Contrails (designs in the Sky) - Year's End

Lately, on a daily basis, I  have noticed bunches of contrails in the sky.

A contrail, the noticeably white line left by an aircraft, is water vapor. Perhaps, the colder sky of the season makes the vapor more visible - I really do not know!

In any case, sometimes I watch (I never hear) the aircraft (or aircrafts)  leaving this trail as the plane proceeds across my view shed, high in the sky; and sometimes I only distinguish the contrail as the plane is long gone.

three aircraft in view - look closely

The trail begins as quite a definite, dense line.  Then, the line slowly disperses into a wider, more translucent streak until it eventually disappears altogether.

I notice single contrails, multiple contrails, criss-crossed contrails, contrails by moonlight, and even observed an orange contrail in the evening sky - absorbing the color from the glow of the setting sun. 

Contrails are similar to most new year's resolutions;  very definite and bold at the beginning of the new year, becoming a bit muddled as the year progresses, and pretty much non-existent by year's end - that is where I am now - year's end.

Fortunately, my contrail is that orange one - the one that glows... my resolution for 2011 disappeared somewhere during the year, but my year was quite magnificent - just like that brilliant, colorful contrail. 

A near ideal end to a near impeccable year.


Note added 1-5-12:  Today I observed several contrails in the design of a sunburst - put a smile on my face - oh boy, those pilots are getting creative!