Skywatch Friday - Sunset

Had some really beautiful sunsets lately and I am really loving the sight of them framed by all the tall trees. Unfortunately they are taken with my cellphone camera, which tends to be a little frustrating as it is rather limited. I so need a decent camera!! :-)

Go to SKYWATCH for views of the sky from all over the world !

Skywatch Friday ... Monterey Sunset

Last week, I had the opportunity to go to Monterey, for three days, on a 6th Grade school trip.

After 14 years of living in the High Sierra Desert, it was an absolute joy to be back by the ocean again ... I so miss it !!

These two photos, were taken on our first night there, just as the sun was beginning to set. It was glorious !!

It doesn't matter how huge you think your problems are ...sitting down on the beach and watching the waves crash in and seeing the immensity of the ocean in front of you ... makes those problems seem seem small in comparison. The smell of salt in the air and the rhythm of the sea is so soothing ...





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Sunsets..

The smoke plume from a wildfire on the outskirts of Reno..taken in the early evening.

Two days later ..all the smoke particles in the air certainly made for some brilliant sunsets..




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Skywatch Friday - Is It A Bird ... Is It A Plane ??

No, it's a pesky helicopter, that spent most of last Sunday, flying above us, taking photos of the facelift they've given the Peppermill Casino.

I wouldn't have minded so much, if they hadn't started the flights at 5.30 in the morning !!

These were all taken with my little point and shoot.

Took others with my 35mm SLR, but haven't got the roll of film developed yet..


Early morning..


Flying against the sunset...


Hmmmmm ...maybe it's heading off to the airport...


Nope ...here it comes again..


Ahhhhhhh ... blessed peace !!!

Have a great weekend all !!!

I just bought a Tokina 70-210 lens for my film SLR, so I'm hoping to get out, this weekend, and play with it. :-)

What are the rest of you doing ??

Go to SKYWATCH for views of the sky from all over the world !

Awesome Sunset

I think that sometimes, in this life, we are often in too much of a hurry to stop and observe the wonders around us.

Late yesterday afternoon, the hubby and I took a stroll up to our local Walmart, to deliver a Christmas gift to a friend who works there and pick up the makings for a homemade pizza.

On the way back, we were treated to one of the most awe inspiring sunsets, that I've seen for awhile.





We watched, enthralled, as the sky over the snow covered mountains, went from a few bright clouds to being on fire with the most beautiful pink, gold and orange. It was truely a gift for the senses.

I wonder how much we would have seen if we had been driving. In our hurry to get home, to negotiate the busy road and all the other things that command our attention, I think this would have been missed, or just briefly commented on, if we had happened to glance up at the sky. This morning, it's a memory that brings a smile to my face.

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. They're often broken or forgotten within a very short time. :-)

However, this is one that I'm going to work hard at keeping. To take more time to watch and appreciate the beauty and wonder that is around me. It may be the obvious, like that sunset. It can also be the lines and wrinkles on an elderly person's face, that speak of years of wisdom, laughter, pain and hard work. An old house that is falling into neglected ruin or the smile on a child's face when they finally get what you've been trying to explain to them.

These are all things that have their own, special brand of beauty and wonder. Sometimes we have to look at them in a different way to realise that. However, it is there if we only take the time to appreciate it.

So what do you find beauty and wonder in ? Are you going to take the time , this coming year, to find it and appreciate it?