A severe thunderstorm passes to the south of a farm in rural Wayne County, Ohio as bright sunshine illuminates barn and field.
One good thing came from my extended storm chase that afternoon. While my hopes of spotting a powerful approaching storm were washed away by torrential rains, the drive home revealed the beautiful contrast between peaceful, sunlit farm scene and a threatening sky. — September 21, 2018
Cloudfall. Snow and graupel falling from their bases make the clouds appear to be collapsing.
I usually don’t care much for winter cloudscapes. Snowy days tend to be overcast, shapeless, dull. Yesterday was different.
Sun-Snow-Shadow. Snow streamers and crepuscular rays interact. Snow and graupel falling from their bases make the clouds appear to be collapsing. Canon 7D Mark 2, March 7, 2018. Photo by James Guilford.
I was visiting relatives in Northwestern Ohio, driving from one town to the next, when clouds near the horizons caught my eye; it almost appeared the clouds were collapsing on to the farmland below! The wide, open views of flat farmland, along with isolated areas of falling snow and graupel produced fascinating scenes.
Isolated Snow Showers.
Bands of dark cloud swept overhead while, lit by the late afternoon sun, the falling streams of snowy precipitation shifted with the wind kept me stopping on the quiet country roads of Henry and Fulton Counties, hopping from site to site, making me late to my destination.
I couldn’t help it; the sight was so out of the ordinary.
October Sky 7155.
A thick bank of cloud was approaching from the west while rain showers passed to the northeast over the flat farmlands of Northwestern Ohio. I watched as intense spots of sunlight swept across the landscape — a dramatic contest between light and shadow.
Rolling, dark clouds overhead – rapidly-changing spits of cloud to the east make an ominous scene.
We crossed the state of Ohio twice today, visiting family. It was today that a cold weather front collided with the northeastern-most edge of Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane is a large storm which, during the day, has taken the form of an open pinwheel. Clouds over the region were oriented north and south and took on strange, drawn-out shapes and dark colors as they rapidly evolved overhead. I felt compelled to step outside, at one point, to capture some images of the sky-show! As we headed westbound on the Ohio Turnpike this morning, across the median we saw scores of electrical utility and tree service trucks eastbound; they were, no doubt, headed to the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. to assist with power outages and downed trees.
A corn field sits beneath a dramatic October sky.
The winds grew stronger as the day wore on: cold and dry in Northwestern Ohio, cold and wet in the Northeastern parts of the state. Heading back this evening, most of our journey was inside the storm — not a hurricane for us, but a tense and unpleasant trip nonetheless. The next few days promise to be cold, dark, and wet around here as we deal with the outskirts of a big storm heralded by today’s dramatic October sky.
Far from Sandy, a distant hurricane shapes the skies of Northwestern Ohio.
A view looking across a farmer’s field outside of Garrettsville, Ohio.
We traveled to Garrettsville, Ohio just to get out and decompress a bit. Whereas yesterday was overcast and gray (though beautiful in its own way), today sun-spotted autumn landscape views were all around. The breeze was brisk and colored leaves rained from the trees. Autumn was well-along. It was that kind of a day.
Sometimes, when you’re out driving, you simply must stop and stare. This scene is in rural Medina County, Ohio.
A field of soybeans and line of color-touched trees in Medina County, Ohio.
Today was “our” day. Whereas recently weekends have either been paid work or, more often, prep work for sale of Mom-In-Law’s house, today was ours. Of course it was cloudy, chilly, rainy, and breezy but sometimes that’s not such a bad thing. At any rate, that was the day we were dealt. We spent the morning shopping: I have had to discard several shirts lately so I picked up three replacements. The discarded shirts in question were fraying a bit at the collar and had even developed holes in the left elbows. I must prop up my head on my left hand way more than I know! Lunch at the mall and we headed out to Root Candles in Medina. If one were studying retail merchandising and display, Root Candles is a place to go for good examples. We enjoy the look and scent of the place; its welcoming and warm atmosphere always comfort. I looked around and soaked up the atmosphere; She Who Must be Obeyed bought a bunch of their high-quality candles, made in the very old factory attached to the store. I really would have liked to have set up a camera and shot gobs of photos of the way light plays on the beautiful candle holders and home decor items but, with a sigh and an eye toward budget preservation (She bought a bunch of candles), we left. Enjoying the drive through the moody countryside and watching the dramatic skies, I asked Her to pull over on a county road adjacent to a soybean field. The field, a line of trees in the distance, brooding clouds above, all came together to make a beautiful image. My trusty Canon PowerShot G11 in hand, I recorded the scene. A little reminder of Our Day.
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