The sun streams through the holes in some rain clouds.

Sun And Clouds Are Playing Games

Who does not love when the sun rays find a hole in the clouds to send beams of light down to us? Here on the island we see these paintings in the sky quite frequently. They are similar often, but never the same. When I see a sky like that my mind wanders to the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, a romantic master at capturing moments like that on his canvasses.

Building To A Thunderous Crescendo

The huge anvils in the skies of Summer are a certain sign of building air masses to turn into thunder storm at a later hour. I always marvel at these forces that play out right for us to observe. That is the nice thing when you can see so far with the sky being a vast dome.

Almost ready to burst, thunder clouds blowing off to the top.

After The Storm Has Left

When a storm has passed the refreshing air seems glassy and washed clean, clearer to observe the reflections in the wet sand on the edge of the sea. The clouds still loom but have lost their punch.

After a rain storm, washed clarity.

Strong Winds Tore The Clouds To Ribbons

When a storm connected to a front has passed, often the winds pick up. That makes for very interesting shredded clouds that float like undulating ribbons. Those long ribbons really show the powerful winds way up high and they become quite attractive especially at sunset time.

The strong winds high up in the sky tore the clouds to pink sunset ribbons.

Looming And Fingering Closer

This very scene of the flat fingering clouds plays out very often here on the beach of Anna Maria Island. Storms come rushing over the land from the Atlantic coast of Florida, they reach Tampa Bay and stall, often just showing their powerful face but not reaching us. The sea breeze keeps them at bay especially in the early Summer days. The island is surprisingly dry for a long time while the rain and the strong thunderstorms surround us on the main land.

A storm powering with its fingers over the island.
Collection of small photos Sandcastle Stories logo Divider.