Layers of Lace

I remember well the night, many years ago, that I went to see the sunset, as one must do, in Key West. It was the fourth night of my trip and my fourth pilgrimage to the most southern peninsula on the key. And, on each of those splendid evenings, I noticed a fragile elderly man, perhaps in his eighties, standing in exactly the same spot. And, on eachnight, he had a joyous glow and an undeniable focus in his eyes. His retinas were fixated on the sun and his spine was hunched over slightly allowing his view to rest squarely with the horizon. He looked neither healthy nor unhealthy but one could tell he had weathered a few storms. He stood like a statue without movement but my head and eyes shifted, back and forth, between the view of his face and that which I had ventured to see, the sun.

Sunsets can be endless when dinner and wine awaits but, as it finally set, and we actually witnessed the infamous green flash of the last rays of light, he spun towards me and said, "It never gets old, does it?" I nodded my head up and down in violent agreement. With that, he started to walk towards the village. I sat there like a fool with five thousand questions crashing about my dense skull. Then, I finally mustered up the courage to give chase and ask him one simple question.

"Sir, how long have you been admiring this sunset from this point?"

"Thirteen years, I think", said he, "haven't counted exactly".

I love sunsets and can never see too many of them. But, my spirit always rises most on a tightly knit tree lined dirt road and walking on such never gets old for me. There are an endless number of roads like this in Itasca County. Hence, the periodicity of my trips up north increases as does my age and realization that life does not last forever. To me, a trip up north is a trip to paradise. This time I travelled there for business but stayed for unexpected pleasures.

To elaborate, I worked quite late last night and I wanted to drive the four hours back to the city to see my family and pups but I was too tattered and tired to do such. So I meandered to the cabin about an hour away and I crashed there. My delay was my delight. I arose to one of the most beautiful mornings I have ever seen in Northern Minnesota. Spring snows were bathed in brilliant light. My camera snapped happily and this was one of many acceptable exposures. It was taken about a mile from my blip of about ten days ago but it is a path to one of the marinas. The other images of this morning are on my hard drive but, mostly, the images are in my heart and will be there for a long time.

I hope to catch up on your journals soon but work and family life keeps "getting in the way". Thanks for all your kind comments, views and support.


In BIG you can feel the snow.