The article explores the author's personal connection to watching contrails while walking in San Francisco. Contrails, formed by airplanes at high altitudes, become a daily ritual for the author, providing a moment of reflection and a sense of beauty juxtaposed against the natural sky. The author describes how contrails linger differently based on atmospheric conditions and how they create an enchanting visual experience, influencing the mood and perspective. This simple observation becomes a source of positivity and optimism against the backdrop of life's complexities.
The plane's engines expel their hot, humid breath, which cools and condenses in the air, similar to how exhaling in cold weather creates a cloud of condensation.
Though the aircraft was at cruising altitude, the earth's curvature made it appear to be flying diagonally, its nose pitched to the sun. Its movement made it seem cheeky, touched by an aura of optimism.
On clear days, the resulting contrails are stark and white, accentuating the sky's watery blue. At sunset, they're cast in a dreamy golden shade.
To me, their beauty derives in part from their incongruity with the sky's naturally occurring features. The marks themselves are incidental.
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