My one and only Mistbow vision

A slightly groggy start to the day was improved by a fine cup of tea, for which Helena earned brownie points and the promise of a lift to work by 9-30am, up the valley to Griffin Mill. As Bomble decided that my chest was a suitable place to go back to sleep, after he had gorged his breakfast, I sat looking at the frosty hillside from our be. I then noticed the clear sky misting up as the cold air from the flat tops of the Cotswolds started creeping over the brow of The Heavens and slowly sinking down the slopes towards us.

I had to defrost the car windows and whilst doing so another Mac client sidled up in his car and we had a chat about his problems. Once I had dropeed Helena, I felt excited about the light and decided to see if the hilltops had cleared of the mists, since the valleys were now thick with misty fog. Driving up through Brimscombe to Tom Longs Post was a scary delight, as I could see very little, but as I expected when we neared the brow, the mists, as they were now, were thinning. I drove to the nearby parking spot, and as I pulled in, I saw this ? what I can only describe as a Mistbow.

I jumped out of the car, but the further I went back to get a wider shot, the more I realised that it was in the eye of the beholder and its arc moved around with me. It was so beautiful, constantly shifting imperceptibly, echoing the movement of the mists. Minutes later it was still there but only just. I love the way that you can see the Mistbow landing on the grass on the left, as if only feet away. I could see the whole 180 degrees of it touching the ground on both sides. What a Grand Illusion!

In Aperture3, I just used the basic Auto Enhance preset, which adjusted the levels and the vibrancy; otherwise this is as I saw it. It has to be a blip as I doubt I will ever see one again. The many other shots I went on to shoot were good, full of the amazing colours you get on a morning like this, when looking across mist-filled valleys to May Hill far away over the River Severn, in the Forest of Dean. But they were not unique.