I just happened to have another one of those oddly moving parking lot experiences.

It is a hot, bright August day with a slight tinge of humidity in the air.  Despite the delicious temptation of slabbing out in front of the fan with a book, I needed to venture out for some groceries.  As soon as I turned out from the tight, tree-lined streets of our neighborhood, it started to get exciting.

Approaching the local somewhat seedy little shopping plaza revealed a dramatic view of the clouds building up over the mountains in the northwest.  For some reason they set my heart racing.  The contrasts of dark and light, all of that serious billowing happening, I just couldn’t keep my eyes off them.

As I turned each corner towards the  plaza, glimpses of the contrasting clouds would appear and disappear between the buildings of this small city.  When I finally got to the plaza parking lot, I stopped my car right in the middle of the hot pavement and stood there.  My mouth was probably open. They were so moody, threatening a possible shift in weather.

This long, dark one was hanging in the western sky.

I ran into the bank for a minute and when I came out, this big pillow-y one was on the eastern horizon:

What I couldn’t understand is why nobody else was looking up?  Here we were, not in an idyllic spot of nature in the country or on the water at sunset, but in a ratty old city supermarket parking lot in the middle of the afternoon, surrounded by this spectacular display of nature.  It was a gift. There was something so visceral about it, my nostrils were flaring.

People were walking in and out of the food store with their heads down or looking at their cell phones.  Nobody seemed to notice the sky show.

The parking lot was hot and smelled strongly of tar patch, as they were in the process of  repairing it. Reluctantly I grabbed my grocery bags out of the trunk and turned to head into the store to do my shopping.  As I closed the hatch of my car I saw this lovely reflection in the glass:

Heading inside, one lone raindrop landed on my shoulder.   I was expecting to come out afterwards having to dodge hail stones with a cart full of groceries, but it never happened. Just more glorious, dramatic clouds.

Sunrises and sunsets are always special, but this whole sky experience in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of a city parking lot was especially unique. It made my chest ache, it was so beautifully, unexpectedly unusual.  I wanted to yell at everybody, “HEY PEOPLE, STOP AND LOOK AT THE SKY!!!”

I guess my head is in the clouds….

~*~