Louise's Utopia: Coteau Valley Farm Cloud Watching For Those Minnesota Storms

Clouds intrigue me. They can seemingly appear out of nowhere. They fluff up the sky like a popcorn maker. They can also become eerily dark in a matter of minutes. Clouds overall get a bad rap. People usually groan if they hear it will be a cloudy day. Everyone wants blue skies and sunshine. I personally like clouds. Whether I am driving in a car or sitting in a chair at home. I could spend long hours watching a cloud build and taking photographs of it. I have found that no matter how well you take a picture of a cloud, it will never do the cloud justice. From tiny wisps in the blue sky to a dominating, aggressive anvil cloud. The way these ice droplets take form in the sky is endless and breathtaking. I have often thought if I were dropped on the Earth, and knew nothing about the Earth, the cloud would be a frightening object with which to contend. Clouds sometimes appear gentle and light. These clouds may cause drowsiness and or mental reflection. Still others look ominous and scary. One of my favorite things to do at Coteau Valley Farm is to step onto the deck and look east, to Minnesota! In the summertime, after about two o'clock in the afternoon, the entire east sky usually is always building massive thunderstorms. Majestic anvil-shaped clouds appear in the sky. These clouds probably reach upwards of ten thousand feet. What is happening so far up there in the sky? Honestly, I know. Its a violent storm of ice. Below cold downdrafts and warm updrafts are the perfect ingredients for making ice at ten thousand feet! High above in the anvil thunderstorm cloud, large hail is forming. The hail is thrown violently around as it grows larger. After a time it falls to the ground like meteors. As the ice falls, it usually greets us as rain but if the storm is particularly large it will be hail. All from a big cloud system that from a distance looks absolutely gorgeous. I watch endless storm clouds that create tornados and large sized hail all summer long. I can literally see these massive storm clouds, in the distance. Many times, I will log into the weather channel and watch these storms on the radar. It is ridiculously easy to find on weather radar, because they are so large. Its fun to basically see the entire cloud system. Then to look on the weather radar and instantly find out what kind of havoc the particular cloud is creating in Minnesota. Another aspect of these storm clouds I enjoy, is the shocking array of lightening they create. As the difference of positive and negative charges in a cloud increase, lightening is created. I have watched some storms where the cloud is lit up by lightening for hours! Giant strikes simultaneously fill the cloud. The cloud resembles a giant burning fireball. Funny, because that is what it is, a fireball. But it is also rain, ice and wind. All the magical things which make up a thunderstorm. Not all clouds that fascinate me are violent, however. I love white fluffy clouds on a sunny-sort of day. I am certain we have all at one time or another have seen angels and pirates and dogs and steam engines in cloud shapes. The list goes on within a persons imagination, on how many endless cloud shapes there are on Earth. I've come to know a cloud is an extremely entertaining object in the sky. I am not just talking about the science alone that creates a cloud. I am focusing only on the splendid scene they create. But the science of clouds is extremely captivating, too! Clouds can be enjoyed by anyone, young or old and are wildly amusing. The next time you have the chance, take a look upward at all the clouds in the sky. Really focus on the show they will put on! It is wild theatrics and free of charge! Go let yourself be entranced by these billowy water droplets in the sky, and think of me! Let me know your thoughts on these fluffy lakes in the sky. :)