Footprints of My Mind

       From 2017 to early 2018, it's the time when I enjoyed watching lots of sunrise. The spectacular scenery that I saw during that period of time were, e.g. clouds that resembled a golden sword or a line of clouds piercing the sun (blogs on 6 Nov 2017 and 18 Jan 2018). It's a pity that I have not seen such special scenery again.         This year, I have not seen the golden clouds on Winter Solstice nor a 'Christmas present' from the nature. Unexpectedly, on the last two days of 2023, I received the year-end gift finally with  wonderful memories. At about the same time, depending on the clouds, the scenery was different.        Yesterday, I saw the golden clouds lit up by the sun, which resembled golden  lasagna.        This morning, a thin line of clouds was piercing through the sun, like a golden sword that cut through the sky. 2017年至2018年初， 是我欣賞日出最豐收的時期； 那時見過的奇景， 好像「金劍」及「一線雲穿日」（見6/11/201...

Are there golden color in the nature?  How about golden clouds? Since 2017, I have seen golden clouds scattered in the sky every year from autumn to early winter, i.e. from November to December.  Today, I was waken up by the morning sunshine. The golden scattered clouds  appeared like soldiers of an army lining up. The following photos recorded the changing scenery at different times, and golden clouds in various years for comparison. Besides crepuscular rays, golden clouds are another beauty creation of the Creator. Cirrocumulus clouds are thin, the sunray shines through them and they are golden only for about ten minutes. After that, they will turn silvery white as the angle of the sun is higher, i.e. the sun has risen higher up. P.S. later observations confirmed my inference that if the lower angle sunrise rays were blocked by clouds, golden clouds will not appear in the sky. Golden clouds high up in the sky only appear when low angle sunrise rays are not blocked....

( 中文在下半部分 Translation function available at the side bar)        In Chinese, there's a saying that we need to see a film from the beginning to its ending. Another saying is : With a wide perspective and a comprehensive view, we can understand the truth.       These sayings also apply to the appreciation of sunray scenery, as well as understanding the guidance of God in our lives.       Initially, I didn't find anything particular in the sky this morning, but when I widen my perspective, the sight was spectacular.       The sun was behind a wide band of clouds. Its rays spread out in all directions like a fan.       Depending on the sun location vs. the form of the clouds, the crepuscular rays were constantly changing. Later, crepuscular rays shone beneath the clouds too. After 10 minutes, the sun had almost left the clouds. I have seen such kind of wide band of clouds before, but this time the holes wer...

(Translation function available at the side bar) 今年是疫情後復常的第一年， 天氣似乎比以往反常。 期待了整整一年， 希望能再遇美景， 今早終於達成心願。 神創造的陽光， 除了令植物生長， 令人有宜居的環境， 也能增加腦部的血清素， 提升人的動力， 實在一舉多得。 今早被陽光喚醒後， 看見發光銀白的瓦片雲， 奇妙地排列， 佔了半邊天， 但為什麼總是由這山峯「開始」似的？ 而且像個大喇叭！ 6:21a.m. 上面的雲被照得透光， 下面灰暗的部分， 其實也是同類的雲； 但因為太陽在日出的位置， 被另一些雲遮擋了光線， 所以只有部分雲被照得透光。 若果沒有雲阻擋太陽光， 可能漫天都是銀白的魚鱗了！ 之後「太陽如勇士歡然奔路」， 急不及待要露面了： 6:30a.m. 只消兩分鐘，便 光芒萬丈： 6:32a.m. 然後不到10分鐘， 太陽已經像個波、 又像一位王者， 坐在山脊上， 而另一排瓦片雲亦逐漸靠近， 準備遮擋太陽： 6:41a.m. 20分鐘後， 太陽隱藏在這雲帶背後， 又有另一番景緻： 7:09a.m. 將畫面擴大後， 原來山上有雲隙光， 山下有銀鏡海： 7:11a.m. 這場久遺了的「奇雲日出」， 前後上演了50分鐘， 令我大飽眼福， 精神喚發！ 自從2017年被連番奇景啟發， 開始覺得有責任拍下來、寫下來後， 我一直視之為責任與興趣， 但今天讀《每日經歷神》一書10月27日的文章， 正正提醒我不應將事奉神看作責任或出於興趣， 而是應該出於喜樂與感恩！ 確實， 經常看見奇景和美景， 又可以用科技記錄下來， 並且與人分享當中奧妙， 已經是值得喜樂感恩的原因。 這些瓦片雲 或稱魚鱗雲， 其實正式名稱是捲積雲， 是極高空的冰晶， 出現片刻後， 就會被陽光的熱力融化掉， 雖然不是用來降下甘霖， 卻是上演日出的最佳佈景。 它們在日出的陽光照耀下， 由於冰晶的透光度高， 會由金黃轉為銀白， 不過今天我錯過了欣賞早段的金霞。 點擊此文章左下角的「捲積雲」文章分類標籤（tag）， 另有14篇文章， 由2016年開始記錄， 原來真是每年都有捲積雲， 但沒有相同的形態。 至於雲的排列，像撑起半邊天， 而且斜斜、半明半暗的， 至今欣賞過兩次， 是風向所造成， 非常奇特， 且與山勢形成對稱的構圖， 其他地方並不常見： 1. 尋雲賞雲 - 捲...

(中文在下半部分 Translation function available at the side bar)       Today, I used my old phone to take photos of golden cirrocumulus clouds and rediscovered two sets of photos taken two years old. At that time my mom had just  passed away. I wasn't in the mood to appreciate even the most beautiful scenery. But these photos were truly unforgettable because the 'golden lasagna' is spectacular.        When the sun was rising behind the cirrocumulus clouds, the clouds were bathed in golden sunrays, which looked like lasagna of the Italian cuisine.        Four photos showed the process how the sun soared into the sky. 今天用舊手機拍攝金色的捲積雲， 發現遺忘了兩年前拍攝的兩輯照片。 當時母親離世不久， 再美的景色， 也沒有心情欣賞； 但這些照片， 確實令人難忘， 因為「千層闊麵」很壯觀！ 當太陽被捲積雲遮擋， 層層叠叠的捲積雲， 被旭日初升染得金黃， 就像意大利餐的千層闊麵！ 以下四張照片， 展示了太陽衝上雲霄的過程： 7:34a.m. golden patches of cirrocumulus clouds  遠處一片片金色的是捲積雲 7:36a.m. 7:37a.m. 7:42a.m. The above photos were taken on 28 Dec 2020.        On the ...

(Translation function available at the side bar) 今早 晨曦映照， 漫天片片金霞， 漸從北面南下， 彷彿迎向日出： 6:45a.m. 半小時後， 才見今早主角： 壯麗的捲積雲， 鋪天蓋地， 如大軍壓境， 令人嘆為觀止！ 7:16a.m. 7:19a.m. 但不到廿分鐘， 雲已經融化不少， 彷彿襯托日出完畢， 便功成身退。 細看之下， 雲隙上下透出光芒 ： 7:33a.m. 這幾年， 慨嘆日出景色不及2017年的豐富多采， 可能只是起晚了， 錯過許多美景吧！ 每次看到如此壯麗的景色， 都深受感動， 不禁聯想起創造它們的主宰。 後記 2017年， 最令我難忘的不單是奇景， 而是每天閲讀的靈修書， 主題經常配合我所見的！ 今早這情況又再出現： 靈命日糧的文章主題， 竟然是 創世奇工   ('God's Amazing Creation')， 何其巧合！ 難道純粹巧合？ *