Clouds in the slough

"The birds have vanished down the sky,
and now the last cloud drains away."

from Zazen on Jingting Mountain
by Li Bai

Heading Home (September prairie)

"In scenery I like flat country.  

In life I don’t like much to happen."

from Passing Remark

"Wherever we looked the land would hold us up. "

from One Home

by William Stafford

The Plain

“Were this world an endless plain, and by sailing eastward we could for ever reach new distances, and discover sights more sweet and strange than any Cyclades or Islands of King Solomon, then there were promise in the voyage. But in pursuit of those far mysteries we dream of, or in tormented chase of the demon phantom that, some time or other, swims before all human hearts; while chasing such over this round globe, they either lead us on in barren mazes or midway leave us whelmed.”

from Moby Dick

by Melville

Fires - Heat

" The sun is axeman among dry 
Slashings: he would clear 
Kindling from the rocky hills " 

Blue Jay in Haliburton 
D.G. Jones 

Still really hot here.

Last night after a lovely meal and visit with the in-laws we

were heading home, okay a couple of quarters down the road, 

when we noticed the most beautiful sunset. This is probably

the result  of enormous forest fires in BC, a couple of provinces

over. In 2015 fires some 500 miles north of us in La Rounge

Sask. meant the first few weeks of our first extended stay

at the cabin were quite smoky. Last year we saw some smoke

 from BC fires on the way back to Alberta, and of course there

was the huge fire in Fort McMurray in May before we came out. 

We have not smelt smoke this year but last night's sunset was

spectacular.

"I summon up the roller-coasting south, 

Cry birth day to the lion sun."

from Genii

by Dorthy Livesay

Drive to Shellbrook

"In scenery I like flat country.

In life I don't like much to happen."

from Passing Remark

by William Stafford

I have a new camera, a Canon Rebel T6i with a 18-135 lens, the lens

does allow me to come closer to capturing what I love most about the

prairies, the interaction between sky, space and clouds. And I am glad the

town of Shellbrook still has a grain elevator to stand up against it.

"Pioneers, for whom history was walking through dead grass,

and the main things that happened were miles and the time of day-

you built that town and I have let it pass."

                                   from Prairie Town

                                       by William Stafford

This morning we had impressive clouds

the colour seems a bit more dramatic

than I remember but I did not do much

editing. They did not signify extreme

weather, we had a cloudy morning and

a warm mild afternoon.

I am working on cloud identification

I think these are cumulus but I would

welcome a correction if you disagree.

Kathie from http://kathiesbirds.blogspot.com/

has suggested these are mammatus clouds

and they certainly look like them. Thanks Kathie 

"Never alone

While over unending sky

Clouds move for ever.

Calling them beautiful

Humanity is in love with creatures of mist."

                                          Cloud

                                              Kathleen Raine

Friday was cold -21 C at lunch but with a beautiful blue sky.

And there were lots of interesting shapes and patterns.

I am still experimenting with the camera.

The plane worked.

This not so well, the camera decided

I wanted a picture of the branch.

Next chapter to read in my
Dummies book manual focus?

"I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief."

                    
                     The Peace of Wild Things

                               Wendell Berry