Postcards from Scotland (Cloud Edition)

When the cloud can’t help itself and spills over the top like tea from a too-full cup.
(All photos are of the Scottish Highlands, taken by Brittany Wolcott)

Longtime friend of Head in the Clouds Amherst and frequent calendar contributor Brittany Wolcott recently sent in these spectacular photos from a recent trip to Scotland with her husband, Worth. While the locals insisted it’s “never like this,” Brittany reports day after day of full sun - until the clouds finally made a dramatic entrance.

The first photo looks like a cloud pouring itself right over the crest of the cliffs, as if the two of them were about to walk into the sky. That’s fog, of course - a stratus cloud hugging the earth - but we say it counts, and counts big.

Thank you, Brittany, for sharing these cinematic glimpses of the Highlands. They’re pure atmosphere.

(P.S. If you're traveling and catch a good cloud, send it our way - we love seeing the sky through your lens.) 

A trail, a sun, a wisp of fog—
and the unmistakable feeling that you’ve
stepped into Middle-earth.

Into the cloud he goes... no GPS required.

Fog lounging in the valley like it owns the place.
(And honestly? It kind of does.)

June's Return

Connecticut River from
Mitch's Marina, Hadley MA
Photo by Stephanie Oates (Stunning Images Photography, LLC)

There’s a hush in this one - a kind of radiant stillness just before the night takes over. This featured photo for June in the Head in the Clouds Amherst 2025 Wall Calendar is a rare night image, and that alone sets it apart. Taken by Stephanie Oates of Stunning Images Photography, it catches the precise moment when color refuses to leave quietly, flaring one last time across the sky and the Connecticut River below.

“My Dad used to dock our speed boat here in the 70’s,” Stephanie writes. “So, it was capturing an old memory in a new light...pun intended. It was beautiful beyond words.”

June begins summer, yes - but it also brings Summer Solstice, after which the days grow shorter. This photo leans right into that contradiction: the longest light, already slipping toward darkness. The edges of the clouds still burn with the sun’s final brushstrokes, while the planet turns, indifferent and dazzling.

Stephanie’s image doesn’t just show us the scene. It reminds us how memory and motion can converge. A return, and a letting go. The season, turning.

Thank you, Stephanie, for capturing that threshold.

Exciting News from Head in the Clouds Amherst!

Sunset over Simple Gifts Farm, North Amherst MA
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

For over a decade, I’ve had the joy of sharing the beauty of Amherst and the Pioneer Valley through our annual "Head in the Clouds Amherst" wall calendars, featuring stunning work by local photographers. Next year, 2026, will mark our 12th edition, and after much thought, I’ve decided to do something a little different to celebrate this milestone.

Instead of issuing a call for new photo submissions, the 2026 calendar will feature a "best of" collection – showcasing some of our most-loved images from past years. It’s an opportunity to celebrate everything we’ve built together over the years and wrap up this chapter of the calendar project.

I want to be clear: 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. The decision to step back from producing a new calendar each year will allow me to focus more on what originally inspired this page – cloudspotting. Moving forward, I’m excited to dedicate more energy to building our community and creating new opportunities for us all to share our photos, thoughts, and experiences around the skies we love so much.

A quick note: 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 "𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁" 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿, but this shift in focus is about embracing new ways of connecting and sharing our love for clouds and the natural world all around us. Thank you for your continued support, and for being part of this special community. Let’s make this final calendar year one to remember as we look forward to our next chapter of cloudspotting!

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳" 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.

About the photo: "Sunset over Simple Gifts Farm" in North Amherst was the featured photo for November in our 2015 calendar. As with all our calendars, the 2026 "best of" collection will showcase photographs taken over the years by 12 different Pioneer Valley residents and visitors.

Poets in Dialogue (in May)

Poetic Dialogue silhouettes of Emily Dickinson & Robert Frost, Amherst
Photo by Mindy Domb

Here we are in May, one of the most delightful months in Amherst and the surrounding area. Flowering trees and bushes remind us that colorful foliage is not exclusive to the fall, and warmer weather heralds graduations across the area, dining on patios and porches, long hikes, and leisurely afternoons spent watching the clouds drift by overhead. This image of the Poetic Dialogue silhouettes of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost in downtown Amherst was captured by Mindy Domb. Chosen for its embodiment of spring's spirit, this is the featured photo for May in the 2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar.

As Mindy reflected, “I was walking in downtown Amherst and the light captured the scene in such a way that it made me think of the joys of spring and connecting with one another in conversation.”

Dreams of spring

University of Massachusetts Amherst - College of Education
Photo by Steven D. Brewer

la matena lum’ 

ruĝigas la burĝonojn…

revoj de l’ printemp’

 

the morning light 

reddens the buds...

dreams of spring 

                                                    - by Steven D. Brewer, Senokulvitre

This extraordinary dawn over UMass Amherst - crowned with full-sky pink altocumulus clouds - was captured by Steven D. Brewer. This is the featured photo for April in our 2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar. Steven also penned this most apropos haiku for his photo - in Esperanto, with the English translation. To experience more haiku in Esperanto, search online for Steven's book, Senokulvitre.

While Altocumulus clouds are always a favorite among cloudspotters, they can become downright glorious at sunrise and sunset, especially when illuminated from underneath by a low-hanging sun. Pink altocumulus clouds at sunset or sunrise occur because of the way light interacts with these mid-level clouds and the atmosphere.

April (Snow) Showers

Backyard in North Amherst, April 12
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

Good morning, April! If you were hoping for photos of daffodils and crocuses, have patience. That bush on the left bedecked with snow will be resplendent with lilacs in just a month. (And as for the crocuses and daffodils, they are there too, just under the snow.)

One of those March days...

The Wedding Tree, Hampshire College Campus, Amherst MA - Photo by Jim Patten

𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅: 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒆.

                                                        - Charles Dickens, 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

Before the flowers and (mostly) after the snow, early spring in the Valley can be challenging to capture. Luckily for us, James (Jim) Patten saw the potential in this starkly beautiful scene, which is the featured photo for March in the 2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar. Remembering that day, Jim commented, “Walking to the Red Barn with my manager for a celebration…. It was Cold, Crisp and Sunny.” In other words, it was a lot like today outside.

Beyond the field in the foreground is the Wedding Tree on the Hampshire College campus, with the Holyoke Range in the distance. And above it all, white puffy cumulus clouds. Observant cloudspotters will also notice less common lenticular clouds (stacked spirals) to the far left of the photo.

Lenticular clouds, which have been mistaken for flying saucers, are usually caused by a moist airstream flowing over raised ground, such as a hill or mountain peak. When the airstream contains layers of moist air separated by drier air, a stacked formation can appear, as seen here.

Spring may be in the air at the moment, but March can also whip us back into deep winter – after all, the “Blizzard of 1888” (one for the record-books in Amherst and most of New England), struck on March 11. It snowed for two nights and a day, leaving snowdrifts as high as 50 feet deep! 

The far side of Puffer's

Puffer's Pond, North Amherst
Photo by Josh Wolfsun

A skin of ice on Puffer’s Pond, dark water below, steely grey clouds above, and no one anywhere in sight – this striking image, which could have been taken today, is the featured photo for February in our 2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar. Josh Wolfsun recalls the afternoon he captured this scene: “As I made my way to the far side of Puffer’s, I snapped this last photo and put the camera away to spare my freezing fingers - and to enjoy the echoing quiet that surrounded the frozen water.”

Clouds from Space

This cloudy extraterrestrial view of the earth was captured in 2017
from the International Space Station by European Space Agency (ESA)
astronaut Paolo Nespoli.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻. 𝗜𝘁 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿. 𝗔 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸: 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝘁𝗼-𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲-𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘆, 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

                                            ~ Samantha Harvey, 𝘖𝑟𝘣𝑖𝘵𝑎𝘭: 𝐴 𝑁𝘰𝑣𝘦𝑙

Wishing all cloudspotters everywhere a new year full of wonder and beauty.

Shortest Day and Longest Night

Sun through trees and clouds, Winter Solstice 2024
Photo by Sharon Vardatira, North Amherst MA

𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓; 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉. 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒎𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕; 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔. 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒄𝒚𝒄𝒍𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. ~ 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘆, 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴

Now winter solstice is upon us. Today will be both the shortest day and longest night of 2024. In this season of introspection and renewal, may you find strength in stillness, wisdom among the trees and rivers, and the inspiration to transform like the ever-changing skies above.

Last Chance Calendar!

 

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗚𝗶𝗳𝘁!

Need a special present? Our 2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar is still available!

Why it's special: • 12 stunning seasonal photos of the Pioneer Valley and Western MA • Over 240 daily entries of local historical, weather, and astronomical events • NEW: Guide to Cloudspotting • 17" X 11" when open - a beautiful display piece!

Order by 1 pm and get it mailed same-day, or by next day if you miss the cut-off. Plus, Etsy orders now come with a free upgrade to priority mail through Dec 23rd.

Get yours:

• 𝗢𝗻 𝗘𝘁𝘀𝘆: https://etsy.me/3BfnDzU

• 𝗔𝘁 𝗔𝗺𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 (8 Main St, Amherst)

• 𝗢𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸-𝘂𝗽: DM me!

In addition to our many Western Mass fans, we have repeat customers from California to Florida – our unique calendar is not just for locals!

November Sunrise

Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge
Hadley, MA
Photo by Jennifer Lynch Murphy

“𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒔, 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈.

𝑶𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔, 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈.”

- Ryōkan (Zen Buddhist monk, 1758 –1831)

After October's profusion of foliage colors, November in Western Massachusetts can sometimes feel drab and barren. But photographer Jennifer Murphy captured all the beauty of this month in this stunning sunrise image, taken at the Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge in Hadley. Reflecting on the scene, Jennifer comments, "I am thankful for our valley's preserved lands, where I can enjoy a sunrise like this one."

This is the featured photo for November in the 2024 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar. Those of you who own our calendar are being treated to this view all month long. Don't miss out next year - our 2025 calendar is now on sale through Etsy: https://etsy.me/3BfnDzU

#WesternMass #NaturePhotography #WildlifeRefuge #NovemberMorning #EarlyRisers #PhotoCalendar #AmherstMA #ShopLocal #HandmadeGifts

Welcome to October, New England's Favorite Month!

Quabbin Reservoir - Photo by Mark Lindhult

This stunning image by Mark Lindhult is our featured photo for October in the 2024 Head in the Clouds Amherst wall calendar. Although we receive significantly more “autumnal” photo submissions than any other season, our jury never had a doubt about this iconic scene. As Mark observed, “𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘳 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺!”

Curious to see October's image in our new 2025 calendar? 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗺𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://etsy.me/3BfnDzU

#FallInNewEngland #AutumnVibes #AmherstMA #HeadInTheClouds"

2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar NOW AVAILABLE!

Calendar Cover ~ Photo by Suzanne Warren

GIVE THE GIFT OF A NEW YEAR 

 with the all new

2025 Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar

Order online for delivery by mail

$22.00 per calendar

Free shipping with a purchase of 2 calendars or more

Proceeds* to benefit the

Open the calendar on 2025, and treat yourself and your loved ones to the changing seasons of one of the most beautiful corners of the world, from the farmlands to the rivers, lakes, hills and trails of Western Massachusetts.

• 12 beautiful, seasonal photos of Amherst and the Pioneer Valley by residents and visitors (scroll below to view all pages)
• Over 240 daily entries highlighting astronomical, historical, weather, and meteorological events in Amherst and New England from 1620-2024
• (NEW) Guide to Cloudspotting
• 17" X 11" (full size when open)
• Saddle stitch binding
• High quality coated gloss, heavyweight paper
• Shrink wrapped

Purchase ONLINE at ETSY: https://etsy.me/3BfnDzU

Also available for in-person purchase at:

Amherst Books, located in downtown Amherst at 8 Main Street on the Common. Phone: (800) 503-5865. Amherst Books is a locally owned, independent bookshop. In addition to our calendar, they carry new and used books, including an amazing selection of poetry, literature, philosophy, small press titles, literary journals. 

Local Pick-Up. For questions, special requests, and to arrange for pick up in North Amherst (payment via Venmo or check), please email to order directly through Sharon at CloudsAmherst[@]gmail[.]com

Our Head in the Clouds Amherst Wall Calendar is the perfect gift for cloud spotters, nature lovers, photographers, artists and writers, students here and abroad, locals, and former residents longing for a taste of home. This calendar will have them (and you) falling in love with Western Massachusetts month after month. And this is a gift that will keep giving all year round.  

Connecticut River - Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, Hadley
Photo by Suzanne Warren

Guide to Cloudspotting

Ice Canopy, Hawley
Photo by Brittany Wolcott

Puffer's Pond, North Amherst
Photo by Joshua Wolfsun

The Wedding Tree - Hampshire College, Amherst
Photo by James Patten

University of Massachusetts Amherst - College of Education
Photo by Steven D. Brewer

Poetic Dialogue, Amherst
Photo by Mindy Domb

Connecticut River - Mitch’s Marina, Hadley
Photo by Stephanie Oates

The Dickinson Homestead, Amherst
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

Moody Bridge Road, Hadley
Photo by Linda Repasky

French King Bridge between Erving and Gill
Photo by Elliot Levin

Connecticut River - Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area, Hadley
Photo by Suzanne Warren

Where the berm turns (between Cemetery Road and Honeypot), Hadley
Photo by Stephanie O’Keeffe

Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, Hadley
Photo by Jennifer Murphy

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