You can use various linguistic intensifiers to describe the climate in Indian Valley—it can be brutally cold in the winter & mind- numbingly hot in the summer, & even having lived in both Burlington, VT & San Francisco, I’d have to say it’s the windiest place I’ve ever called home. We get those 3-day blows that rattle the tin roof & whistle thru the windows.
Having said that, tho, there are some real delights in the landscape. I love the openness here—the miles & miles of land stretching to a distant horizon, the atavistic sagebrush & bitterbrush, the grasslands & the creeks, the tenacious willows & cottonwoods that eke out their existence in the desert. Spring here tends to be long (often having its first real stirrings in late February), as does autumn (not unheard of that it lasts into the month of December), & both these seasons are lovely here. Another thing I’ll say: I’ve never lived anywhere that I’ve seen more rainbows, & definitely have never seen the ends of so many—it’s not unusual for rainbows to end in part of our eastern neighbors’ pasture, near that odd topographical protuberance Eberle & I affectionately call “Weird Hill.”
So here are some photos we’ve taken of rainbows in various seasons (none from the summer, when it hardly ever rains). & as a bonus, I’ve added a clip of the Alice Band (from our last show ever in December 2004) doing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” & “What a Wonderful World” as a medley—& no, I wasn’t playing uke, I was playing a hollow body archtop electric guitar—we knew better than to try & copy Israel Kamakawiwo'ole very closely.
Hope you enjoy the pix & the show!
Pic at the top of the post: a rainbow over our shop in May 1999
January 2009 - rainbows in winter are unusual but rather breathtaking
September 2008 - double rainbows both ending in the east stretch of our neighbors' pasture
March 2008 - This seems almost to duplicate the September double rainbow - or should I say pre-figure?
November 06 - Against a dramatic sky; this rainbow seems to end in Thorn Creek (which runs along the line of trees & shrubs)
April 98 - The end of the rainbow is just across the road; a lesson in this perhaps?
Your photos of the rainbow over Weird Hill are absolutely magical! Weird Hill is very unique and actually kinda cute. Do you know the historical background? It looks like it could have ties to the Native Americans.
ReplyDeleteHi Willow: & thanks. I do know that this area was home to Native Americans, especially I believe the Shoshone, & I wouldn't be surprised if "Weird Hill" (or Sage Hill on the US Forest Service topo maps) had sme significance for them. I also know there has been speculation that its odd shape may have resulted from a natural gas deposit, & I know some major company investigated that possibility in the past-- & thankfully came up empty.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed this.
Those photos were just beautiful, I love rainbow pictures. And when it shows up on a pictures it is fantastic. It seems like a really neat place to be. Cold, but nice.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to let you know I have something for you today. Just something I wanted to say to you all. I hope you accept it.
God bless.
That sweet and quirky rendition was so apt for the pictures. I love the top view. I'm struggling to find just the right word to describe the light. There is nothing like the way the sun shines in a dark sky after a storm and when the rainbow makes its magical debut it puts smiles on the faces of all who view its glory.
ReplyDeleteI had a tiny little rainbow awaken me the other morning. It was an aberration of light - reflected from the slant of early morning sunlight from behind my drapes onto a dvd case with a spectrum embedded in its makeup. I was agog at the discovery upon opening my eyes.
Kat
Hi Mrsupole & Kat:
ReplyDeleteMrsupole: I'll be over soon; thanks. So glad you liked the photos.
Kat: Yes, it's a quirky version, & there are some sound issues-- the one mic we were using barely picked up the guitar amp for instance (as the guitar player I would notice that, right?) Your story sounds like a wonderful way to wake up.
*WILD APPLAUSE!!!*
ReplyDeleteEverything about this post is fantastic! Rainbows, "weird" hill (it IS weird) and the music, too. Thank you!
Thanks Reya-- so glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteIf I saw Weird Hill in England, I would think "tumulus". I don't suppose Weird Hill is an ancient burial site?
ReplyDeleteAs for rainbows, it seems that no matter how much we learn about them, they're still magical. I like that.
Hi Sandra:
ReplyDeleteI can see why you'd think that, but I'm not aware that anyone has formed that opinion around here.
Thanks for stopping by!
You seem like a guy who knows he lives on top of a pot of gold and has no overwhelming urge to dig it up. Lovely photos. Fabulous landscape.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mairi: Very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rainbows....your photos are always inspirational...
ReplyDeleteA rainbow in winter - wow. I never knew it was possible. We rarely have rainbows in OK, but about two years ago, we had three all at once. It was amazing - a triple rainbow.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda & Jen!
ReplyDeleteJen: I don't think I'd ever seen one in winter either-- but I've never seen a triple decker.