According to my science teacher, we see colours when the light of different frequencies enters our eyes, Light consists of electromagnetic vibrations which, stimulates the retina in the eye. Without light, we cannot see any colour.
Whatever it is, colour plays a huge part in our- daily existence. It plays a huge part too in the lives of plants and animals.
When we get up every morning and look east, we can see the sun rising. Some days the rising sun looks like a huge red ball of fire that seems to set the trees and building ablaze, Some days however its shows no such colour except that of a blinding white which is too painful for us to look at directly. On overcast mornings we do not see the sun till we can perceive its presence through the greyish veil of the clouds.
The clouds themselves can be of varied colour. On hot days the clouds are as white as snow against a deep blue sky. The interplay of sunlight on the clouds gives rise to different shades of grey that ominously change to black when the clouds get too heavy and too close to the ground. Then the sky turns black. Actually we see no sky at all as a potential thunderstorm approaches. Our whole environment turns sickly dark. Flashes of white or yellow lightning stab like jagged swords from the clouds. The roll of thunder that follows adds to the already tense atmosphere, The wind pushes the clouds along giving us a grand view of black clouds in turmoil. Blackness in the colour of impending doom, It is not a happy colour.
Finally, as the storm breaks the white sheets of rain pour down onto the ground. Distant things are seen through a curtain of falling raindrops. Focusing is impossible. Everything appears as a blur. The predominant colours .are black and white. It is like watching an old film made before colour film became available.
The rain pours itself out and the tension in the air vanishes. The darkness lifts its morbid pressure and colour returns to our world, Everywhere living things come out from hiding. Birds appear on the trees to sing their hearts out in celebration of the returning sun. Blackbirds, brown birds, yellow birds and multi-coloured birds all come out happy to carry on their daily living. Red flowers, yellow flowers and blue flowers glisten brightly as the sunlight is reflected from the water droplets on their petals. There is a feeling of freshness in the air. Everything takes on a sharpness that is only present after a thunderstorm. Brown toads play in the cool puddles of water. The green .grass feels crisp and alive as we stroll barefoot on it. Up above the sky is once again blue. The clouds are once again white.
The distant hills look blue, The nearer ones are greener. The really close ones are multicoloured, It is strange indeed to notice this colour effect that nature plays on us. From afar things appear to be monochrome. Up close all sorts of colours can be seen. A tree trunk can appear brown from ten feet away, way, However, if w we get close to ten inches can see different shades of brown and probably spots of white and red on it. If we look carefully We might even see a gecko lizard clinging quietly on the ‘bark. Its camouflage is almost perfect except for the almost imperceptible Movement of its chest as it breathes.
If we look once more as the evening sun sinks into the horizon we will be treated to the infinite variety of colours of a sunset. No two sunsets are the same. The colours can vary from predominately golden to a drab grey. it depends on atmospheric conditions present at the time.
Then as the sun disappears from view we are left with an afterglow that may linger for a minute or two before we are then plunged into the World of black and white as night spread its veil all around us. Yet if we look carefully at the sky on a clear night we can detect different shades of red and yellow on the stars and planets millions of miles away. Colour is always present as long as we have eyes to perceive it.