Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Rainbow Connection

This post covers an event from three months ago.

Someday we'll find it
The rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me
~ Williams/Ascher


Less than halfway into October, on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, rain clouds and sunshine had each been doing their best to colour the day. Every now and then, the two would combine their efforts and we'd instinctively look opposite the sun, in hopes of finding a rainbow. On this lovely day, we were gifted with a beauty.

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My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky.
~ William Wordsworth
At first, the rainbow appeared during classic weather of showers and sunshine. You can see the raindrops sparkling in the light of the arc and a second, more faint rainbow forming off to its right. One would think that there's a pot of gold hidden just beyond the end of the dock or in the boat.





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Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.
~ Edgar Harburg
When the rain stopped - at least over our heads, the colours seemed to just get more intense. I've never seen a rainbow this complete and this brilliant or lasting this long before, so I took a lot of photos. I'll only subject you to a fraction of them though.





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The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you finish the work.
~ Patricia Clifford
My sons were here to enjoy the beauty.





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Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.
~ Lord Byron
I can remember the days when Alex played a computer game called Rainbow Warrior. Evidently, the goofball now plays it in real life.





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The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by.
~ Bob Thiele and George David Weiss
We were all pretty much in awe for the full fifteen minutes or so that it remained.





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Don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
Are beautiful,
Like a rainbow
~ Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly
 I couldn't resist trying to get nearer to it.





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Where does the rainbow end - in your soul or on the horizon?
~ Pablo Neruda
I switched lenses and transported myself even closer.





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The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.
~ Henry David Thoreau
The woods were awash with hues of enchantment.





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Rainbows apologize for angry skies.
~ Sylvia Voirol
Rainbows are a semi-regular occurrence around here but we'll be hard-pressed to see another one like this.

What a way to feel connected to the world. Thank you, Universe.

56 comments:

Kaye Waller said...

Magnificent!

Pallavi said...

That is a beautiful rainbow ! Glad you were able to witness it Hilary :)

Frank Baron said...

Yeah, that was the most intense, longest-lasting one I've seen.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN???!!

:)

Cloudia said...

Right into the boat.
Right over the boys.
You saw through it, the familiar hillside translated to a fairy land.

We have rainbows on our license plates,
and see them all the time; but you
schooled me with this post. Huzzah!




Where does the rainbow end - in your soul or on the horizon?
~ Pablo Neruda


ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
<3

Andy said...

Excellent photos Hilary.

Tabor said...

What luck to be able to enjoy it with those you love and to capture it forever in photos!

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice capture, I didn't get any close to this.

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

sooo cool

I think the lady I was dating at the time fell in love with me the day I stopped my truck and got out to enjoy a double rainbow hanging over Mount Franklin.

(the lady married me about six months later)

EG CameraGirl said...

I haven't seen such a gorgeous rainbow in a very long time. Lucky you!

joeh said...

I never never seen one go from end to end, and clearly you need to search for gold at the end of your dock.

Actually I think you have already found the gold!

Birdman said...

These are quite striking rainbows. Like the one with the guys beneath.

Brian Miller said...

wow. cool captures of the rainbow....and i am not sure i have ever seen one so big captured end to end....def a reason for hope...smiles.

ellen abbott said...

oh Hilary. what a beautiful rainbow. It's been a while since I've seen one.

sage said...

Great photos, but I couldn't help but to think in the earlier shot that if there isn't a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, a boat is the next to best thing (but maybe you're right, maybe the pot is in the boat or certainly in the experiences there)

Anonymous said...

Wow wow and more WOW!

TexWisGirl said...

the first few shots with it ending in the boat are so cool! but those shots filtering across the trees...wow. such a wonderful thing to share with family and friends!

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

This series is truly magical. Thanks so much for a healthy dose of amazement at what gifts are freely given in the natural world.

William Kendall said...

Absolutely beautiful. I can't help but notice the person on the dock in the distance in one of those shots, no doubt also photographing the rainbow.

Bob Bushell said...

Oh very beautiful, dancing to the rainbow. Well taken Hilary.

Rita said...

That one was so perfect across the sky. Love the camera zooms into the woods--OMG! Beautiful. :)

messymimi said...

Wow. We once had a rainbow's end in our back yard. It's a rare thing to be that close. Then to get a perfect arch, too!

Enjoy your rainbow days, the place you live now is enchanting.

Jenn Jilks said...

This is totally amazing! What a wonderful memory.
I just read your comment on Red's post. I'm so worried about our RCMP and OPP members.

They are well-trained, and yet what a trying time it must be.
Take care.
JJ

Red said...

Thanks for the rainbows on a winter day. It seems to me we see rainbows in warmer weather. I haven't seen many rainbows here the last few years.

yaya said...

The pot of gold was this post! It's got to be the happiest blog post I've read...love the rainbows and all the colors. What a great experience and a wonderful way to spend a few glorious minutes! (I would totally be checking under that dock for perhaps a tiny little gold nugget! Ha!)

Ruth Hiebert said...

That is stunning.

stephen Hayes said...

That rainbow was quite a spectacle. I was once driving through the Pacific Cascades during a rainstorm and all of a sudden the clouds parted and the light engulfing me was amazing, incredible sherbet colors. I just knew I had to be at the end of a rainbow.

June said...

Beautiful! I'm glad you took a lot of pictures of that gift. Such intense color . . . it colors the trees at its foot across the water!

Indrani said...

Terrific shots. I liked how you zoomed to its end. I haven't seen a rainbow so close.

Unknown said...

Hilary: I honestly never thought about the beginning and end of a rainbow. What a fascinating find!

Gary's third pottery blog said...

Just extraordinary :)

DJan said...

So very beautiful! I love the closeups, they look magical. What a wonderful thing to capture, Hilary. :-)

Daryl said...

amazingly beautiful

A Cuban In London said...

It looks so real that I feel as if I could just stretch my hand out and touch it! :-)

Greetings from London.

Rick Watson said...

These are absolutely stunning. I've never seen more beautiful pictures of rainbows.
R

Betty Manousos said...

such beautiful captures of the rainbow.
what a spectacular!

big hugs!

Shammickite said...

Pretty spectacular! Too bad you didn't find the post of gold though.

Gayle said...

Grandeur. Rainbows do not get better than these! Love the one with Bennster buns!

Anvilcloud said...

You experienced a magical few moments.

Bone said...

It's pretty neat that no matter how old I get, I still have that same, "Ooo, look! A rainbow!" reaction I had when I was a kid.

I really liked the closeup shots. I don't think I've ever seen photos like that of a rainbow.

Kerri Farley said...

WOW! Stunning!

Tammie Lee said...

absolutely gorgeous
and magical
and so fun to see your people enjoying the day under the rainbow!

The Happy Whisk said...

Brilliant rainbow.

Barbara said...

This one is truly amazing!

Sharon Wagner said...

What a magical moment in time!

Noke said...

Ein schöner Regenbogen.

Gruß
Noke

Crabby McSlacker said...

Wow, I've seen a few rainbows in my time but NOTHING like that!!!! Great captures.

Friko said...

when the rainbow started at the end of your jetty I thought you’d show me a picture of someone stepping on to it.

Gail Dixon said...

You were given a gift and made the most of it with these images. I have never seen a rainbow so vivid and saturated with color. Amazing.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Thank you for subjecting us to each and everyone of them. Simple grand. Combine the rainbow with the lake and the dock and the boat. Wonderful.

Linda said...

Those are some awesome rainbow photos, and the way the light is playing off the trees with the dark sky is perfect.

Linda said...

Lovely images! The close up shot is unusual.

Kat said...

WOW!!!!
I have never seen such amazing rainbow photos like that. I've never seen an end of a rainbow either. It does look like it is landing in the boat. AMAZING! And when you switched your lens it actually looking like the rainbow was changing the color of the trees behind it. Absolutely incredible!
Well done, you!!!!
Thank you for sharing. I have to bookmark these and show them to the kiddos. So cool!!!

Ramakant Pradhan said...

Amazing pictures! I always get excited when I come across a rainbow. You have captured them perfectly.

Anita said...

Awesome photos! You must have been beside yourself to get these captures.

The quotes are great, too. I found myself singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." With the word right here, I didn't mess it up. :)

And I love the quote comparing working with seeing the rainbow. It confirms my feelings that there is more to life than work; that we must have times of play and appreciation of the natural things and relationships that we're given.

photowannabe said...

I know the word is overworked but....
Amazing!
Stunning photos Hilary.

Anonymous said...

Your photo on Facebook was amazing, because I've never seen a complete one like this, either. But those close-ups. Oh my goodness! i feel like I've been in Oz! Lucky you, and lucky us that you shared it!