When in need of a title for a group of similarly-themed photos, I occasionally do an online search for “international day” of such and such. In the case of today’s blog post, I was excited to learn of the existence of the International Cloud Appreciation Day.

This special day is the brainchild of the Cloud Appreciation Society, founded in the UK in 2005 by writer Gavin Pretor-Pinney. In September 2022, the organization celebrated the first International Cloud Appreciation Day and has done so annually since then. This year, it will be commemorated on September 11, today. (I am not sure why they chose a day so laden with heaviness.)

I find it a little sad that the group felt the need to remind us to look at the sky and to appreciate the clouds, but considering that we seem to be spending more and more time staring at screens, it might be a necessary reminder. The idea is to take a break from whatever we are doing, spend some time outside, study the sky and its clouds, and let the mind wander wherever it wants to go. If we feel moved to take photos, we are also invited to share them on the Memory Cloud Atlas (which, apparently, is only possible on the actual Cloud Appreciation Day).

I have enjoyed exploring the website of the Cloud Appreciation Society, where one can find images of the Cloud-a-Day and Cloud of the Month, a free CloudSpotter App, a gallery with cloud photos, cloud videos, cloud art, cloud poetry, and cloud music. Also, a cloud library with photos and explanations of the various cloud formations with fun names, such as stratocumulus, altostratus, and cumulonimbus.

But let’s not spend too much time on the website. Rather, let’s go outside, peer into the sky, and appreciate the ever-changing cloudscape. I haven’t read this anywhere, but I think it’s not far-fetched to claim that, as with snowflakes, no two clouds are alike. And they are constantly changing—growing, diminishing, advancing, retreating, rising, sinking, billowing, curling, wafting, flowing, and drifting. We should let our thoughts drift with them. It’s a healthy thing to do. And we don’t have to limit ourselves to one day in September.

Happy cloudgazing!