Sunday, January 30, 2011

Bare Trees

I love the time between dusk and nightfall. I shot this photo yesterday evening after I finished working at the old house. The bare trees were beautiful against the disolving light. It seems like a magical time of day. Carlos Casteneda talked about this in one of his books, but I don't recall the quote and I don't want to butcher his words, but I always feel strangely energized during the time between daylight and nightfall.
For some reason, it reminds me of a feeling I got when I was much younger, when I was getting ready to go out on a date.
Even if I'd busted it all day long at work, I'd be excited about seeing my girlfriend and going OUT.
When I'd pick Jilda up she often wore really short skirts. I can remember thinking, "I can't believe your mama lets you out of that house in that skirt. It seemed to me that her hands hung down below her hemline.
What's strange is that her folks were really religious and strict on her. We couldn't go to ballgames, or to the movies, but we could drive all over the country, go to dairy bars, and as long as she was in the yard by 9 p.m. we could sit in my car, listen to the stereo, and neck till our lips were chapped. Talk about a magical time.
A few years ago, our good friend Wes invited us to celebrate his 40th birthday with him. The only thing, he'd be celebrating in Las Vegas. You only turn 40 once and we wanted to share the moment with our friend, so we booked the flight and headed west.
We stayed at Bally's and down at ground level there was a concourse that connected Bally's with the Paris Hotel and the concourse was painted to look like that magaical hour between daylight and nightfall.
I'm sure that was no accident. They make money in Las Vegas and one reason is that they put a great deal of thought into ambience.
I know it was a circuitous  path that led this entry from a small farm in Empire, Alabama to Las Vegas, but as I said - that time of day is magical.

7 comments:

  1. Okaaaay - another good chuckle. I spent today driving across Arizona and New Mexico, and I too saw a tree....just the one though.

    It was dead. ...Marsha

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's my special time of day, too - dusk always makes me feel as if there's something special about to happen.
    Nice writing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. There is something PERFECT about in between times and places. I get that feeling that life is really a circle; I can see the beginning and the end and know that it is not over.

    My favorite time of day is its end, for I know that it will bring the sweet comfort of the darkest part of night and a new dawn.

    Oh, and I love CastaƱeda too. I just finished The Power of Myth by Campbell, and he makes so many CastaƱeda suggestions that it has been very difficult not to run and start rereading one of his books.

    Great pic!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's a beautiful time to be reflectice!!! Great pic too!! Jilda sounds absolutely wonderful!!

    What a way to celebrate one's 40th!

    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sweet story about you and Jilda! Yep...gotta love a good sunset!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great story Rick. My favorite time is just the opposite. It's when the very first light of day peeks through enough to see the trees silhouettes. Gotta love nature.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks all.
    @ Marsha, you travel safe.
    @ Alexia, was that profile picture taken in New Zealand? I also saw on your profile that you like Iron and Wine. I love those folks. I was playing The Trapeze Swinger and I looked at the blogs of my blog-buddies this evening.
    @ Mangaly, I read Campbells The Power of Myth and that is one powerful book.
    @ Old Kitty, thanks for your kind words. Jilda is great! She blogs too, not sure if you follow her. She's at Transformation Information.
    @ Donna, she's a good one.
    @ Barb. I love that time of morning too. There are very few times of day that I don't like when I come to think of it.

    ReplyDelete

Please consider sharing

Email Signup Form

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required