Jellyfish Clouds Mean Snow

I was video chatting with my supervisor a few days ago, trying to troubleshoot a blog scheduling error. I’d uploaded a blog to the TobacCo website and scheduled it to post next month, but it went live immediately. Even though, on the website, the post date showed January 11, 2023.

Our blog module at work is not WordPress, by the way. I never have issues scheduling posts here.

After making sure I hadn’t inadvertently time traveled – it was, in fact, still December 6 – I tried to figure out how to fix the issue. Hence, the call. Long story short, there is no scheduling function with that particular module, so the only workaround is to set a calendar reminder.

“Either that or use sticky notes!” I said.

“Holy 1995!” my supervisor replied.

At which point, I couldn’t help but chuckle. This is the inside front door of our apartment circa 2022.

We have electric baseboard heating in the apartment, and it’s so quiet we never hear it running. So, Tara slapped these on the door as a reminder. They’re crude but effective.

And I should add that, in 1995, I was very much a Post-It® Note devotee. I used to plaster my cubicle walls, my desk, even my computer monitor with those little yellow squares. I used them so often, I invested in a popup dispenser that I kept filled with fanfold Post-Its. Man, when they came out with new colors, I damn near stroked out with excitement. Neon green was my jam.

I still have that dispenser on my desk, but nowadays, it doesn’t get much use. A roll of Post-It Notes lasts months instead of days. I’m more likely to rely on a Google calendar or smartphone app instead. Neither are as satisfying as plucking a sticky note from the dispenser, scribbling myself a reminder, and attaching it somewhere that will catch my eye.

If I ever do figure out this whole time-traveling thing, I just might go back to 1995 and relive those glory days. That was also the year of Jagged Little Pill and debut albums from the Foo Fighters and Garbage, so I’d have a great soundtrack to listen to while playing with those sticky squares of paper.

Thursday morning, driving to work, I saw the strangest-looking cloud. I snapped a photo while at a stoplight and posted it to Instagram with the caption, Red skies at night, sailor’s delight. But what do jellyfish clouds in the morning mean…?

Twenty-four hours later, I had my answer: snow.

It started about 7 a.m. Friday, and within three hours, 4.5″ of heavy, wet snow had fallen. I’d gone for my usual morning walk earlier and, while out and about, spotted no fewer than 10 snowplows salting the streets. I will say this about Wisconsin: they are pros at snow preparation. The streets and sidewalks are always salted and sanded, and roads are plowed in a timely manner. Snow removal has always been an iffier proposition in other places I’ve lived.

The fresh snow gave us a perfect excuse to check out the Holiday Light Show at the Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville. We’d visited in late October, and they were already busy stringing up lights then. Well, no wonder: there are 1.2 MILLION lights, plus themed displays and colorful animations. People drive all the way from Chicago to check out the gardens. Sure enough, it was pretty stunning.

Looks like we’ve got ourselves a new tradition!

49 thoughts on “Jellyfish Clouds Mean Snow”

    1. I forgot how many years ago I migrated to handwriting-in-all-caps for that very reason, but I hear you.

      And in the praise of post-its, a friend pointed out to me how the media from 10 or 20 or 30 years ago is all but unreadable now: do you have a floppy drive? 🙂 (no, mind NOT in the gutter!) So while I love the scheduling function, and don’t like the response you got, there’s something to be said for postits? 🙂

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      1. Good point, EW. There’s no need to worry about upgrade or conversion!

        Mark, I love this sentence, “Man, when they came out with new colors, I damn near stroked out with excitement.” Hilarious. And Jagged Little Pill – what a great album.

        The jellyfish cloud looks so picturesque and innocent. Hard to believe 4.5″ came on the tail of that…wow!

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      4. Yes, I too write longer stuff in print capital letters. I do not support our oldster’s wish that cursive handwriting be restored in the classroom. First of all, most things in school are written from a keyboard printing. I favor writing in print. In 34 years in the classroom only about a third of student writing was legible. You’d be astonished at the creation of new letters in student writing in cursive. From their papers, one would conclude that there are about 45 letters in our alphabet – not 26.

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  3. As I read this post, I looked at the bookshelf above my computer and saw 6 Post-It notes reminding me about various things. Sometimes I need something right in front of me in order to remember… of course, one or two of the Notes have things written on that I have no clue why I wrote them or what they mean.

    And, your cloud… if you don’t follow adailycloud on Instagram you should. He’d have fun with your jellyfish cloud.

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    1. I don’t follow adailycloud, but I’m going to start! I gravitate toward a lot of storm-themed IG accounts anyway. In fact, I used to have a cloud-based IG account in SD called Dakota Sky & Storm!

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  4. I love holiday light displays and the hints of real snow really add to the whole thing. I am also still very much a post it person. Yes I use my Google Calendar and I think I even have an old version of Notes on my laptop- but sometimes you just need that small neon paper at eye level to really hit home.

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  6. I love post-its. Right now, I have one on my desk from a former supplier where the post-its sit on a little wooden pallet. Jellyfish clouds with snow. I will keep a look out for them. We would love snow for Christmas, but it rarely happens here. Once the New Year comes, then we’ll get it. Sigh. The Holiday Lights are spectacular. You definitely have a new tradition!

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  8. Congrats on the new tradition! Re: post-its (this is a popular topic), my big invention would have been an arm attached to eyeglasses so you can rotate a post-it to directly in front of your eye, then rotate out for driving, etc. Like AR glasses way before their time!

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  10. That holiday light show really is spectacular. I can’t even pick a favorite scene.
    I have a post it note on my door to the garage to remind us to make sure the security cameras are on. Unfortunately, I now ignore the post it!

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    1. That’s the problem. After awhile, the Post-Its just kind of blend into the door. Luckily, we haven’t forgotten to turn the heat off yet! I did, however, manage to lock myself out of the apartment and had to walk to Tara’s work for a key. That’s a separate post.

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  13. I enjoy reading blog comments because they teach me so much. After I leave this comment, I’ll be heading to the cloud Instagram account.

    I couldn’t help but think of Clark Griswold exclaiming “25,000 imported Italian twinkle lights!” when you described that beautiful light display.

    Who knew Jellyfish clouds could bring snow? 😊

    I still use post-it notes on a regular basis. 1995 myself would be really proud of myself for not succumbing to technology. Also, a great music year.

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    1. I appreciate the follow, but I’ve gotta warn you: that IG acct. is basically dead. Because, A) I no longer live in South Dakota, but even if I did, 2) I can’t for the life of me remember the password or login info!

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  14. Beautiful lights! I’m going to Zoo Lights after the holiday. That cloud would not create snow in the PacNW as I’m sure you know. Here it’s high white uniform clouds that bring snow and our removal/preparation leaves a lot to be desired. To be fair, we aren’t used to it and don’t spend a ton of money on equipment.

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  15. I’ve been thinking about inventions that have come along in my life and post-it notes are one of the best. I remember the first time I saw one in action and couldn’t believe it. Now like you I rarely use them and they languish in a drawer in my desk. Kind of sad

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  16. Mark, if you are going to time travel, go back to BEFORE Post It’s were invented, and you can be ahead of Romy and Michelle!
    I literally LOL’d at: I damn near stroked out with excitement!
    You’re a hoot.

    The jellyfish cloud is fantastic. I wonder if I’ll ever see one way down here. 😳

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    1. Err…great point. Why didn’t I think of that?! Surely, the inventor of the Post-It Note made gobs and gobs of money! I hope.

      Actually, if I recall correctly, it was some R&D dude at 3M who didn’t really get the recognition he deserved.

      You’re more likely to see a manatee cloud down yonder, I reckon.

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  18. I *love* sticky notes! Prior to retirement, I always had multiple sizes and colors on hand. (I was really excited when red sticky notes became available.) Sadly, now that I’m retired, I have little use for my beloved sticky notes. *sigh*

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