The weather had been Quixotic all afternoon. Weather forecasters had predicted a seventy-percent chance of rain, mostly after 1 p.m. with temperatures to be in the sixties. Cool and rainy. Not my cup of tea. But, wait, Mother Nature had other ideas and the afternoon turned out to be warm and sunny with big, poofy Cumulus clouds and a little breeze. Temperature control required either the air conditioning to be on or the hatches and salon screen to be open. Comfortable inside and out.
Later afternoon I strolled the dock, seeking conversation and found it with Jan, Bo and Molly. Well, Jan and I talked....I just got to pet Bo and Molly. During our conversation I could see the skies darkening more and more so I excused myself and began walking toward the car. During this short distance the skies opened up and by the time I boarded the Aqua RV once again, I was more wet than I wanted to be. Dripping hair and damp clothing required a quick towel off and a change of clothes. Grabbing a paperback, I headed for the upper deck, water bottle in hand, thoughts of a good book and relaxation in mind.
Just as I settled in, the wind and rain picked up once again. As the clouds ganged up, mashing themselves together, the effect was a dark and threatening 360 degree view. Suddenly the skies opened up, the wind surged, producing an effect I've never before seen.
The rain combined with the wind to create a horizontal vision much like curtains billowing in the wind.....only horizontally. It was as if the water's surface was covered with a wispy veil that someone had laid down but was whipping freely, as if thousands of air-conditioning ducts were beneath the water. The effect was one of a shimmering, gossamer, undulating film over the channel, creating millions of silvery threads combining together to give the illusion of a fine, silver tapestry blowing above an invisible cushion of air.
Even though this occurred during yet another transient storm, it was magical, simply magical. For just a fleeting moment I really was on a magic carpet ride, transported to another world.
A grande illusion, indeed.
Ancora imparo
