Bewitched by the clouds

When I was a little girl I used to ask my father what clouds are made of.
My father, a civil engineer and a Cartesian science lover as he was, just answered me with a perfectly reasonable and logical explanation, that followed the rules of physics and meteorology.
He always found a good explainable reassuring reason for every natural phenomenon, simply mastering physics and mathematics, which were his main ground and passion.

Nevertheless, I continued to look at the clouds with the innocent eyes of a child, who refuses obvious explanations and prefers to think they are just made of scrumptious whipped cream or hearty cotton candy.

Perhaps I remained that child I was, and sometimes I still love to sit and stare at the changing sky, eyes wide open, to observe what’s going on up there. Or when I am walking somewhere and I notice some uncommon clouds I can’t help but studying those shapes, checking if I can see some hidden animal or creature.

So fine was the morning except for a streak of wind here and there that the sea and sky looked all one fabric, as if sails were stuck high up in the sky, or the clouds had dropped down into the sea.”

Virginia Woolf – To the Lighthouse

I love the clouds that have stories to tell.

I love their milky, fluffy essence, their dazzling brilliance, the changing shapes always challengingly asking me to guess which new animal or object is coming to life, floating in the sky.

Kubla the many-headed dragon, the cuddly teddy bear of my childhood, herds of runaway horses riding on craggy slopes, soft and tender sheeps gathering and splitting up again, gigantic crocodiles floating light as a feather, teeny tiny vessels wandering aimlessly.

It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

Someone could tell I love to escape from reality but who’s to blame?
I guess everyone does it or at least has the right to do it, from time to time. It’s not a shame if in a little corner of this world we find our way to the sky.

So here is a sample of the clouds I met in different corners of the world where I have been throughout my life, up to now.
Just have a look at them and let your soul run free: if you’re lucky enough you’ll find your favorite spirit animal.

None of the photos have filters and all were taken with my iPhone, which I always bring in my pocket to be able to seize the moment.
This gallery is constantly updated so if you feel in the mood, you may come back to check from time to time.

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