Sky’s The Limit

Tuesday, May 04, 2021 (22 days before May’s full “Flower Moon” rises nearest to earth)

Here in Central Oregon skies change as constantly and unpredictably as the weather may vary. My little ranch near the eastern base of the Cascades offers easy viewing of the complex profile of an ancient volcano. Known as Broken Top, its collapsed center creates a magnetic profile that becomes altered in appearance with every weather shift.

Broken Top demands attention.

Yesterday, low-laying clouds capped and slightly obliterated Broken Top’s profile. In fact, only its moodiness was the bit of Cascades showing through massive cloudiness. I couldn’t stop looking and wondering what it might be like to be on Broken Top, and studying contours from a horse’s back.

This season, and hopefully not just my imagination, Broken Top’s appearances alter from previous years. For example lately, when its sharp peaks and edges are set against an almost unclouded sky of very light blue, they’ve seemed unusually prominent.

This photo shows the mountain framed by an almost neutral background, a vision differing from today’s header photo and compelling equally.

I didn’t intend this morning to write about Broken top, but as usual slipped under its spell.

My plan was to respond to another inspiration. Yesterday, as my Cockatoo and hound dog received their annual health care, I admired beautiful plantings that punctuated the veterinary clinic and took photographs.

My property is on the town’s very east side where it’s far less moist and much more rocky. It’s very desert-like. My views of mountains this time of year are fabulous, but early spring makes me thirsty to see vibrant ground-life and natural colors.

This season, I’ll be more free than usual. Maybe I’ll try to create and maintain a little patch resembling these.