Look up!

There was a ring around the sun the other day. Did you see it?

When I was a child, my father taught me to look up often, and pay attention to the ever-changing sky. To notice what phase the Moon is in, which constellations are in the night sky, where the sun rises and sets on the horizon each day, the clouds, the color of the sky. I only learned a few constellations, but that’s enough to be helpful.

Looking up taught me when to water the vegetable garden and when to wait for rain. When to expect bad weather and when to just enjoy the soft light of a cloudy day. When to look for a rainbow or a ring around the sun. How to find my way on a clear night. Looking up showed me that a great blue heron roosts in my neighbor’s tree, and that there are pileated woodpeckers here.

There’s a lot of good information about meteorology, astronomy, and birds on the internet. It can help you understand and appreciate what you see – but look up, too, so you see what you read about.

Stay connected to the sky. Let Mother Nature show you magical things.