August's Drama in the Sky

Holyoke Range, Massachusetts
Photo by Linda Repasky

This month’s Head in the Clouds Amherst 2025 calendar photo comes from Linda Repasky, who observed, “Low-hanging clouds over the Holyoke Range added a touch of drama as they dwarfed a vast cornfield and nearby farmhouse. Wild weather is one of summer’s delights!”

We couldn’t agree more. Here, the clouds are the main character, the mountain their stage, and the farmhouse just a quiet witness to nature’s oversized performance.

Thank you, Linda, for reminding us how small we are under skies like these.

Cirrus Season

Cirrus uncinus (Mares' Tails) over UMass Amherst
Photo by Sharon Vardatira, 7/18/2025

Cirrus sprites + intortus + cirrocumulus mash-up
Photo by Sharon Vardatira, 7/18/2025

The sky was putting on a full performance today -- featuring a spectacular cast of cirrus clouds in all their wispy forms: fibratus, intortus, uncinus (aka the ever-dramatic "mares’ tails").

Even a few contrails joined in -- technically jet exhaust, but once they’re tossed and twisted by the upper winds, they start to pass as cirrus themselves. Nature and machine, blurring at altitude.

Whatever you call them, the skies were doing their thing. And we were watching.

#HeadInTheCloudsAmherst #CirrusFibratus #CirrusUncinus #CirrusIntortus #Cloudspotting #NotTooSeriousButVeryReal

A sky full of cirrocumulus, contrails, and
blended cirrus fibratus/uncinus
Photo by Sharon Vardatira - 7/18/2025

The photo to the right shows a sky full of cirrocumulus, contrails, and blended cirrus fibratus/uncinus. Even seasoned cloudspotters sometimes mistake contrails for clouds. So how do we know that the "V-shape" cloudlets in this image are not cirrus clouds, but actually the remnants of a few contrails that have been buffeted by the wind? First, the sharp, clean V-formation suggests two straight-line trails diverging or converging, which is much more typical of aircraft paths than of natural atmospheric motion. Second, cirrus clouds rarely form in such distinct intersecting paths unless guided by upper-level wind shear or merging cloud bands, and even then, they tend to curve more gently. The lines in this image are more deliberate. And, finally, supporting evidence in the image: There are other wisps and trails in that photo that also resemble contrails, suggesting it was a high-traffic day aloft, with plenty of jet-made features blending into the natural cirrus field.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

The Dickinson Homestead, Amherst MA
Photo by Sharon Vardatira - 7/18/2025

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

                               ~ Emily Dickinson

I’ve been chasing a photo of The Homestead with just the right cirrus clouds above - delicate, feathered, sky-scrawled wisps that might echo Dickinson’s most beloved metaphor. And today… it finally happened.

Not every sky cooperates, but this one did.

In a time when hope can feel like a fragile thing, it’s comforting to remember how quietly persistent it really is—“and never stops—at all.” 

July at The Homestead

The Homestead, Amherst MA
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

July's Head in the Clouds Amherst 2025 calendar photo brings us home—to The Homestead in Amherst, lifelong residence of Emily Dickinson. It’s a place where the sky often feels like part of the architecture.

All year, I had been striving to capture The Homestead under delicate, ‘hope-is-a-thing-with-feathers’ cirrus clouds. While I haven’t achieved that goal yet, it’s been a great excuse to drop everything and spend hours cloudspotting at The Homestead. I think Emily would approve.

Whether or not the clouds cooperate, time spent sky-gazing here always feels well spent. And who knows—maybe this summer will deliver the feathered cirrus scene I've been waiting for!

Pride Rainbows Over Amherst

Rainbow Sundog Over Amherst 
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

Head in the Clouds Amherst celebrates Amherst’s Inaugural Pride Day on Sunday, 6/22 — honoring love, visibility, and the beauty of living true. Here’s to a town that makes room for all of us, in every color and every kind of sky.

Learn more about this weekend's celebration:
👉 https://www.amherstma.gov/3851/Amherst-Pride

Happy Pride, Amherst! 💖

#AmherstPride #PrideInTheClouds #HeadInTheCloudsAmherst

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.