B and I really enjoyed our road trip this week because it was a wonderful chance to enjoy some time together and to change the vistas of our lives. We are usually both so busy with long hours of work that we sometimes lose track of what is really important — being together and enjoying the journey.
When one travels in the western regions of the U.S., it’s the sky that takes center stage. It gives you a clear sense of proportion — it is huge, you are small; the world is big and round, and you are just a small moving object under that huge canopy.
If you want to read a book that beautifully describes the experience of the Western landscape, read Ivan Doig’s book, This House of Sky: Landscapes of a Western Mind. If you want to experience that landscape first hand, take a road trip in the middle of summer heat and watch the sky change hourly, daily.
And a final photograph, a spectacular one NOT taken by me, of the Boise sky the day AFTER we passed through…
photo by Glen Hush
A Fondness For Reading 
These photos are wonderful. I just checked out the book you mentioned on Amazon and loved the sound of it. Unfortunately, my library doesn’t have it (I didn’t really expect it to) so I’ve ordered it on AM. Thanks for the rec.
LikeLike
What beautiful scenery!
LikeLike
What beautiful photos. I noticed that during our big heat wave 2 weeks ago, (I live in Kent, south of Seattle) that the skies were amazing in the afternoon as I was driving home from work each day–I have never seen such huge thunderhead clouds around here as I did then, over the Cascades foothills and around Mt. Ranier. Did you notice them also? It sounds like your road trip was a success! We are headed to Eastern Washington in a couple of weeks for a few days–need to get out of the big city. 🙂
*smiles*
Kim
LikeLike
Thanks, Cath. I loved that book…it reminded me so much of my father and my grandmother. I hope you enjoy it, too.
Thanks, Allison. It’s such a stark landscape, but so beautiful.
Thanks, Kim. Yes, the heat really creates fantastic cloud structures! I always love the skies around the Seattle area, but the summer thunderclouds are awesome. Enjoy your trip to Eastern Washington. It’s beautiful country out there, and the change of scenery does wonderful things for you.
LikeLike
These are fantastic photos! They remind me a bit of the ones I took on a recent road trip out to the Sandhills (Nebraska). Lots of wide open space with big white clouds (and thunderheads) in the sky.
I have several books by Doig, but have never read anything by him. I’ll have to see if I own this one. Have you read The Whistling Season? My mom thought it was especially good. I’m pretty sure I have English Creek, Mountain Time and Heart Earth, but not sure about This House of Sky.
Sorry for the delay in posting this comment. Life tends to get in the way of my blogging. 🙂
LikeLike