Atmospherics

Poor quality telecommunications is a frequent fact life here in Belize.  Early on when we complained to various providers of mobile phone and satellite internet services, the one answer we could count on getting was atmospherics; atmospherics is the cause of all the problems.  It got so that we used it as a catch word for all of life's travails.  Burned dinner?  It was atmospherics!  Stubbed your toe?  Atmospherics.  Generator on the fritz?  Obviously atmospherics!  Five years down the road and the answer is still atmospherics.   This blog is about good atmospherics and you can listen here to some of the best.  Seriously, follow the link right now, listen to the radio; you won't regret it.

Lately, the atmosphere has hosted some intriguing cloud formations.

If we had seen this in Minnesota, we would have headed to the basement in fear of a tornado!  No worries about tornadoes here.

Late yesterday afternoon, Dennis called to me to come see the flock of white birds out over the sea.  It was terns going wild for what must have been a large school of little fish.  They were soon joined by a flotilla of brown pelicans. While I was getting the camera, the most fantastic double rainbow appeared.

Double rainbow. The barely visible specks are pelicans floating on the water near the base of the less intense rainbow at the right.

The rainbow arced without interruption over Greater Monkey Cay toward Craig's Barebones Beach Bar to our north.

That is Greater Monkey Cay at the left.

 Meanwhile, swallows flew in to feast on the mosquito-laden atmosphere.

Swallows in the air and pelicans on the water.

 The atmosphere was thick with swallows.

Swallows somewhere over, under, and through the rainbow.

The north end of the rainbow at Craig's place.

Three Greater Yellowleg birds flew north, illuminated by the setting sun.  The yellowlegs have been hanging around our shore for a coupe of weeks now.  They come through each winter.  This year they seem to be lingering longer than they usually do.  They must like the atmospherics this year.

Yellowlegs headed to the other end of the rainbow.

From up on the balcony I could see that the pelicans were still out on the water, although the terns had mostly continued south.

Birds on the water.

 Also heading south to their evening roost on Little Monkey Cay were some white ibises.

White ibises up high and terns down low with rainbow.

Some good atmospherics for a change.  I could get used to this.  I think I'll listen to the radio and enjoy it.