There’s something about a sunset that is so magical. They can be similar from day to day but there will always be the smallest, most minute differences. Sometimes, not even small differences; one sunset might be the pale colors of rainbow sherbet, while the very next is rich and dramatic and splashed with clouds. Or two will be pale pastel but one is streaked with golden clouds and another has a lovely purple glow on the edges. I used to sit and try to write a description of each, to commit them to words because back then photography wouldn’t have had nearly the same effect. Even today, without post-processing it’s hard to replicate in a picture what can be seen in person.
When the sun sets here after 10pm in the summer, I love watching the low colors on the horizon and the growing lights of the towns below. It somehow feels like the world is waking up at dusk, in a way that doesn’t happen in the morning. But that’s another topic. I’ve found that finding something in nature that interests you, and learning to notice all of its differences, gives a much richer experience day to day.
I’ve always loved nature and tried to find patterns, little variations. When young I tried to collect all of the colors of dragonflies. I learned about edible plants early on, and to this day tend to snack on hibiscus flowers (the red ones taste sweetest) or baby blue spruce needles (lots of Vitamin C) or oxalis leaves (lemony!) when I find them. (Note: I do not recommend taste testing things if you’re not sure what they are!) I’ve loved looking at the infinite variations of snowflakes, and the fractals of ferns and seashells.
I loved walking in the woods as well, not with any goal in mind but just to look for the patches of ferns in sunlight, the little hidden brooks, the foxfire on a stump. Beyond the scientific applications of plants, there are so many ways to just enjoy the way they look. Even an everyday view out the window gains a certain brilliance after a rainstorm, when the dust has been washed away. It’s calming.
These days, we need all the calm we can get. I used to keep a Tumblr page with my favorite pictures of landscapes and nature to just enjoy. Now that I no longer have a page on that site, I keep a folder on my computer and regularly peruse it just to feel that sense of peaceful calm. It’s worth noticing the small things, collecting the beauty, and enjoying it as much as possible.
~selah