Greater Things

Without hope, a city stagnates. This city must have hope, there are so many details being attended to these days. In the past few years, run down buildings have been torn down and others built, roads are being rerouted to improve traffic flow and a beautiful new Visitors Center has been built.

I couldn't get across town to watch the sunset from Annie's Cottage tonight, so I just pulled over on the highway and looked across the city to the coastal hills as the sun set behind them. The sky was blooming with clouds of all shapes and sizes and textures. The bluest sky peaked through in places which made the gray and taupe and white clouds all look so dramatic against it. As I waited, the glow of sun began to shine through and I discovered something I hadn't discovered before! (photographers will say, 'yeah yeah, we know') When I focused on the sun itself, the remaining evening light disappeared and the foreground went all dark, intensifying the colors in the sky. Holding the button half way down to keep the focus in the same place, I was able to move the camera a bit to get the composition I wanted, but still keep that intense light. All I did to edit this was reduce the light slightly and increase the contrast slightly.

The whole time I clicked away at the sunset, a song was playing on the radio and the line, "Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city...." played over and over again which gave me such a strong sense that today wasn't just another day in the shadows of the old glory days of this little town's logging history, but it was a new day, one that was a precursor to the greater things that are yet to come!

Afterward, I was sitting in my car at the gas station with my wind0w down viewing the photos when a friend (a firefighter) walked up to my window. My first question...'are you pumping gas now?' was met with a grin and the information that he would be out doing lightning watch because there was a storm brewing. He was actually getting gas too and just popped over to say hi and let me know he would be late for band practice tomorrow night (a man of many talents) Well, you can see what he meant about the storm brewing! This isn't fire, those trees on the hill would sure burn if lightning struck, though!! I'm so thankful they are out there keeping an eye out! :-) Thanks, friend!!