SUNRISE SUNSET... SWIFTLY FLY THE YEARS

I have always been in awe of sunrises and sunsets, especially once I started photography as a hobby then as a career. The colors can be so vibrant and different from one night to the other . Why are they the colors they are?? Well, we could talk about rayleigh and mie scattering and other scientific terms but we won't. Let's just say the shorter wavelength lights of violet, blue and green are scattered so much over longer lengths that they are removed from the incident beam, leaving only longer wavelength lights of red and orange during this period when the light passes through more of the earth's atmosphere. Plus airborne particles have these light rays passing through them all causing the red and orange colors that we all ooh and ah over. That is about the most scientific musings you will ever hear from me.
Why do I like sunrises and sunset, besides all the pretty colors? I think each morning they represent a new beginning to me and each night the end of day; the passing of time!!  As Tevye sang in Fiddler On The Roof:

Sunrise sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laiden with happiness and tears.

When we were in St Augustine this past weekend, we saw some great sunrises and sunsets. I awoke Saturday morning and as I frequently do, went out to the patio which faced the ocean. This is what I saw!

Now this is not a great sunrise, not yet! The sun had not risen but I could see the colors reflecting off the clouds as they bent around the earth paving the way for the sun. I put on my clothes and went downstairs walking toward the beach.

Taking this image as I was walked up the hotel's path to the ocean, I could see the yellow light starting to come up into the sky. When I reached the beach, I looked toward the pier and saw this light.

The light was getting a stronger pink glow all around the empty beach, reflecting on the waves giving the scene a warm, beautiful feeling.

Then there it was, the sun, in all its glory; a big yellowish light shining in the yellow, orange sky.  After all these years, a great sunrise still takes my emotional breath away. It's something very emotional and  artistic, truly nature's palette reminding us who the true artist is. Reflecting off the water was a path of light seemingly to reach out to me and guide me to a new day, a new beginning.

I focused my lens for a close up, wanting to highlight our sun, the giver of life, in a picture. What a beautiful way to start the day! (By the way, never ever look directly at the sun through your lens, you could do permanent damage to your eyes).

 This image shows the colors getting more intense before the sun was up in the sky and the colors were
 gone for another day.

Around twelve hours later, after we ate dinner, we started in the direction of the Bridge of Lions. Traffic was really bad, stop and go but mostly stop. By the time we reached the bridge, the sunset was gone with just this hint of what it was. We parked our car and as we started to walk, I saw it. The sun was gone but there was the moon right behind the bridge starting its nightly trip across the sky.

As the sun went further down, the night sky turned darker but the moon was still there lighting the way.

We continued on enjoying our night and our dinner and when we left, the moon was high in the sky;     not as majestic as earlier but still there, the earth's night light telling us go to sleep, don't worry, I will be here.

We drove to the hotel and once more I went out to the patio looking out into the night with the pool below and the moon above.

I took a few images and then went back into the room to get ready for a good night's sleep. As I looked into the mirror at myself and started washing up, I heard the words in my mind;  Tevye singing those words;

I don't remember growing older, when did they?
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days.

Sunrise sunset swiftly fly the years
One season following the another
Laiden with happiness and tears.

 No, I don't remember growing older.

As I walked out of the bathroom and into our room, I was feeling like Tevye; old, looking at a sunset coming.

But then I looked at my best friend lying there, my lover of 24 years ,my wife and she smiled and I smiled back at her.
I didn't feel old anymore.

I could see the sunrise!!!

I could see clearly now
It was going to be a bright sunny day!!!