Rainbow over Broadway Skytrain station 1,
Thu 21 Sept 2006

Just after 6 pm yesterday (Thursday 21 September), a rainbow was visible from Broadway Skytrain station. The first hint of its existence came via the several people who stopped in the Skytrain overpass (connecting Broadway and Commercial stations) spanning Broadway to press their cameras and cellphones against the glass walls to capture the sight. (Then I in turn did the same, paying the hint forward to people coming after me.)

As far as rainbows go, this one was huge. A full semi-circle was visible, bright and clear. My camera, unfortunately, did not have a lens wide-angle enough to span half the sky. Photos can not quite match the experience of being there–bear in mind that this rainbow was impressive enough to get multiple people to pause to take a photo, though this was the evening rush hour.

Rainbow over Broadway Skytrain station 2,
Thu 21 Sept 2006

Within minutes, the rainbow had begun to disappear. It was just for that few minutes that everything came together. Then the sun continued to set, perhaps some water vapour in the atmosphere blew away, conditions changed, and the rainbow began to vanish. One end disappeared first, leaving a quarter circle, then that too quietly faded into the background. Before the half-hour had come, it was as if the rainbow had never been.

Vancouver’s umbrella season may have arrived, but if the sun comes out after rain, a rainbow just might appear–something which doesn’t get seen much during the hotter, drier months. A rainbow is a beautiful natural phenomenon, which can cheer people up just by being seen, as I think it did for the people lucky enough to see the one yesterday.

When you’re lucky enough to get small, free, good fortunes in your life by chance, it’s important to let yourself pause to take pleasure in them.