Clouds and Old Friends

From the Blue Lake Ranch outside of Durango, we watched a spectacular sunset each night this week. But the most dramatic clouds appeared before sunset yesterday, as a storm approached from the southwest. In this photo, it is eating up the distant view; thirty minutes later, we had lightening, wind, hail, and snow.
I've become more and more fascinated with clouds this past summer and fall. How could I be so fortunate as to reconnect with Ann, an old friend who now lives in Durango, and to pick up a friendship after thirty years and discover a shared passion for clouds! Ann sent us on my way with this book about clouds, which taught me that yesterday's cloud was a Cumulonimbus, or maybe even a Cumulonimbus incus. But that's nothing compared to the reminder of how wonderful it is to meet up with old friends!