"Sunrise, Sunset"

Everyday has a sunrise and a sunset.  Sometimes they are not visible due to clouds, but they happen nonetheless.  Its one thing about life that is universally held to be true...the sun will come up and go down each and every day. It has and will continue to do that for millions of years.  So you can pretty much be sure that the sun will come up and go down every single day of your life.

Now when something is almost 100% guaranteed, it becomes easy to take it for granted.  Sometimes you never think about it at all.  It just is.   In the case of our sun, however, we can't be totally oblivious to it.  Ask anyone who has SAD.  Ask any farmer.  Ask Noah!! 

Our sun, in combination with atmospheric conditions on this particular planet, won't let us forget it.  We are provided with sunrises and sunsets....sometimes colorful, outstandingly beautiful, wonderful sunrises and sunsets.  (Though I haven't seen a sunrise in many years.  Since I retired, I am officially ignoring morning!) 

Austin, sitting at the edge of the Texas hill country, is noted for its sunsets.  Something about the terrain and geographic position provides conditions that are conducive to special sun shows.  In fact, there are a couple of restaurants nestled in the hills surrounding the area's largest lake.  These restaurants attract a crowd each day the sun shines.  People sit out on the decks nursing their margueritas, watching the sunset until the last sliver of sunlight disappears below the horizon.  Then there is applause!  Always!  

We had one of those special sunsets today.  The sky was partly cloudy but the sun managed to cast a beautiful range of light coming from the West.  Orange, red, pink, blue, gray, and yellow hues shared the spotlight.  There was one pretty large bank of clouds, reminiscent of a roadway disappearing into a tunnel, leaving a hole at the mouth of the "tunnel".  The clouds around this point were ringed by bright gold and red sunlight, almost glittering, like an outline against the grey clouds.  Of course, it only lasted for a short while; the sun kept going down, the wind currents pushed the clouds into different configurations and then it was gone.  

But for those few minutes, the clouds were on fire and it was beautiful beyond belief. 

"Sunrise, Sunset" ---- literally a gift from the heavens!