Halos

Before talking about halos, it's Happy Birthday, Sarah Day! 

An old photo found last year

Because I'm her Mama, she looks about the same to me.

Happy birthday, Sarah Bear. I love you more each year and I never thought that was even possible 39 years ago today, when my heart felt like it would explode in my chest with crazy love, just looking at you.

Not oddly enough, it is also my friend Robin's birthday. Being friends since our early teens and having the not so normal of families each, we have done a lot of laughing together. Crying too but the laughter is always better. She and Sarah have an affinity that crosses miles and years and it was Robin who kept these old photos. I'm so glad!

Rob and Sarah a little while back

One of those 'what was going on here?' photos

Like most of our times together, much of it is on beaches or eating.

Happy birthday, Robin! Let me know how it feels to be so old!

Since both Robin and Sarah can be as lovely as angels with halos (even if at times horns are holding them upright on their heads), that might have been what I meant at the start - remember back there? But that's not what I meant at all. 

Yesterday I got a call from Teresa to go look at the sun. Contrary to what some of my witful type friends might think, it was not so I would go blind.

There was an amazing halo around the sun that was huge. It doesn't look nearly as huge in this photo but it was, in earth size terms, radiating in a diameter of about 30 feet around that yellow ball. Or 60. It kept getting bigger or maybe I was starting to go blind.

What is another thing I love about Culebra? That so many people love this sort of event. Before facebook, we'd have to be satisfied with calling each other and ahhh-ing over the phone. Now we can do that and post photos too. I think there were six or seven versions of this, with exclamations of wonder. 

This version, taken by Sylvia Nieves, was, in my opinion, the best the bunch.
She's very good.

According to EarthSky, here's the explanation:

These clouds contain millions of tiny ice crystals. The halos you see are caused by both refraction, or splitting of light, and also by reflection, or glints of light from these ice crystals. The crystals have to be oriented and positioned just so with respect to your eye, in order for the halo to appear.

That’s why, like rainbows, halos around the sun – or moon – are personal. Everyone sees their own particular halo, made by their own particular ice crystals, which are different from the ice crystals making the halo of the person standing next to you.

Ok, that's just very cool, the personal part. I knew about the ice crystals, but what is really obvious was not apparent to me until I read that.

While that phenomenon usually indicates a weather event, like rain, I was surprised when, after the sky darkening with clouds, I only noted a very brief shower sometime in the early a.m. Unless I missed it, doing something silly like sleeping.

Here's to unique events! Including the births of my daughter and my dearest friend on the same day.

Have moments of magical on your Monday. Do something memorable.