Fogbow: The Mysterious White Rainbow

Until today I had never heard of a fogbow - but I'll look anywhere for that illusive pot of gold!

A fogbow or fog bow or white rainbow or cloudbow is similar to a rainbow but appears in fog or mist rather than in rain showers.

Rainbows are formed when sunlight hits large water droplets, displaying a spectrum of colour. However, in a fogbow, the water droplets in the mist are too small to refract and reflect light, meaning the arc appears to be whitish in colour. Well that's what I'm told.

The photo above was taken from the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.

Maybe fogbows are common in your country but, as I said earlier, I have never heard of them before today and have definitely never seen any in England. It's good to hear about something 'new'.

Photo credits: Top two by BrokenInaGlory and bottom two are in the Public Domain.

Rainbow Posts:
The Double Rainbow Falls Into Place Perfectly
Black Elk On Peace And At The Door Of Death
It's Going To Be A Special Day

Coincidence Of Meeting With First Love

Today a coincidence story from Olive, which has similarities in some respects to a post on the synchrosecrets blog titled The Guy from the Past. Thank you Olive.

Shortly after my husband died I went on a coach trip to Brighton with a club of which I'm a member. When we arrived I wandered off on my own. The weather was damp and overcast and all in all a little depressing.

As there was rain in the air I went into a small cafe for a tea and bun. There were only two other people inside so I sat by the window looking out at the people walking by with their umbrellas.

This happened just after Andy Williams had died and the cafe had the radio playing. They started playing Andy's Moon River and just as the words, "... waitin' round the bend, my Huckleberry friend ...," were being sung a grey haired man in a smart suit walked into the cafe and ordered a coffee.

I felt uncomfortable about him coming in and more so when he sat on the next table to me. It seemed he wanted to chat to someone and picked on me. He mentioned the rain and then he looked at me and said, "Good grief, you're not Olive are you?"

I admitted I was. "It's me, Andy T****, from college. Remember? God, how many years was that ago? I recognised your eyes."

I had known Andy when I was 17 and 18 (I'm now 64). I didn't recognise him at first but when he started remembering things we had done together, places we had been, I knew it was him. You don't easily forget the first time you make love.

We talked about how our lives had panned out, me with marriage and three children, him with one daughter and two marriages. His wife had died of cancer recently so we had sadness to share.

He then said he had to go as he had some sort of appointment to attend. "I'll give you my phone number," he said, "Where's your mobile?"

I gave him my phone and he fed in his number. "Please ring me," he said as he went out of the door, "Don't forget. We must keep in touch."

The weather wasn't too bad for the rest of the day and I met up with some of the other club members and tried to forget Andy.

The next day, sitting in my own house in the London suburbs and feeling lonely, I was tempted to phone Andy. Instead there was an incoming call, it was one of my sons. He wanted to know if I would go with him, and my two other sons and their families to the church on Saturday, as it would have been their father's birthday.

I was quite cross with myself. I couldn't believe I hadn't remembered my husband's birthday, we would always do something special with of the family.

I looked at my mobile phone, and then deleted Andy's number.

Olive allowed me to edit her story slightly but the facts are unaltered.

Columbus Day Boston Coincidence

Here's a sort of coincidence I was sent, though nothing too dramatic. It's okay I suppose as trivia for a lazy Sunday.

As I understand it Monday will be a public holiday in the USA, known as Columbus Day. This is the nearest Monday to the anniversary of Christopher Columbus arriving in the Americas on October 12th, 1492.

Now, for people living in Boston, Massachusetts this helps them remember the phone number for their Boston Symphony Orchestra i.e. 617.266.1492

It also appears that while their Symphony Hall was being built back in 1900 they were temporarily housed at the Mechanics Hall on Huntington Avenue, Boston. Old records seemingly state: "... reserved seats, either at tables or in the balcony, can be secured by telephoning to the special telephone, Back Bay 1492."

Wikipedia states that the Mechanics Hall, "... was razed for the Prudential Center urban renewal project of the early 1960s."

So that's it, the number 1492 being the coincidence. Okay you may groan if you want!

The Indians Of Haiti As Observed By Christopher Columbus

Cornish Valley Railway Viaduct

Strolling up the valley from where I live in Cornwall the morning sunshine was shining through the viaduct which carries trains on their way to and from London.

34 viaducts in all had to be build back in the 1850s for, what was then known as, the Cornwall Railway. The initial design was by Isambard Kingdon Brunel, the great mechanical and civil engineer of that period.

His first design consisted of stone piers or columns supporting a timber superstructure, as per the old photo below. This was known as a fan viaduct. But all of that wood was costly to maintain and in 1898 a replacement viaduct was built completely of stone, which is still used today.

The piers of the original design were left in place and are now known as Brunel's Stumps. I must say that the present solid stone viaduct looks much more substantial and safe than the old fan design. In 1897 a Cannon Hammond wrote, "These wooded bridges are precarious and there have been people who would not take the railway journey through Cornwall because of their supposed insecurity."

He added, about the viaduct in the valley where I live, "Some of the stone piers are shaky and one in particular, so the engineers assures me, moves when a train passes over it."

There was a certain chill in the air this morning. Most of us in Cornwall are still waiting for summer to start, but now being October looks like it has past us by this year. All we have had instead is rain and more rain, but at least the reservoirs are full to capacity.

Not sure what has happened to all of this global warming we were promised. Even some of the local horses are wearing their coats.

Other Cornwall Posts:
The Holy Well Of St Sampson At Golant In Cornwall
The Magic Of Fowey Cornwall
In Search Of Celtic Crosses At St.Winnow In Cornwall

Dream Directions To Belief

I promise I won't go on and on about my kidney operation but this post is about a dream I had a couple of days prior to the procedure.

I awoke during the night, following the dream, and scribbled a few notes on a pad I usually have on my bedside table.

I had dreamt of a character from a British soap, Eastenders, called Billy Mitchell. It's not something that I watch though Karin does dip in and out of it occasionally.

Anyway, in the dream, a neighbour wanted to bring Billy to my house to show him how something works - not sure what this was. I got angry because I couldn't see why the neighbour couldn't take him to his own home, which is only a couple of houses down from mine.

But, no, for some reason I had to see how this procedure worked myself.

And that was the dream. Not much but it felt like I should investigate it more, no idea why, but it's best to follow instincts. Most of the dreams I scribble down just fade away into something meaningless.

I Googled the name 'Billy Mitchell' and found that the actor is called Perry Fenwick (Perry, of course, being my surname). There's not much about him on Wikipedia but it does say, " It was announced that he was to carry the Olympic torch on EastEnders, which was shown on the 23/7/2012 live." And the 23rd of July is my birthday.

So a couple of connections, of sorts there.

I then though I'd Google 'Perry Kidney.' And one of the search result surprised me as it was headed: Mike Perry Kidney Transplant.

This turned out to be a podcast from a US radio station WCQR, which is in the Religion & Spirituality category. Mike Perry (also my name) is a presenter and manager on the station and was about to have a kidney transplant donated by a listener.

I guess it may have been this that I was meant to listen to, being as I was somewhat apprehensive about my own pending operation.

On the four minute podcast the story is told of how Angie Moore was donating a kidney to WCQR's Mike Perry. It was, however, her trust in her God that impressed me. She was giving the organ because of her thankfulness for her own good health.

Angie's husband, Bobby, had already given a kidney to 'a stranger' because he felt God wanted him to do this. Both of them say words to the effect that God will look after them, and will provide for them in the future, should they ever need such a thing as a kidney themselves.

Though Angie and Bobby's version of God may be different to mine this did make me realise I had nothing to worry about with my operation. And that's the way it turned out.

I may well pay more attention to my dreams from now on as sometimes they can be meaningful.

As for belief: with belief we can conquer our personal world and, who knows, maybe the world at large.

Similar themed Posts:
Laparoscopic Nephrectomy Coincidences And Synchronicity
Lindos Halts A Whirlpool Of Negativity
Worse Things Happen At Sea

A Half-Wits Opinion Of December 12th

It's interesting that William Roache has received a lot of stick following stating his opinion that the world will change dramatically on December 12th. He's generally thought now to be something of a nut-case.

For those who don't know, 80 year old Roache is a UK actor who has been in the soap Coronation Street since it started back in 1960. Not exactly my cup of tea, but each to their own. What annoys me though are some of the comments made against him such as: "i think he need puttin in an home now" and "What a shame that this man is such a fool."

I guess Roache can't win because (a) he's getting on in years and (b) he dares to say something different from the norm. Wonder what this says about us as a society today.

So what did Bill actually say? This is a little of what he wrote in Silent Voices magazine:

"The energy and light of the Creator is love. Love is the life force, it is everything, it is the law of attraction.

I have always known that there are beings around me, loving and guiding, and never more so than now."

Regarding the 12th of December he added:

"This will be the Golden Age, when a majority will know they are love and spiritual beings. The Earth will continue to cleanse itself while material and negative things will collapse and cease to be.

No one religion or philosophy has the sole rights on spiritual beliefs - understand we are all pure love made in love, living in love. It is urgent to get this over. Time is running out."

Roache puts himself further in the firing range by saying that his daughter, Edwina, who died aged 18 months in 1984, is now a nurse in the afterlife. He said, "She is helping other children who have passed over to understand what has happened to them."

He then puts himself deeper in the mire by saying he believes that we will soon be able to communicate by telepathy. It appears that a homeopathic doctor told him this while he slept; "He was able to appear on the astral plane, come into a dream and actually speak to me in that way."

So no wonder I've read further comments about Roache's beliefs, like this one from someone called Colin Dodd: "Bring on the men in white coats. Why is this half-wit not in a secure place?"

Wonder who are the real half-wits in the world today?

Lindos Halts A Whirlpool Of Negativity

The problem with having had a recent medical procedure is that well meaning people ask how you are - which is fine - but then go on to explain in great detail other people's health problems or maybe their own as well.

I have a sympathetic nature but these sort of conversations can bring you down and, before you know where you are, you are captured in a whirlpool of negativity. Okay, a bit over the top, but it's surprising how much general chat is negative, and this doesn't do anyone any good.

So I decided to counteract this with some positivity. I made a list of some of the things I want to do. At the top was 'attending my grandson's university graduation'.  As he's only two, I'm thinking long term!

I also got out my old photos, thinking about good times I've had and places I've been. I have previously written a post about this: Photos Which Act As A Pick-Me-Up.

It's surprising how such simple steps can give you a boost. It's no good just wallowing in that whirlpool I mentioned!

I've been on lots of holidays and travels over the years but one always stands out is Lindos on the Greek Island of Rhodes. I can't fully describe why, it was probably simply the right place at the right time.

It wasn't an expensive holiday and Karin and I didn't do much while there - none of our usual sight seeing trips, in fact we didn't even bother with a hire car.

We stayed in a converted fisherman's cottage at the back of the village, high up on the hill where Lindos is situated. Well it was described as a 'cottage' but was really just one large room and a bathroom that was built into the rocks on the hillside. Outside was a garden with a table and chairs - and what more do you really want when you have sunshine, views, fresh fruit and red wine?

We would meander down to the beach in the morning for a swim and spend some time in the sunshine and then stroll back through the village for some lunch. At night we'd walk around the small houses and narrow streets, saying hello to the old widows dressed in black, and maybe have a glass or two of wine in a small bar.

As the author of Zorba the Greek, Nikos Kazantzakis wrote:

"We stayed silent by the brazier until far into the night. I felt once more how simple and frugal a thing is happiness: a glass of wine, a roast chestnut, a wretched little brazier, the sound of the sea. Nothing else. And all that is required to feel that happiness here and now is a simple frugal heart."

There's lots of history in Lindos, at the very top of the hill for instance, is the Acropolis, first built about 200BC with wonderful views.

But, really, it doesn't matter where we are in the world. Whether we are sipping a beer in our own small garden or on a luxury yacht in Monte Carlo it's up to us to decide if we want to be happy - it's an attitude of mind.

A nearby neighbour saw me walking with Karin today and told me that he had also seen me yesterday and how white and pale I looked. "But today, you are looking so much better," he said, "and must therefore be feeling better as well." I wasn't going to disagree with him!

As I've often written there is no reality just our realisation of how things are.