Clouds got in My Way

This first month of the year, the sun has been conspicuous by its absence for the most part, and rain has been pouring down the narrow streets of the Alfama and filling and overflowing the drains far more than in previous winters. Now it’s nothing like Queensland or Rio has been, but it’s enough to get your average Lisboeta into a foul mood about the “mao tempo” . Sets me thinking about how sunshine and clouds affect the way we feel. Sometimes life is sunny, but more often than not it’s clouds that block the view. “So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way” sang Joni Mitchell 50 years ago (yikes, is it that old already).

But a lot of the times we need those same clouds, that carry sweet refreshing rain and break through in times of drought. More than that, the formation of those banks of wondrous clouds in the backdrop of the heavens is an amazing sight and adds a majesty and a sense of depth and perspective to the world. More than that, even though they might hide the sun’s face periodically, the light they carry, diffuses and reflects the continued presence of the sun’s life giving rays behind the bank of clouds and gives hope of future streaming summer days. Such was this awesome picture over the river from our balcony this morning.