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Friday, November 26, 2010

Weather

It seems when winter comes I spend a lot more time talking about the weather. Part of the reason is that I spent much of my life living in an area (in Africa) with very predictable, dependable weather. From mid-October to mid-May there was not the slightest possibility of rain and very little cloud. The temperature varied from hot to very hot. Every day dawned sunny and bright. The rest of the year was rainy season and one could expect a downpour for an hour or two every day or every other day. Here it is hard to see a pattern though it seems that Victoria often is cloudy in the morning and clears up during the afternoon. Beyond that it is very difficult to guess what the weather will be like on any given day. But another reason for my obsession with the weather is because I spend a lot of time outdoors taking photos. Hence, the amount and kind of light is very important and this is a direct result of the weather. The snow scenes I took yesterday are so drained of color as to be almost monochromatic. This gives them a kind of calligraphic appeal that I like, but I love color.

7 comments:

JoJo said...

What a beautiful and peaceful photo. The composition is perfect!

I didn't know you spent much of your life in Africa! Which country? Was it for military service?

RedPat said...

My goodness but it is hard to believe that this is Victoria we are seeing the last few days! Great shots.

Dean Lewis said...

I have personally been really enjoying our blast of winter ths week that has now gone, with temps back up well above freezing. It has been a great reality check in a place that generally enjoys so much moderation in weather.
The comments yesterday about people being more friendly goes to show how weather can provide a common denominator that brings us together, sharing the same experience.

Small City Scenes said...

Kinda looks like the weather here--just south of you. Only now the rains have arrived and the snow is gone. We'll see what happens next. LOl MB

Benjamin Madison said...

Thanks all for your kind remarks. JoJo I worked in international development in a half-dozen West African countries. I wrote a book about some of my experiences there. It was published last spring entitled, "The Moon's Fireflies"

JoJo said...

Wow Ben I had no idea! That's really cool! I will have to order your book!

Carola said...

You described what I found here in Germany: Many people talk about the weather.
Yes, when we travelled in Africa or Asia the weather was the same for weeks. I really liked that.
And I still like snow. This photo is fantastic!