Photography, Travel
The Evolution of a Sunset
Flaming skies over Catalina Island
While on an evening walk through my neighborhood yesterday, I crested a hill and had to stop to catch my breath because the sunset peeking through the trees was so utterly spectacular. That is Catalina Island, off the coast of Orange County, California, that you see floating out there in that orange haze.
There are a few little “pockets” in these hills with unobstructed views all the way out to Catalina Island, Palos Verdes, and all the way up to downtown LA. It looked like this was going to be one of those epic “fire-in-the-sky” sunsets, so I bee-lined to where I knew there was a good overlook.
I arrived just as the sun was beginning to sink.
Apparently I’m not the only one who knows where to catch a glimpse of the sunset because several other walkers, and a woman in an SUV, also appeared out of nowhere to gawk at the beauty.
Within the span of a just a couple of minutes, the expanse of ocean between the shore and the island began to morph into a shadowy realm.
And then the sun was gone, leaving in her wake those smoldering embers on the horizon.
Here, I moved down the street just a few steps to be able to see a bit more to the left. That’s Newport Beach, and the towers of Fashion Island, that you can see now.
The other “sunset viewers” only stayed for a minute or two. But, I wanted to watch the show until the end. The sky still glowed, but now the little lights of civilization began to flicker to life.
It was, truly, one of those sunsets that stays with you. I experienced a similar one in Alaska last summer, and also witnessed the sky catch on fire while in the air on my way to Louisiana. And there was a night in Norway, when I was aboard the Hurtigruten (the local ferry/cruise boat) when the sun never set and we floated around in that purpley-pink realm of dreams for hours. I didn’t sleep that night. It was one of the most mystical moments of my life. This sunset made me remember those moments. And yet, it was a moment of stupendous beauty all its own — one that will stay with me forever.
Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
I hope you enjoyed my photo and musings. You might also like:
Photos and story ©Erika Burkhalter. All rights reserved.
If you enjoyed this piece, you might consider subscribing to my stories. You’ll get an alert whenever a story gets published. While I do normally post my stories with free “friends” links on social media, if you enjoy reading on medium, you can help the many talented writers here by joining. It helps to support the arts and to keep us writing!
If you’re ever interested in purchasing a photo, just leave me a note.
