I appreciate my membership in the Cloud Appreciation Society. I am someone who is only recently beginning to appreciate the beauty and spirituality of clouds. I can also predict the weather by looking at one; forget the weather channels.

I get the cloud of the day every morning.

This morning, my mail included a photograph of a Nimbostratus, taken by Nathan Meager; when it rains, they don’t go inside; they go outside and hike in the highlands of the Edramucky (what a great name!) trail in Perthshire, Scotland. It was magical. The CAS describes the Nimbostratus as the thick extended layer cloud that “weeps its rain readily, quietly, and often for hours at a time.”

I love getting the daily cloud appreciation photo.

This is the first e-mail that I open in the morning and a beautiful way to share the day. I’ll try and share these images with you; it’s a great way to start your day. Appreciating clouds has added a sweet dimension to my life and brought me closer to nature.

It’s incredible how many amazing things we take for granted. I credit my photography and Maria for awakening me to the world around me and away from the havoc human beings are wreaking on the planet and one another.

Here’s today’s report:

“Nimbostratus is the thick extended layer cloud that weeps its rain steadily, quietly, and often for hours at a time. Many folks would opt to stay indoors with a cup of tea on a Nimbostratus day, but not Nathan Meager (Member 39,912) and his family. They set out in the cold and rain to hike in the highlands on the Edramucky Trail in Perthshire, Scotland. While taking a break from a slow uphill climb, they turned back towards Loch Tay behind them just in time to see a brief break develop in the layer that allowed crepuscular rays to shine through like torch beams illuminated by the rain beyond. A passing cloud edge had formed as the Nimbostratus briefly gathered and lifted to reveal a gap before the wet blanket drew back across the sky once more. ‘It was magical for a few moments,’ Nathan told us, ‘and our only glimpse of the Sun for the rest of the day.’” – The Cloud Appreciation Society.

Nimbostratus clouds are not considered the most picturesque of the cloud formations. I often thought of them as dull. I’m happy to look at the in a new way.

They are dark, grey, featureless cloud layers, thick enough to block out the Sun. Some people – the Neagers – find them among the most beautiful, soft in their way. They produce persistent rain and are much loved in Scotland.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Today’s skies above the farm are all blue; this means quiet weather for a couple of days. I do a cloud check every morning now.