My next hike will be on Thursday in Red Rocks Canyon.

In the dry season, I like to hike in a river bed that takes one away from the highway noise and I can find an all encompassing peace in solitude away from other hikers.

“I go to Nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in tune once more.” ~ John Burroughs ~

It is probably too icy to do that on this coming hike. We have had a lot of snow and very cold weather.

But this got me to thinking about another hike I took there a few years ago with a friend I have only hiked a few times with over the years. It was on this hike we saw the most fascinating and unusual cloud formations either of us could remember ever having seen seen.

“I never get tired of the blue sky.” ~ Vincent Van Gogh ~

It started out with a normal sky above. Clouds floating in a lovely blue sky. The sun was shining gently upon us.

But then something changed.

Very odd looking clouds were floating above us.

They seemed to resemble a cross between alien space ships and aquatic creatures.

These reminded us of elongated Jelly Fish with their tentacles hanging down.

And another brought to mind a flying fish.

My friend thought some looked centipedes and I kept seeing Aliens flying above us.

We hung out just looking up and watching the clouds form and drift past us.

Some floated over our heads, others seemed to be diving towards the earth in a corkscrew fashion.

“Never lose hope, my heart, miracles dwell in the invisible.” Rumi 

I could have taken a hundred photos, but didn’t. This was two cameras ago, and yet am happy with what I did capture.

Neither of us felt any need to move very fast, as were captivated by this incredible show happening above our heads

Then they began to fade away and the sky was just blue with normal clouds.

We made some guesses about what had caused this phenomenal display of cloud artistry. But couldn’t even begin to know the science behind it. Nor did we really care.

They inspired us to stay present in each moment of our lives and observe the fleeting moments of natural beauty presented at unexpected times.

We felt much gratitude for having been witness to  such a fun and unusual cloud event.

I had posted a short Yeats poem here, but was haunted by the first line not being true or very positive. So came back and removed it. Feels much better . . .