I like walking the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
Although the sun is high as I walk toward the west, the sun will set in a few hours.
Personally, I favor sunrises over sunsets – an event that only we early birds see. Whereas the sunrise appears as the faint music we hear arising from the quiet that continues crescendoing until its midday peak, the sunset is the corresponding decrescendo that fades away into the silence of the night.
Sunrise is a time when we patiently watch the sun without squinting – without worry of harm – a time when we are taken by its peacefulness and feeling of comfort.
However, now I wonder: Will today’s sunset be brilliant? Time will tell, so now I think of the time of day that captures many hearts – sunsets.
Sunset is a time when blues, pinks, yellows, and oranges paint a beautiful picture that is also unique. A time when colors depend on the presence of particles, water droplets, and just enough clouds in the sky to display the day’s final brilliance.
Sunset is a time when the shadows are long and point to the east – but they will soon disappear into the dark – very soon.
Sunset is a combination of fascination and melancholy that says goodbye to the day, then hello to a new evening.
Sunsets mark the end of the day and the beginning of a time to rest. But for the night owls, the day is young as they will embrace the dark.
Sunsets over the water our sensual as we watch the lowering sun softly and slowly kiss the sea. The sun appears as a candle drip that disappears while leaving a brilliant light in the west while darkness is engulfing the sky from the east.
Sunsets symbolize the end of one’s life. Starting at the birth of sunrise, our life is the sun’s arc across the sky. A life full of ups and downs – happiness and sadness – successes and failures – a journey when we interacting with many – even influencing some. As our sun disappears, our memories live on in those who remain – yet in time, most of us will be forgotten – simply fading away as the sun that never rises again.
The sun is gone, but the bright sky of dusk remains as a distant bonfire celebrating the passing day that is now a memory.
While the sunset is full of wonder, mystery, and symbolism, I will watch today’s sunset with a renewed sense of its meaning – all because I like walking the beach for it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
I’m rarely up in time to see a sunrise, but that’s okay since sunsets at the beach are the best! Thanks for capturing them so well.
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Patti,
Glad you enjoyed this week that captured something you enjoy. About sunrises, I see beautiful ones on the Gulf coast, but not at home. Sunsets there are OK … a few glorious .. but sunsets are very good here. Seems strange. Thanks for walking along.
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Lovely…
You’ll have to check out Sorryless on Wednesday. I caught a doozie of a sunset yesterday.
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Dale,
Thank you … and thanks for the heads up! 🙂
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Then again, I might go another way. I am torn between two…
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I am a big fan of vacation sunrises and sunsets. When I camp at lake Huron I get the sunrise, at Lake Michigan I catch the sunset. My favorites are the sunsets over Lake Michigan from Orchard Beach State park in Manistee. The park sits on a bluff overlooking the Lake.
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Gary,
Seems sunsets over water is something that catches both of our eyes. Thanks for sharing your memorable experiences.
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I’m with you on sunrises – I prefer them too, however, sunsets by the sea are more likely to be colorful and generally more interesting. Sunrises can be as spectacular mainly when clouds are present, whereas, sunsets can do the trick without clouds too! 😉 Take it from a person who’s been photographing sunrises everyday for about two years [still do, on/off]. That said, Sunsets have an element of melancholy which I enjoy. Beautiful post, my friend! Lovely music for sunsets. Happy Monday and new week! Yamas! 🙂
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Marina,
Glad you enjoyed this walk. Why am I not surprised that we are on the same page regarding the sun! 🙂 …. Have a wonderful week. Yamaas!
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🙂 🙂 🙂
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I’m with you, I dig sunrise very much. It’s the very best way to welcome a new day if you can grab it.
Love the video, very movie soundtrack-ish.
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Marc,
Cheers to another lover of sunrises. Finding the right song & video for the walks isn’t easy – so I appreciate knowing you enjoyed it.
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Very much so.
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You are so right about sunrise being special. A new beginning and reserved for the very few who take notice.
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John,
I imagine you had a great view of sunrise while living on the coast. … but much less so now. Interesting that you, Marc, and I relish sunrises.
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Our sunrise is visible out our window in the morning. the expanse is nowhere as breathtaking as at the coast but nice to see.
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I’ve enjoyed many beach sunrises and sunsets, Frank. I enjoyed reading your thoughts here. I love that each day brings brand new paintings to the sky. We are so fortunate to witness Nature’s exquisite artwork. 🙂
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Sylvia,
Glad you enjoyed walking along and thanks for sharing. You got me wondering about your former home in SA, I’m imagining sunrises were over the water but sunsets over land. How’s my guess?
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Correct. That was when we lived at the coast. Living in Johannesburg was different of course.
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Whew!
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Being a morning person, sunrises are my kind of jam. To accompany the beautiful view there is a serenity of quiet that appeals. Thanks for letting me walk along with you during this beautiful time of day.
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Monika,
Not surprised because I know your four-legged alarm clocks are early risers! You get quite the contrast, that is sunrise over the plains, but sunsets behind the mountains.
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And both are beautiful. For the record, I wake up before they do. 😁
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Oh my my … I thought they were the alarm clocks and they didn’t give you much choice!
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Not generally. I’ve always been an early riser. ☺️
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Lovely piece, Frank. I watched many wonderful sunsets on my recent holiday in Scotland. It gave me much pause for reflection and reminded me to be thankful.
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E R,
Thanks for walking along and enjoy the moments. Cheers to your recent Scottish sunsets. No matter where, they are reflective. 🙂
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I’m getting to this late–but I hosted dVerse yesterday and the prompt word I used was “set.” 🙂
I see the sunrise most mornings because I’m up and can see the sun rise from where I sit in the kitchen. Sunsets over the ocean (or rivers) are beautiful.
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Merril,
Arriving late is better than never. I simply appreciate that you remembered. Plus you are lucky to be able to watch sunrises each day from the comfort of home. Ahhhhhh …. I get to see sunsets from the comfort of where I generally sit watching TV or with my laptop. … Ahhhhhhh … At least in Alabama I can see both! 🙂
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🙂
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Just gorgeous. One of your most beautifully penned walks.
Your descriptions are so vivid
Xx
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Fiery,
Thank you! There is no question about the vividness of sunsets, so that I was able to describe them, that’s a good thing. Thanks for strolling along with me on this day.
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I enjoy strolling along with you. Quiet and peaceful. . sigh
💜
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🙂 … and I’m glad to have you along.
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I am not a beach person because where I grew up near a big river, girls were told not to go there because of dangerous hippos. However, I remember walking on the beach at Lake Malawi one early morning and communing with the rising sun. I made a life changing decision that morning which saw me letting go of some pain and humiliation that I had undergone. It was the beginning of a new day for me.
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Lady,
Welcome first-time commenter. My apologies for not replying sooner. To be honest, I missed it. Thanks for sharing a personal encounter with sunrise. Regardless where home is located in the world, there are so many stories to share! Because of the situation, linking a sunrise to a personal, life-changing event makes me smile. I hope all is well with you now.
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I love your descriptions of what surmises and sunsets symbolise, and the beauty of the sunset over water. Kissing the sea…. truly sigh worthy Frank.
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Rachel,
Thanks for walking along and you kind words. I’m touched. … Oh …. my current post (just published) is a walk of a different kind, so I hope you see it. You’ll see a bit of my city.
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I loved reading this, Frank. Sunset is my favorite time of day! And when we have our beach vacations, I encourage (force) all the family members to accompany me down to the sand to watch the sun sink below the horizon. As a child I really did think the sun went down into the ocean! It’s a blessed time for me. I always say that if it was a hard day, then the sunset is the time we can focus on how we’ve made it through and now we rest. If it was a very good day, we can just say “thank you.” Thank you for reminding me of how much I love my beach sunsets. I really do!
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Debra,
I’m so glad that this is a special walk for you. Whereas sunrises over the water are special on the east coast, the sunsets on the west coast are also special. So each coast has something the other doesn’t. I recall two of my west coast sunsets – one on Pismo Beach and one on Kauai. Simply wow. Thanks for sharing your personal thoughts and experiences.
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Nice beach walk, Frank.
Sunsets can be very glorious, but you point out the melancholy of it being the end of a cycle, nicely.
It’s a bit difficult to watch sunsets in the heart of the city, what with all the tall buildings. However, I can climb on the neighbours roof, and get a decent view. Next time I climb, and one is coming up soon, I will think of you.
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Resa,
Ah ha … you have caught the complexity that I was aiming for … so thanks for the feedback. And you go high for that sunrise, take a wine glass with you so we can clink!
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Beautiful.
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