Seattle Summer Sunsets: Drama in the Sky

How did you celebrate Fourth of July weekend?

Sure fireworks are fun to oooh and aaahhh over, but you don't have to wait for fancy exploding chemical concoctions for spectacular displays in our skies. Just head down to a beach on Puget Sound, or anywhere with a good view west, and plop down on a log/sit pad/beach towel for the show. 

It has become a regular pilgrimage for me to head down to Carkeek Park, Golden Gardens, or occasionally Discovery Park to shoot the sunset.  Some nights a dark gray marine layer of clouds rolls in and settles high over the Olympics across the Sound, blotting out much of a show.

But overall clouds heighten the drama. We do clouds well here in the Upper Left Hand Corner.

 I'm not alone in heading to the Sound's edge for the evening show.  Families and friends bring picnics and revel in our sunsets.

And of course the Olympics heighten the spectacle, whether draped, partially obscured in clouds, or flying free and clear.

 As I watch the sky show and kiss the day goodbye, I try to appreciate the fleeting beauty of each moment.  These sunsets go by quickly, with subtle and dramatic changes in light and color over the course of 30 minutes or less. I see it as analogous to the course of a lifetime, in way.

Which of course has to include some fun.

So I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend and enjoyed a sunset or two. And  tell me about it with a Comment below!

Thanks for visiting Pacific Northwest Seasons.