Wednesday, June 14, 2006





Nephelococcygia and Other Summer Delights!


I was working in the garden this morning when I paused to admire the ever-changing, rapidly moving clouds, a brief break I take often during any outdoor day. I saw so many things in the clouds... a mountain, a swan, flowers, rolling ocean waves, a sundae topped with tons of whipped cream. Ahhh, back to weeding the peas...

According to the www.weatherworks.com website, nephelococcygia is the word that describes that day-dreaming phenomenon of finding figures, seeing shapes, in the clouds. Who knew! I happened across the word when Bert and I saw a summer home with that name. I HAD to find out what it meant!

According to the website, it's from the Greek play The Birds by Aristophanes. When the title birds see shapes in the clouds, they are told they are... well, in cloud cuckooland, which is essentially what nephelococcygia means.

Do kids today ever just loll out on the lawn looking at the sky, seeing shapes in the clouds? What a shame if they don't... And isn't nephelococcygia a neat word!


Mary