Cloud sandwich
Nov 6th, 2006 by Accidental Thinker
Greetings from Saskatoon! And just where in the world is Saskatoon, you might ask? Oh, you geographically challenged children. Saskatoon is a lovely Canadian town right smack in the middle of … nowhere. But that’s okay. I had never heard of it either, until someone said I had to be here. I guess no one else was dumb enough to agree to a trip in which sub-freezing temperatures were on the menu.
Apparently, the hunting is good around these parts at this time of year. That seems to be what brought several of my fellow travelers to this remote locale. They even had a special greeter to welcome them with details for obtaining their hunting licenses or paying their hunting taxes or some such thing. I don’t know what they are hunting, though, because surely all the smart creatures are tucked in for the winter, all snug and cozy in hibernation, with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.
I also must note that Canadian customs was the toughest I’ve ever encountered. They didn’t search my luggage for illegal contraband, but they positively grilled me on the reason for my visit, down to the minutest details like who I was doing business with and what exactly I meant by "conducting a training session" and just when I was planning to get out and quit tarnishing their country with my presence. Okay, so they didn’t say that last part exactly like that, but it sure seemed like it was what they were thinking, what with the third degree and all. Cuz I know I look like such a troublemaker with a secret terrorist, or maybe drug smuggling, agenda.
But none of these things are the reasons I set out to write this particular blog post. What I want to tell you about is the interesting cloud formation I witnessed during the plane’s descent through Canadian airspace. As we began our approach into Saskatoon on this gray and dreary day, the plane sliced right through the solid layer of clouds beneath us. Nothing unusual about that; that’s what planes do as they prepare to land. What I found curious is that after we emerged from that layer of clouds, there was ANOTHER parallel layer of clouds further below. A flat layer of clouds above us as far as the eye could see, and an identical flat layer spanning out below us, with our plane gliding through open air sandwiched right in the middle. I’m sure there’s a meteorological explanation for the phenomenon, but I don’t recall ever noticing such a cloud pattern in flight before. I was fascinated.
That’s all. No earth shattering revelations. Just an interesting observation for today, eh?
Yep, there are different cloud layers, wind velocities and direction at respective altitudes. Nature is amazing when viewed from the level of a quark or a distant part of the universe. Some people think it all happened by chance, too. 😉
I, too, have been blessed to observe clouds and formation while flying. I could tell you about…hey, maybe I will wunna these days.
Our son is a Delta pilot and he says he’s always amazed at what the sky has to offer when you’re looking at it from high altitudes.
I know Saskatoon. At least I’ve heard of it. But I’m in transportion. There’s all sorts of weird names out. My favorite is Waxahachie, Tx. I just like to say. I sing it my head sometimes. I hope you made it back okay!
Saskatoon? Sounds suspiciously like a place that would be featured in a Dudley Do Right episode!
Saskatoon is in Saskachewan, doesn’t everyone know that? One of my favorite geeks is from there!
The wonders of Nature. How wonderful that you were able to witness and experience one of them.