rise and set – bookends

Watching the sunset is one of my favorite things to do at the end of the day. At home I don’t get the opportunity as the sunset is obscured by homes and trees. Though sometimes I can catch the sunset while I drive home after school, it’s rare especially in the springtime after the time changes and the sun sets after 7 in the evening.

the sunset at Seven Mile Bridge – east end Thursday 3/29/18

When we are up north at the lake, we usually have a clear view of the sunset. When we are here in the Keys we make time to see the sunset, timing our dinner for the time before the sunset or after the sunset or sometimes selecting a place to enjoy dinner where we can watch the sunset. We need to plan and choose the right spot, but we can usually find a place to watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico that’s within fifteen minutes of where we are staying. After all, we are on an island or a series of islands.

Today is Friday, Good Friday, it’s the last full day of Spring Break and March. Tomorrow we pack and clean the condo and begin our journey home and back to school. So far, we’ve been able to see several sunsets and had one ‘epic fail’ trying to see the sun slide beneath the ocean’s horizon.

Being here in the Keys also presents the opportunity to see the sunrise as we face the Straits of Florida to the south. Every morning of our trip I’ve been up and awake to watch the sunrise. I am morning person and enjoy the morning to watch the day begin and Earth return to life.

Friday morning’s sunrise – Key Colony Beach – 3/30/18

As enjoyable as watching the sunrise and sunset is, it’s not the sun’s rise nor the set which makes the day count, it’s what happens in between that matters most. We’ve enjoyed our time here and had fun resting, relaxing, and enjoying each other’s company.

the moon over the Atlantic – by my wife sent me a text about the moon and I captured the moment with my camera – it’s what happens in between which matters most

Time moves quickly, especially when were on vacation, and though our time is almost up, we’ll be heading home with sunshine stored away until we return next year.

“Life moves pretty fast, you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller

It’s gonna be a great day. I know it and I can feel it. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a time, one sunrise or sunset at a time, making what happens in between matter.

When was the last time you took time to watch the sun set or rise? Please share in a comment below.

O snapped this photo the sun is setting behind me to my right – she captured the moment perfectly.

 NOTE: This post was inspired by the WordPress Daily Post prompt – Rise/Set. For this week’s photo challenge, share your favorite photos of a sunrise or a sunset. If you’re an early bird, try to capture what dawn means to you. Is it a symbol of hope? A reminder to get going? Do you have any special early morning rituals that you do as the sun rises in the sky?

For night owls, share a snapshot of the day coming to an end. Show off the vibrant colors of sunset and the peaceful calm as the moon rises or any twilight rituals you may have. Get creative and show us the sun in all of her fiery glory.

10 thoughts on “rise and set – bookends

  1. Lovely photos. Looks like the Keys are my kind of place. I like that you time your evening meal with the sun. That’s pretty cool.

    Take care on your way home. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Happy Easter!

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

  2. Clay, what strikes me most (and I can’t tell you why now..) is that it is Good Friday today and that only when I lived in an English spoken country I realised that in this word named for a day so full of pain, sorrow and ultimate death, there is also the word GOOD – in no other language I know this is the case.
    As for sun-rises and -sets I shall never forget the only time I visited Key West, sitting there with an old fashioned camera and a real film in it and watching in stunned silence and surprise how quickly the sun sunk at the horizon. Now I’m here, now I’m no longer. I have lived through many, both sun-rises and sun-sets, I enjoyed the settings more as they usually announced the end of a long day, whereas sun-rises meant a too short night!
    Happy Easter and courage for the new week of work, law and order 🙂

Leave a Reply to EmotionalNotionsCancel reply