Thursday, August 20, 2009

Anyone there?

Looking East on Monterey Pines Drive in Bend, Oregon this evening, this rosy cumulus cloud adorned the evening sky in time for Skywatch Friday. It reminded me of Aristophanes' comedy, The Clouds, written around 420 BC. In the story the Chorus plays the role of the clouds and recites in amazing lyric poetry a quizzical commentary of the proceedings below. The play itself is a spoof on the current Athenian educational system and Socrates in particular, where sophist arguments defied common sense and "head-in-the-clouds" ideas could easily turn right and justice into folly and wrong. If our clouds today listened to various legal and political arguments and could talk, what would they say of our world? "Nothing new under the sun" I suppose.

18 comments:

GreensboroDailyPhoto said...

Lee:

How wonderful to capture the ground as a silhouette and the sky with so much texture. Those clouds are breathtaking. Can't believe it was taken this evening. And you leave us with philosophy! And I thought I was just going to see the sky!

Jan
Mrs. GDP

Sylvia K said...

What an incredible capture, Lee! And the color and clouds are indeed breathtaking! Love the dose of philosophy as well -- you have had a busy evening, but it was surely profitable in more ways than one!

Have a great weekend!

Sylvia

Jim said...

That's brilliant Lee. Amazing colour in the clouds.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Jim said...

Thanks for the feedback on my blog. Shame you are having trouble finding 'The Black Balloon' on DVD. I hope you can track down a copy eventually.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

j said...

Nothing new under the sun - how true! Gorgeous photo!

Perry said...

Great clouds over there!ing like that here near Salem. Noth No golf shot? (PGA at Sunriver)

cieldequimper said...

No, almost nothing new under the sun. I love your marshmallow clouds! A painter's heaven. Chocolate will be fine!

Regina said...

How awesome.

Eric said...

Some great colors here, well composed!!!

Have a nice SWF.

Small City Scenes said...

Very beautiful shot, Lee.
If the clouds today listened to the politicos they would melt into weeping rain. MB

Pat said...

Gorgeous photo! America has more lawyers than engineers; India has more engineers than lawyers.

LV said...

Your photo is breathtaking. You really did a nice job capturing that scene.

Carolyn Ford said...

I love the photo opportunities in Oregon! This is a beauty!

Lorac said...

Isn't it nice when a photo op presents itself close to home. Love the ground in silhouette.

tapirgal said...

This photo is truly a winner. The subtle changes in color are all there. It's beautiful! And I loved how you likened the listening clouds to Greek theatre and philosophy. I wonder what we *would* hear if they spoke? Or maybe they are speaking. . . . ;)

Lowell said...

Only you could do it, Lee...turn a beautiful cloud photo into a dissertation on a comedy by Aristophanes!

Love it!

Anonymous said...

aw yeah great clouds!

Eric said...

Hi Lee,

Thanks for stopping by on my blog, the picture with the tree u asked me if there was a hole, yes it is!!

Again thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

Eric(nl)