We made it home, carefully, yesterday afternoon.
One of the most glorious moments in Eufaula was the sunset Wednesday night. In fact, our cottage had a perfect sunset and sunrise view – so I’m already planning a return visit.
But Wednesday night. The snow on the beach had faded, but was still dazzlingly covering the yard. The ice, snow, beach combination was something that South Alabama doesn’t get to experience…ever.
I don’t often have the opportunity to observe a single sunset through its entire process, but since the kids were happily playing, I witnessed this one from beginning to end, reminding me why I’ve so deeply fallen in love with this magical time of day. The dramatic contortions that the sky goes through is exhilarating in a way that’s hard to explain without seeing the whole process. So, here are twenty shots sixty-five minutes, all from my iPhone, using ProHDR as my camera, and with very few post-shot edits.
4:43
4:45
4:47 – the sun reflecting in one of the many frozen puddles.
4:50
4:55 – Noah was screaming “I’m running! IN THE SNOW!!”
4:56 – Snow running is quickly exhausting.
4:57 – Beach reeds – I’m thinking this was probably their first experience with ice.
4:59 – Ali, looking for treasures.
5:01
5:02
5:05
5:06
5:07 – It was as if the earth completely segregated, for just a minute, into warm and cool sides.
5:08
5:09 – They were probably kicking goose poo.
5:12, one minute prior to official sunset – Noah moved on me and left his ghost behind.
5:27
5:28 – Rorschach skies – but way more colorful.
5:29 – I had to wade out in the water myself – you know, to check the angle.
5:48 – the last peeks of color are always the softest.
Everyone needs to give a sunset an hour of their time. Regularly.
Gorgeous photos! It seems to me like God takes the most pleasure in His handiwork at sunrise and sunset. Something that happens twice a day, every day, and yet brings a completely different–and often breathtaking–beauty, each time.
Beautiful! I so appreciate these pictures today. We’ve been socked in an inversion this month. Cold air is trapped under a layer of gray clouds &/or fog and we don’t see the temperatures change more than 5 degrees between the low and the high every day (let’s just say it’s not been 70…nor has it been -15, so there is that). We’ve had gray skies for 23 out of 30 days in January. Yesterday, it cleared after a day of rain on Wednesday, and the beautiful, glorious, radiant sun shone again!! Praise the Lord, I think I’m gonna make it until spring!
You should do a series on sunsets, you know for “research” or “science class”. How do they change with the seasons? Different parts of the state, different parts of the country, that sort of thing. That could be fun.
Glad you’re safely back home with Chris.
Oh – gray days are the worst! I hope you guys get some sun very very soon!
Oh i love these! But my favourite is the one with Noah and his ghost! I love it!
Holy prism Batman! Your photos are spectacular. Thanks so much for this wonderful post.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed them.
Beautiful! I am jealous of your get away! What a lovely experience. Of course, when someone else did it and they are already safe and sound, back at home, it is easy to be jealous. I forget that it involved planning, and worry about bad road conditions. Well done! Aren’t you glad you took the risk:)
Julie
It had its ups and downs for sure, but overall it was most definitely a worthwhile trip.
Wow, what stunning photos of an obviously stunning sunset! Just beautiful!
Gorgeous photos! Thank you for taking the time to capture them and to share :)
First off – your photos are Uh-mazing!
Second off – did you love Lakepoint? I mean it’s a beautiful place and those cottages are something else . . .
YES! I had never even heard of that State Park, but it’s one of the nicest I’ve ever been to. The Cottages were EXACTLY what I wanted for our weekend – I’d been looking for something similar in my last 20+ potential snow destinations and didn’t find what I was looking for. I couldn’t have asked for a better scenic landscape to enjoy the snow. And, since there was only one other family staying in the whole line of cottages and the park was basically empty, I could let Ali play outside by herself without worrying. It was really, really great. I can’t wait to go back and take Chris with me!
These are gorgeous! You should print it out and frame it for your house!
I’m positive at least one picture will be added to my sunset wall. :-)
Wow, these pictures are beyond gorgeous! And what a great location! I love when I find nice open spaces where I can let the kids run without making them stay close to me. I love the way you enjoy sunsets. I really need to slow down and enjoy sunset. Most of the time I don’t even notice it has set till it’s dark, because I feel like I’m running in a million directions!
It really was a perfect location. And you know what, it’s a good distance between Orlando and Birmingham. You know, for a weekend meet-up when you’re in Orlando….??? Our kids would have SO MUCH FUN there together!!
Stunning photos. Sounds like you guys had a great time. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
Breathtaking! You really have eye for the best shot. My favorite is the “segregated” one. Beautiful.
Really pretty!