Cloud Watching in Hilo

Have you ever taken the time to look into clouds? Notice I say “look into” not “look at”. There is a real difference between these two concepts. When you look into the clouds you are taking the time to see them in all their glory. You are taking the time to appreciate the master artist that forms them for our enjoyment and our use.

Think about it. With but a small amount of water vapor, gentle wind, and a blue contrast, the art of clouds is woven across the sky. The forms are ever-changing and ever engaging. No two clouds or cloud formations are alike.

But to appreciate the joy and the use of clouds we need to have two things of importance:

1) time to look into them

2) a meditative mood to see into them

I first thought about this in Hilo. I sat on the patio looking into the cloud formations behind the house. It occurred to me that we do not take the time — at least until this point I had not taken the time — to look into the clouds.

I could think back to my boyhood. I would lie in the tall grass behind our house and do what I had been neglecting at present — look into clouds. Thinking back, those sessions of cloud viewing brought great peace and serenity.

And now I am thinking that the same is true today as it was then. But the time spent is not invested in looking “at” but looking “into” the clouds. Why do I perceive a difference? Well when you look at something, you can see it, register it mentally and dismiss it. But when you look into something you are giving more than fleeting attention. You are taking the time to see its different facets and aspects. You are weighing how this impacts your being.

When looking into the formation or single cloud take your time. Calm your soul. Just look into the sculpture of the cloud. See the slow changes with the change of the wind. See how the different contours of the cloud blend with others. Note the differences between different cloud formations. Some are monolithic like vast ever flexing mountain ranges across the sky. Others are like the feathering of the master’s brush across the blue.

Cloud viewing can be anywhere there are clouds to be “looked into“. Even as I write these words on an overcast day in Hilo, there are clouds to be ”looked into”. The observations of breaks in the cloud cover can show formations when the sun peeks through. These formations can bring the same calmness. Yes, the same calmness as looking into the giant cloud cities of the Arizona desert or the New Mexico sky.

So if you are feeling conflicted or you are at an emotional low, take the time to look into the clouds. Do not be deep in thought about what the cloud means but think about the art of the master painter. Look into the movement of the breezy brush as it moves and transforms the current form into a whole new form. Such observations can bring a sense of peace and calm.