If I had my time again I think I would follow a path in Earth Sciences; my first choice would be in the field of volcanology. Some of you know I love visiting volcanoes and they are the subject of one of my talks. You can’t get straight into Volcanology, you have to do a degree in another subject such as Geology first. I did study Geology for a year at university (as we had to do something outside of our regular course in our first year) and some part of me wishes I’d switched.
My second choice is a bit airy-fairy and would be the study of clouds! I remember learning about clouds in Geography at school, like the cirrus (the thin, whispy ones) and the stratus (flat, layered low clouds that can produce rain). My favourite is the cumulonimbus, or the anvil cloud, which can reach from the ground to the stratosphere (75,000 feet) and is the only type that produces hail, thunder and lightening. If you see an anvil cloud in the sky, go and get your wellies on because you’re going to need them!
I think part of why I love vast open spaces has something to do with the sky and the formations of the clouds, how they change the colour of the sky and convey different moods across the landscape. I have a whole folder of sky photos and actually took some late yesterday afternoon when I was on my walk, which gave me the idea for today’s musings.
This image is a photo I took in Scotland, just off Portree on the Isle of Skye, looking at the coast of the Isle of Raasay where they did the SAS: Who Dares Wins programme for a few years. I just love the depth of the sky you see, with the low lying heavy clouds by the land and above the boat, and the lighter thinner ones higher up. The setting sun shining through them creates such an amazing kaleidoscope of blues, greys and pinks along with the yellow/white light reflecting off of the waves. An inspiring view to take us into Friday and the end of the week 🌅
Elizabeth Mooney 