Caribbean Skies

My attention lazily drifts from my book to gaze at the passing clouds. One here, one there, no sign of rain, no worries… And then I begin to think about all the ways the skies over Green Castle have absorbed my attention over time.

There are the deep blue skies that reflect back into the waters, creating a sea green-sea blue color that provokes the unoriginal, “Ah, this is the Caribbean.” From my chair on the veranda, I look around to see if anyone is watching as, admittedly, I can stare seaward for hours.

There are the clouds that travel with purpose toward the hills of the Blue Mountains, then congregate around its peaks. From far away, I can hear the deep crash of thunder rolling, rumbling, reverberating… Within an hour, the skies are clear from horizon to horizon.

There are the dark clouds that gather far out at sea that foretell rain. Locals aptly call this “blaack up.” More often than not, these clouds dissipate before they reach our coastline, but when they bring rain, it’s wonderful—I revel in the sudden coolness and the din of rejoicing frogs.

Then there are the night skies. At dusk, the rustling palms are silhouetted against the sky, losing all color but not their ragged shape, a shape that always reminds me I’m in the tropics. As the night skies darken, familiar stars in unfamiliar places draw my attention. Over the Estate House, the rising moon marks the sky, creating deep shadows that cross the threshold of the open bedroom doors. I drift into a restful slumber.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 9th, 2010 at 9:37 am and is filed under Vacation Rentals, Vacationing in Jamaica. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.