Walking in the Rain

Stratocumulus over Hadley, 5-30-21
Photo by S. Vardatira

 Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain.  ~ Billie Holiday

Stratocumulus clouds over Hadley yesterday. Maybe not the weekend you wished for, but still beautiful in its own way.

Seeking Storminess

Hazy May - Hadley MA - May 2021
Photo by Sharon Vardatira

Could a stormy, summery afternoon be in our near future? I took a tour around the Valley a few hours ago, and concluded that today may not be that day. Anyone who is a fan of the movie Twister should picture me, like Bill "the human barometer," looking skyward, letting a handful of dirt fall from my hand to see which way the wind blows, letting the energy in the air wash over me. (That image makes me smile every time.)

Although today does have the feel of an afternoon that could melt into storminess, based on the more scientific weather forecast (and my keen intuition, of course), we are likely to get more of that stormy weather about 24 hours from now. Our excessively long spate of days of puffy, lovely cumulus clouds has been fair-weather fabulous, but their more energetic cumulonimbus cousins can be downright awe-inspiring. 

This is what it's like outside right now in the Pioneer Valley. Please post any stormy weather you catch over the weekend - or stormy weather scenes from days gone by.

"The older I grow, the more I do love spring"

How glad I am that spring has come, and how it calms my mind when wearied with study to walk out in the green fields and beside the pleasant streams in which South Hadley is rich.... The older I grow, the more I do love spring and spring flowers. Is it so with you?"  

~ Emily Dickinson, May 16, 1848, Letter to Abiah Root (173 years ago to the day)

Spring Clouds over the Mojave Desert

Anyone feeling inspired to do a similar time lapse video, only for the Pioneer Valley? We have had some great cloud formation vistas these past few days and could definitely match the Mojave Desert. (That said, we do have more trees to contend with!).

Seeking Photos for the 2022 Head in the Clouds Amherst Calendar!

Your photo could be featured (kind of like this) in our 2022 calendar!

CALLING ALL AMHERST and WESTERN MASS PHOTOGRAPHERS

The times they are a-changin' (thank goodness!), and what better way to celebrate the end of quarantine and 2020 than going outside and capturing the beauty of the world all around us. From our ever-changing cloud canopy to our beautiful valley, with endless trails and side roads, wide open spaces, quiet ponds, and woods (lovely, dark and deep), there is so much to explore.

We here at Head in the Clouds Amherst believe there is no better time than right now to celebrate our corner of the world. In other words, we are seeking photo submissions for our 2022 community calendar!

As in past years, our 2022 calendar will once again feature monthly photos taken by 12 different photographers. And you don't have to limit yourself to Amherst locations - we are accepting photos taken across the Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts. 

So now is your chance to share your favorite scenes with calendar fans far and wide! Start flipping through your photo collection – or grab your camera, take to our scenic highways, byways and trails, and make some new memories. We can’t wait to see what you’ve got!

Submission Guidelines

The deadline to submit is Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 11:59 pm. Submissions can be emailed or uploaded via your Google Drive to CloudsAmherst@gmail.com. Please enter "HITC 2022 Calendar Photo Submission" in the subject line and submit your highest resolution version. 

Please include the following for each photo you submit:

• A caption or title
• Where the photo was taken and what scenic feature is depicted (please indicate if your location is Kestral Trust conserved land)
• Who is in the photo, unless it's a crowd scene or taken from a distance
• Photographer's name
• Your contact information

If your photo is selected, you will be asked to provide additional information, including a written comment about your photo to be included in the 2022 calendar.

All submissions must be taken in Western Massachusetts. Priority will be given to photos showing locations in Amherst, other sites across the Pioneer Valley, and Kestral Trust conserved land locations. Your photo should evoke the seasons and the intersection of life and weather. In addition to those qualities, if your photo also captures one or more of these themes it will get special consideration:

• Unique renderings of iconic local landmarks (natural attractions, university/colleges, museums, popular scenic destinations, etc.)
• Conservation areas, including Kestral Trust conserved lands
• Clouds formations and weather phenomena (over or around the Pioneer Valley)

Click HERE for additional tips on submitting winning Head in the Clouds Amherst photos. Keep in mind that we cannot consider photos that are low resolution, low quality, or that contain inappropriate material. Ideally your image should be at least 300 PPI, and we will not consider images below 200 PPI. (If in doubt, send your photo to us, and we will let you know.) You can see our 2020 calendar, here and our 2021 calendar, here. 

We welcome landscape oriented, color photos by professionals and amateurs. And we’re also counting on friends of Head in the Clouds re-submitting photos you’ve already sent to us over the year - don't assume your photo is being considered just because you sent it to us at some other point in the past or we posted it to Facebook or the blog. You can submit as many photos as you like.

If your photo is selected for the 2022 calendar, you will receive a free calendar and reduced rates on any additional calendars you opt to purchase. All net proceeds from sales are donated to an Amherst-area charity each year - the Kestral Land Trust will be the recipient of our 2022 proceeds.