Rising Above The Clouds
Space Shuttle Rising
Just after seeing the Space Shuttle image this morning ... I took this picture.
Last month, on April 22nd, Chile's Calbuco volcano erupted, blowing plumes of ash and sulfurous gas more than 50,000 feet high. Since then, the swirling plumes have spread around the southern hemisphere--traveling eastward from South America to southern Africa to Australia/New Zealand. Just a few days ago, the plumes completed the circle. "We are seeing volcanic sunsets again in Rio," reports Brazilian photographer Helio de Carvalho Vital, who took this picture on May 17th. Back in April, Vital was among the first to notice colorful sunsets in the immediate aftermath of Calbuco. "I spotted the first effects of the volcano on April 24 and monitored the bulk of the plume on April 26, 27 and 28 as it was heading east. Colorful sunsets were visible from Rio for a week after that."
A primary color of volcanic sunsets is purple: Fine volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere scatter blue light which, when mixed with ordinary sunset red, produces a violet hue. Purple isn't the only color, though. Volcanic sunsets can also include a bright yellow twilight arch and long diffuse rays and shadows. After a 3 week intermission, purple has returned to Brazil. "It is subtle," notes Vital. "A camera is required to fully capture the effect. This suggests that the plumes are now much more tenuous than three weeks ago." A purple sighting last night in New Zealand further suggests that Calbuco's exhaust is thinly spread around the southern hemisphere. Photographers in southern Africa, Argentina, Chile, southern parts of Brazil, and Australia should remain alert for similar displays.
Saturday's clients included Christine, a 25 year old speech pathologist from my area who works with children. Many spirits showed up for her reading including her beloved dog Jetter who died last August. Then something unusual happened - a first for me in a world of merging realities. Christine and I heard (and recorded) barking-like noises near my refrigerator that continued so I got up to explore. There was Jetter "looking" for food in whatever reality he is in. Christine told me Jetter was always hungry. I told him to get away from the fridge and the noise stopped. I saw him sit down between Christine and I. A short time later I saw him get up and go back to the fridge as the noise resumed. I reprimanded him again ... the noise stopped ... and he faded away.
