Skywatch Friday - turning a corner


Sometimes a Skywatch grabs you by the scruff of the neck, and sometimes it steals up on you, like the extra minutes of daylight on a January day.

So with this thin grey line traced in the sky. Nothing striking, but once you've noticed it you start to wonder. What was it that made this plane come to the edge of the bank of cloud and then turn a corner in the sky? At that altitude air traffic over Edinburgh is usually heading towards Greenland, taking advantage of the earth's curve for a short cut down over North America. How I love that huge emptiness, seen from 38,000 feet, of tundra and lakes flashing in the sun, and knowing that you're heading for Vancouver or Los Angeles.

But back to Scotland... If you look carefully below, you'll see that a second plane has also executed an 'oops, time to turn' manoeuvre, 10 minutes after the first on my walk to work.


Not remotely bothered by planes was this seagull enjoying the steamy warmth from the Lady Haig poppy factory chimney.


And even in January, there's a glimpse of sun to come.


More skies from around the world are at Skywatch Friday.

Comments

  1. I like the way the curve of the plane meets the cloud in the first picture. Just interesting intersection of shapes. The seagull is cool. I guess you get your warmth where you can.

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  2. Interesting! I like the shot with the sun coming up. Do you get a lot of rain during the winter, like Vancouver, or do you get mostly snow, like us in Edmonton? Just wondering.

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  3. Interesting about the plans turning. Maybe bad weather in Greenland.
    Makes for a good photo anyway!

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  4. It does make you wonder! SO you walk to work every morning? That is how we get to see these wonderful pics!

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  5. Lovely sky shots and wonderful observations! It feels so nice to notice the days getting longer.

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  6. That last picture is just absolutely stunning - excellent timing! :)

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  7. Terrific captures. Lovely contrasts in first and last.

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  8. Thanks for the comments. Yes, Linda, I walk to and from work. It's a good 40 minutes each way, so it's my daily dose of exercise plus as you say being able to take some photos en route. I was later the morning I took these shots, which is why it's light. At my normal time it's still very dim light just now.

    Shirley, we get more rain than snow normally in the winter, although this winter has been unusually snowy in December. But we get less rain on the east coast than on the west. Scotland is very narrow at this point, only 40 miles between Edinburgh and Glasgow, but it can be a clear day here and pouring rain in Glasgow.

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  9. Nice photograph of the sun coming up!

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  10. I love that seagull toasting his backside on the poppy factory chimmney. Where we are (were?) exactly half way between the two cities, you can bet we were always just on the rainy side. xx

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  11. Great photos, and most particularly the last one. At this time of the year in Scotland, there's something really thrilling about realising, for example, that it's 4:30 AND still a teeny bit light, if you know where to look!

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  12. Awesome photos. Thanks so much for visiting me!

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  13. Neat! It does make you wonder, doesn't it? Could be the imaginative basis for a fictional tale. . . I miss Scotland. :) Thanks for sharing.

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