Two Thursdays ago, in need of exercise, fresh air and dashes of excitement, I unglued my bony ass from the living room sofa and left the comfort of my suburban-Philadelphia home. Hopping into my car, I drove for three miles, arriving in the heart of Hatboro, an old-fashioned village which, after parking, I explored on foot for an hour. Actually, I exaggerate. I didn‘t hop into the car. Eased my way in carefully is more like it. But I might have hopped were I at least 25 years younger than I am.
The hike began a few minutes after the noon hour. I had one main goal in mind: to find joyful colors, on man-made objects, that would counteract the mild case of sluggishness that my region’s drab winter had induced in me that day. I ended up having a fair amount of success, thanks to encounters with the large, bright murals painted on the exteriors of two buildings. Other than them, though, Hatboro’s structures offered little in the eye–catching hues category. Basically, earth tones, greys, whites and blacks dominated. Fortunately, that’s not the end of this story.
Half a year ago, while on a walk that I wrote about for Yeah, Another Blogger, I came to the realization that, theretofore, I ordinarily failed to look at the sky when I was outdoors. Big mistake, as its vast canvas can present a sizeable variety of designs, all of them fascinating. There were exceptions to this, of course. For instance, I swooned over sunsets now and then. Overall, however, I was someone who, celestially-speaking, was missing the boat.
That walk changed my behavior. Since then, I’ve tried hard to remember to peruse the heavens a bit when I’m outside. I still fall short in this regard, but I’m pleased with my progress. And I think I’ll continue to improve. One thing for sure is that looking upward brought my Hatboro walk to a higher level than it otherwise would have been.
Yes, two man-made creations (the murals) impressed me. But, as it turned out, a Nature-made creation (the sky) wowed me way more, and gave me an additional bonus too. During the expedition I raised my gaze four or five times to the baby-blue expanse above me, allowing its gentle, soothing presence to penetrate my wrinkled skin and creaky bones. The cloud filaments strewn throughout the ethers aided the process lovingly. Ah, what relief! Those sky-gazing sessions, brief though they were, sent my inner tensions packing. Unfortunately, the tensions soon returned. Why? Well, I’m a pretty uptight f*cker. I wish that wasn’t true, but it is. Shit! Still, I was glad to get rid of them even for those short periods.
Blue, according to various research studies, is the favorite color among humans. But which shade of blue? A bold one, such as cobalt blue or navy blue? An extremely mild one, such as powder blue? I investigated that subject online and couldn’t find an answer. My hunch is that, for heavens-related reasons akin to mine, the blue hue that reached down to comfort me in Hatboro is the world’s favorite, or near the top anyway. Color experts seem to call it either baby blue or light-sky blue. I go with baby blue. I like the sound of that name.
When I was a kid, bright yellow was my favorite color. During my young adulthood, my preference changed to blue. I’m not sure, however, if I ever thought about which specific form of blue I prefer. Until recently, that is. These days, baby blue does it for me. I know it’s not flashy. It doesn’t make my jaw drop instantly. But I find it to be graceful and liberating. It makes me smile and makes me feel good. Clearly, I’ve become a big fan. Which wouldn’t be the case if I hadn’t started to look up regularly last year, losing myself in the baby-blue skies that often have been there to greet me.
Yeah, Another Blogger 
I recently listened to a NPR article about birds having vision that grants them the ability to see a greater amount of the visible color spectrum than humans. I personally liken this to canines dthat perceive greater scents and different sound ranges than humans. These are all interesting to think about when you mention your personal desire to enjoy more vivid colors in Winter when our color spectrum may be limited.
The article mentioned that the enhanced color spectrum of birds played a part in the rich colors of male birds of certain species contributed to their attraction to females of their species. Colors as an aphrodisiac, What a concept! 🌈
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Hi. Thanks a lot for stopping by. It would be fantastic if humans were able to communicate intimately with birds, so that we could fully understand what they are all about and how they do what they do. Some of the abilities birds have are almost unbelievable. And I imagine we don’t know even close to half of what their perceptions and frameworks are.
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Glad you got to galavant before the frigid temps set in!! I’m longing for a clear blue, sunny sky and a nice long walk myself. Stay warm!!
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Hi. It’s plenty cold here in southeast Pennsylvania. The overnight lows have been in the single digits. I’m not a fan of winter!
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I love the way you went in search of finding joyful colors on man-made objects- what a cool and imaginative adventure! As a fan of street art in its many forms, I enjoyed seeing your photos of those fantastic murals!
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Hi. I live near Philadelphia, which contains a mind-blowing number of murals on the exteriors of buildings. It’s always fun to wander around Philly, taking in the wide range of sights, including murals.
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This blog was overlooked in the pile which collected while I was overseas. Apologies. I do like your thoughts on blue, and the sky, particularly interesting. I so love looking at the sky while out walking, as in my neck the woods we have great skies, clouds of every description, and I find nothing more relaxing than stopping and gazing at them. Like you, I need plenty of communing with nature to keep a happy equilibrium. Cheers to you – seeker of interesting art and blue skies.
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Hi Vivienne. Thanks very much for adding your thoughts. It sounds like you and the sky are close friends. You look out for each other!
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I’m so with you on the sky’s color being beautiful. I think, as to a favorite hue of blue, why not just calling it sky blue? 🙂
I’m glad the town exploration brought you to realize you can be rejuvenated right outside at home. 🙂 Good for you for getting up and getting out, though.
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Hello there. I’m getting better and better at remembering to look at the sky. For years and years I sort of took the sky for granted. So, I’ve got a lot of making up to do.
Take care. Thanks for stopping by.
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I’m glad to hear it. 🙂
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A beautiful piece, Neil. Yes, the sky is a constant source of calm and inspiration to me too. Living in Scotland, the Gulf Stream tends to mean there’s another colour along in a minute.
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Arthur’s Seat probably is a popular place for sky-gazing.
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It sounds like took a lovely walk, Neil. The murals look lovely. So do the skies above too. The sky is always changing, you never know how it will look the next day, even the next hour. I like blue a lot. I find certain shades of blue calming. I love a blue sky day with sunshine – those are lovely for walks. Blue skies with some clouds – those are perfect for my sunset photography. As you said, there are so many shades of blue and each colour. There’s also not forgetting that a lot of us see colours differently. What’s bright blue to someone might not be so for someone else.
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Hi. What you say about the sky is very true. Its variability is part of its charm.
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I loved your reflection on colors and the sky! ☀️🌈 It’s amazing how something as simple as looking up and appreciating a blue sky can renew your energy and bring joy to the day. I also felt like exploring Hatboro and noticing small details that we usually ignore. 🙂🙏🏻✨
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“It’s amazing how something as simple as looking up and appreciating a blue sky can renew your energy and bring joy to the day.” —- perfectly said!
Hi, and many thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it a lot.
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I love a hike with a purpose! As a child, I had two favorite colors: purple and magenta–and also pink–guess that makes three. That hasn’t changed in my adult years, but I won’t decorate with those colors. I’ll tend toward yellow, blue, and green in that case.
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Hi. I had to refresh my memory in re what magenta looks like. So, I looked it up online. It’s a great color.
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Blue has become my favorite color as well. When I was young, I liked to say red: vibrant and bright as I hoped to be. I’ve toned it down since. Ha. Blue is soothing. At dusk yesterday my guy and I walked to the mailbox (at 15 degrees it was a fast and short walk) but we LOOKED up (yes, trying to do that more often) and the full moon was spectacular against the soft dusk-y blue sky. Absolutely gorgeous. I think as we get older, we appreciate these gifts from Nature. I’m going to take up your idea and take more photographs of clouds and moons and blue sky.
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“I think as we get older, we appreciate these gifts from Nature.” —- maybe that’s because we become wiser?!
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Absolutely!! And we slow down enough to look. 😇
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Your posts make me smile, Neil. I love gazing at the sky, especially when there are clouds creating designs across that baby-blue canvas. I never tire of looking up. I like the idea that others are doing that too, and that humans have done that for millennia. And fun murals too. I like street art – like the sky, there for all to enjoy. 🙂
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I’ll be heading out to run an errand in a few minutes. When I step outside, I will look up!
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When I was kid, I didn’t have a favorite color. I love all colors. I know, I know … I was woke even back before there was a word for it. But anyway, I felt like I was supposed to have a favorite color, so I chose baby blue. I still don’t have a favorite color, but I do have a special feeling for baby blue, since it held a special position in my psyche for so many years. Seems like it’s not a color one comes across a lot, so it’s also always freshing when you do.
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Hi Jeff. Here’s a rocker with “baby blue” in the lyrics.
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Nice blues and Art… PLenty of talent on the street. And the sky is an artist too…
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I admired the sky today. Beautiful!
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For those who live up North, a clear sky now and then is a treat.
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When I think of baby blue, I think of robin’s eggshells, and from there I move to Ol’ Blue Eyes. But you’re right: looking upward is definitely best of all.
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Evening, Annie. I was talking about Sinatra with my wife a couple of nights ago. He led a complicated life and had plenty of faults. But, he was a great singer. He could interpret a lyric like few others.
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And yes, he had plenty of faults. But aside from his unique talent, he was generous to many and welcoming to Black performers when few others were.
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Excellent!
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Nature certainly provides some joyful colours when you look around. Lovely street art too.
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Hi there. It’s great that there is such a variety of colors in Nature and in the man-made world. They make life interesting!
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