off ice crystals in high clouds known as cirrostratus. A sun dog generally only appears when the sun is low on the horizon, however sun halos can be seen even when the sun is high.
The sun halo is an honest sign. After a lovely warm day, sunshine warming the inside of the greenhouse to “I wish I’d worn something cooler” temps, it was more comfortable outside with the breeze. It is a reminder to enjoy this kind of day, while it lasts, simply because of it’s rarity here in NL.
The rain has begun now. With the cloud studded sunset to the west, I am optimistic that there will be no storm, but the weather network does call for a week of rain.
On a positive note, rainbows also signal a change in weather. I’ll keep my eyes open for one when the sun comes back!