Today was the first day it really started to feel like fall. When I headed out the door at noon, it was about 49 degrees (or less than 10, if you want to go the fancy European route) outside and windy. And damp, as per usual, which made it feel that much colder. But the sun was out, which was awfully deceitful, because it looked so warm and nice. Only it wasn’t. The weather has been so nice here, in fact warmer than it has been all summer so I hear, that I forgot that winter is approaching. And approaching fast! I had no idea it was the middle of October. Hopefully, our dryer will get itself fixed before it gets too cold to dry out clothes on the line.

But today, a fantastic thing happened. Seriously. I had spent most of the afternoon at the library doing some research on Bedouin, to perhaps find a thesis topic, and was walking home carrying a 10-pound load of books. I was feeling a bit grumpy, when I look up, and there is a beautiful rainbow stretching over Arthur’s Seat. I couldn’t see the whole thing, but it was one of those rainbows that’s so clear, you just know it goes all the way across the sky. If we could tear down the :::interesting::: parliament building, I could have seen it. Ahem. At any rate, I’m feeling better, when I hit the front of the parliament building, and I see the whole thing, from Arthur’s Seat on my right all the way to behind the tenements on my left, across the entire cloudy sky. The sun was behind me and the clouds in front, creating the perfect arena for such spectacles. And with this incredibly distinct rainbow was another one, paralleling it across the entire sky. A double rainbow. I’m not sure I had ever seen two rainbows like that across the entire sky, both so clear and complete. So I fumble with my phone (of yes! I got a mobile! I feel like a real resident, now) trying to call Jonmikel to get him to come out and take a picture. Of course, I can’t figure out how to turn it on. Apparently, my brain can’t grasp these crazy British mobiles. And just as I get it on, I see the bottom of the two rainbows (the original) turn into a layered rainbow, 2 (or maybe even 3) ROY-G-BIVs all smushed together, something a I have seen only once before in Gardiner, Montana. All right there. So bright I swear I can see where it touches the ground (no leprechauns, though, most a pity). By the time I manage to figure out the buttons on the phone and tell Jonmikel to get his lazy butt outta the flat and see this, it’s already starting to fade. He DID get some nice pictures though, which can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/ysnp/.

But a great afternoon pick-me-up, followed by Star Trek and hummus when I got home. ☺