Sunsets

Sunsets are my favourite time of day. Something almost mystical happens when the sun is level with the horizon and casts its hues across the sky painting it with gold and amber, crimson and pink. When, like me, you live on an island and are privileged to see the sun set over the west-facing sea, you will be blown-away by the sheer beauty of the moment. The burn-off from the sun is reflected in the water and as far as the eye can see there is a palette of colour that is daily re-created and that is different everyday. Each season brings with it a different sunset. Winter sunsets, when they happen, are usually brief with the sun slipping quickly over the horizon and giving way to an ebony-coloured sky. In late spring and summer the sun seems to linger, as if loathe to slip away and let night take over its brilliant hues. Clouds, or the lack of them, have an effect on the beauty of a sunset. Thin layers of clouds may cause the colours of the bright disc of the sun to appear fragmented and sometimes it appears as if the sun has lost its round shape. But this only adds to the beauty and diversity of sunsets. Every sunset is a new experience. Every sunset is a mystery. Having viewed and photographed many sunsets I can truly say that I am still awe-inspired by the beauty, the majesty and the vivid colours. Sunsets signify the end of the day, a time for rest and for allowing the tranquillity of the moment to soothe and calm the tensions and tribulations of the past day. I know that for many, sunsets signify the end of light; a time to face the trials that the night might bring. But for me, sunsets signify the endless cycle of life and, as night follows day, so too, day follows night and in the dawn the sun will return and rise and paint the sky once more with unimaginable colours.