When the Day is Done

I love topics about sunset and sunrise.  To me it represents hope and faith, and the gift of waiting.  Sunsets always remind me of my dad. When I was a little girl they meant he would be home shortly.  when I was older we would sit up on our roof and watch the sun set.  Sunsets with my dad were always special times....they were our time. This past week I took a few sunset pictures on my trek up and down Hwy 22.  The first one is on a day when snow was predicted in North Alabama.  I thought the thick layer of gray clouds with the split of sunset made it look like I was heading into a lake of fire.  It truly was beautiful.  I am thoroughly enjoying doing Project 365 because it means my camera is always on hand.  I never knew you could take such cool pictures driving down the road.....I do slow down if nothing is behind me....just FYI.

This picture is my favorite.  Does it not look like there is an explosion up ahead.  The sky is so blue above and then that ball of fire is peeking through the trees.  I actually had to pull over to get this one.  The sun was setting behind me and I could see this in my rearview mirror....and just had to see it face to face.  If you can't look at this and believe in God...hummmm....something is not right!

What a cold and dreary day this was.  I pulled over for this picture too.  I think the temperature at the time of the shot was somewhere in the low twenties and the wind was really whipping.  This sunset looked like embers to me....and were not warming like those of a fire would be.  I found a wide spot in the road to stop and get this picture.  Sunsets and sunrises are really cool to me.  I rank them right up there with barns and hands.

My final sunset and I think it was the perfect one.  You can see such detail in this one.  Even though the sky is blue it was still very cold outside and I took the picture stopped in the middle of the road.  There was nothing behind me and sometimes that is great coming up and down Hwy 22.  I have wanted to take a picture from the Tallapoosa River bridge but have yet to find it when no one was coming either way so I could stop briefly and snap a few.  I have a year to get that shot.  I have started keeping a notebook of shots I want to make....and am really enjoying searching for the perfect picture every day and being creative with my pictures.  I am a still photographer.  I found a wonderful poem about sunsets that I thought I would leave you with today.  It is by an Englishman named David Harris.  I think he too sees sunsets as something very special.

  Just Beyond The Sunset

Just beyond the sunset

Someone waits for me

Just beyond the sunset

Lies my destiny

Where the purple mountains

Lie in deep tranquillity

There I’ll find the treasure

Of love eternally

Just beyond the sunset

Waits someone so fair

Just beyond the sunset

All alone they wait there

Their hair is golden

The colour of the sand

Their eyes sparkle in the night

Like diamonds in your hand

Just beyond the sunset

Lies a home for me

Where the world is peaceful

Like a paradise should be

Just beyond the sunset

Someday is where you’ll find me

Written - July or Aug 1966

David Harris