Cotton Candy in the dusk skies...

The photos below will be a dupe of an album I posted on Facebook earlier tonight. I'll be including the pics I snapped and my captions. Unbeknownst to me as I was working pulling off some photos from memory card of pics that we had lovely pink skies above our home. My hubby called to me to come watch a KC-10 refueling a C-17 up in the sky just a smidgen to the East of us. I dashed and didn't take the time to put the memory card back into my camera. As soon as arrived at our backdoor I could see pink clouds. They appeared almost like stripes in the air. It was wonderful! Just last night he spotted two different sets of KC-10s and C-17s refueling. He was so mesmerized by the sight, he didn't dare take a sec to call to share the view with him. But, this evening he waited outside as dusk was falling keeping an eye on his watch, hoping they'd return. He's not a sky watcher quite like me. He's a plane watcher!

Anyway, so after I watched the two aircraft for a few, I headed back inside to grab one of my cameras with the hopes that another set would fly above. It didn't happen, but I couldn't resist taking a few quick shots of of the marvelous sky above me.

See... I knew when I got up this morning with the cool feel of the air that there would be a big possibility that we'd be treated to pink skies, but I'd forgotten as evening approached. Although my sidetracking was worthy (working on photos is a big deal to me) had I remembered my morning prediction, I certainly wouldn't have been inside, upstairs in my bedroom. Although I have some nice windows, the trees block my view of the sky for the most part. So to really see clouds downstairs or outside are much better for it. This is a great example of the little memory issues I experience that get to me. It's not a pre-occupation thing. But, right now... I'm going to stop here and just share my pictures and captions.

Cotton Candy Skies -- How nice!

The pink doesn't come through too clearly,

but if one looks through the tree silhouettes it can be seen easily.

A sunset is burning through the pine forest.

More cotton candy contrasted against the tree tops
and the Meringue ginger bread gable of my home.
Meringue, by the way, is the color of the paint.

God's palette in this view of the sky was amazing!

His selections of shades & hues to use is endless.

Baby girl pink sand baby boy blues in Carolina.
Can't beat that even in Hawaiian or Seattle skies.

If only it were really cotton candy!
Can imagine how sweet the air would be?

To the West almost above the sunset there layers of white, silver, lavender, pale pastel peaches to deeper orange sherbet. It actually appeared to be a sky parfait!

After the pink clouds passed in the East, a hazy moon appeared.
The soon to be night sky turned a beautiful Carolina Blue again.

God knows how glorious pink skies are to me. How much I appreciate them. How special they are. What they mean to me. Clouds. Sunrises. Sunsets. And any sky pinkness in between. Even though I know and understand that the atmosphere and weather conditions were perfect for "cotton candy" dusk skies. And that everyone who was looking up in Richmond County could see the beautiful pink clouds, it didn't negate how special the dusk sky canvas was painted oh so perfectly with God's touch was to me.

As I've mentioned before being home bound for the most part, I enjoy looking up at the ever changing sky so much. It helps me to feel free. It helps me feel close to family and loved ones in other places. It helps me to breathe a freshness into my life, Particularly on days when I'm struggling. Today, admittedly was one of those "off" days. Not because of anything that occurred today, but my night wasn't a great one physically. But, no need to get into it. I'm used to it, and accomplished several things I'd planned to do today, yay! And one of which was getting the pics above up on Facebook and here on my blog. Why? Because tomorrow they'd be old news. One never knows... there may be pink skies in the morning! Or, perhaps tomorrow evening, but in looking at my clock, it's already tomorrow! Oh well, I could change the time to reflect yesterday, but would that right? No!

More photos are coming soon. Lots more. Of Springers & what my eyes see as I fly in the backseat of my hubby's and my powered parachute. Lots of stuff. I have a new 500 gb mini drive which is going to be so helpful to me! Why? Tooooo long of a story.

Plus, I'll be sharing more about what I feel compelled to share about my health and where I am currently.

But for now... good very very early morning to you!

Pink sky rainbow above my house....

Last Saturday I'd spent the afternoon taking pictures and God treated me to the most heavenly rainbow I've ever seen upon my return home. The skies had been wild to watch all day long. The night before there were thunderstorms, bright lightening and tornado warnings. A cold front had begun to work its way in. We awoke to warm temperatures and humidity. But, by midday temps had begun to drop rapidly. Like 20 degrees or more by the end of the day. Mild turned into blustery! Dry air blew the humidity away. Partly cloudy turned into overcast with big poofy clouds. When the sun would break through momentarily, it was an amazing sight. When conditions are such that warm air hits icy cold air I've learned to look up! Watch! God's gonna put on a show! Add wind as an ingredient, and oh wow!!!

To me to see the heavens open up in such a way with sun rays reflecting through clouds and beaming off everything else in their pathway... from the tops of our tall Long Leaf pine trees... to the numerous water towers we have in our county... and everything else in between, it is a such special gift. Such a reminder of His power and glory! For a sky watching gal like me, I couldn't have ordered up a better day for admiring and picture taking. My pilot ferried me to three of my favorite picture taking places. I stayed busy!

But! The very best place of all was at my house...a day's end perfected... God's sky the canvas... literally, my house, my yard, my trees... and me... we're enveloped in pink clouds and rainbow rays. It was as if we were part of the rainbow! God had timed everything perfectly... he'd saved His best for me, at the end of the day, at my house... a reminder of His faithfulness... His promise.

I've much to catch up on in my blogging... but thought there's no better place to start than with my rainbow... posting individual pictures, rather than a slide show -- to show the progression. Also posting with special thoughts of my family east to west coast -- north to south.

All photos taken above my house...
Saturday, November 15, 2008
5:15 p.m. or thereabouts

Jeanne to pilot... Hey, are we going down????

First, let me say... Yay! They cut the grass on the grassy runway!

We had a really quick flight last Tuesday evening, August 19th. Like up for a few and right back down! When we took to the air our windsock was nearly flat. Perfect! And our radio, which we always have dialed into our airport's AWOS broadcast before we take off, indicated the winds were blowing around 3 mph. Couldn't be better for ppc-ing! However, winds are unpredictable. On the ground they can be barely blowing, and just a few hundred feet up, if that, they can be entirely different. Thermals, air density, all kinds of things can factor in.


Our take off was great! I even had my eyes open the entire time this go 'round!! And, on our way up I was able to lean down low to the left behind my foot as far as my harness would allow me, and dangle my camera to snap a few shots. Of course, I'm not looking through the viewfinder. I did it kind of freehanded, not knowing what my camera was seeing. Just hoping it was picking up something good! And, not distorted or blurred. By the way, it's always strapped around my neck -- cameras flying into props DO NOT mix! Anything flying into props is bad news! Well, in no time (at 800 feet) we discovered that the air wasn't smooth at all. Not one bit! We tested it at a few different altitudes, but I told my pilot through my headset... "I don't like this -- AT ALL!" while death gripping the back of his seat. He told me he didn't like it either.


Hmmmm... soooooo, it wasn't just a "me getting adjusted" thing. That got my attention, as if my attention needed to be gotten! A few moments later he radioed to me that we were going down. I thought for a sec or two, looked above and below, then radioed back, "are you telling me we're about to crash? You need to be specific when you tell me stuff up here! Okay!!!" I was almost sure everything was fine, but I wanted to be sure of my sureness.


Obviously, my pilot is going to have to adjust to having a back seat driver again. ;)

Once on the ground again I was happy. I was happy we flew, too -- even though it was a brief up and back trip. From the ground, I took a few shots of our friend in flight. He came down shortly after us and agreed it was rough up there. He thought at first he was running into our prop wash. It wasn't so though.

A flock of geese popped by out of the blue. Literally, I had to dash for my camera... I caught a few shots, but barely! And...

the sunset was magnificient...

our God and his paint brush, again...

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God knows pink gets my attention, it worked with the Crocs shoes He picked out for me and had waiting for me at Dicks. The shoes that started all of this! So, I'm taking every bit of the pink clouds, pink skies, pink sunsets as confirmation that I'm doing what God wants me to do... as well as the scripture a friend here posted to me. I do not believe at all that He afficts people, but I do believe he can use our afflictions. First to bring us closer to Him, second to give us a testimony... He's working on my testimony. Until now, I had no idea I had one. Even though, I've truly been through some difficult circumstances in my life... I see a glimpse out of the corner of my eye, that He has a plan for me.


I've put together a slide show of our evening. You're welcome to...

come see

Forgive the blur on the lower righthand side of a few of the pictures, there was something on my lens.