Walking Alone at Sunset

Have you ever taken off on a lone journey without a plan? This momma needed some R&R from her full-time duties this afternoon. I would have loved company, but the guys weren't ready to leave when I was, so I just set out on my own. And I'm so glad I did. The sun was beginning to set on Magnuson Beach, Mount Rainier was "out", and the weather was pleasant for January.

People were flying kites! This hill is a popular destination for kite-flying so that is not what surprised me. But there was no wind. I could not detect any wind on my skin nor see any branches being moved by it. How do they fly kites without wind?

I meandered through the field, not following the path. These red berries caught my eye. I wanted to capture the sunlight shining on them. Through my camera vision, I then noticed the thorns, ouch! Yes, apropos...Nature once again reflecting my human condition. Sometimes life bears thorns.



And then this little guy (or gal) wandered in to my sight! Do you see it? It is almost the same color as the branch, directly below the top berry. Really hard to see...But we made eye contact! He or she is wondering what the hell I'm doing in it's microcosm! Was this the first time it ever exchanged gazes with a human?

Yah, another puddle reflection. I think I may be a little entranced by these...But do you see the beauty here? I mean, it's just a path. I tend to look down when I walk. Here in the Northwest I don't want a shoe full of muddy water, and after walking a dog for years, I definitely don't want to step in you know what! Typically, one might feel as though they're missing out, that all the excitement is happening on the horizon. It's funny how reflections "flip" our perspective.

As I was contemplating that mud puddle, I heard loud honking from above. I quickly snapped this photo and then they were gone!







I walked to the top of the kite fliers' hill...Magnificent! I took so many photos on this walk, many from this hill. There were none that could display that scene in its wholeness. Sun setting in the west, dark tree silhouettes in the foreground. In the east, the snow caps on the Cascades were highlighted pink! I knelt down below Queen Anne's Lace to let the stunning seed pods be constellations in the sky. Mount Rainier looks so tiny in the photo...





A close up of the seeds, stored potential, awaiting spring.

One last photo of Mount Rainier as I head to my car to go home. It was so hard to leave. My fingers were numb from the cold. I remembered the days of film photography and marveled how many of these pictures may never have been if I'd had to edit and limit myself. All of these pictures were taken with my iPhone. When I returned home to "my boys", I was renewed, once again by the glory of nature.

How do you renew yourself?

Suzanne