— Look off dear love across the sallow sands

And mark yon meeting of sun and sea.

How long they kiss in front of all the lands.

Ah, longer, longer we.

Sidney Lanier

I am at once met with the inadequacy of words this morning. It has been about twelve years that we’ve come to Naples, Florida for either the month of January or January and February combined. I can comfortably say that last evening’s sun set was the most spectacular one that I’ve ever witnessed here.

It is common protocol. Folks gather their lawn chairs at the appointed hour, stroll to the beach and take in the daily wonder of the sun’s descent.

We are fortunate enough to simply step into the lanai and view the phenomenon from an eighth floor elevation. The Gulf of Mexico shore is but a hundred feet away. The softly subtle waves of blue are the lawn as far as the eye can see.

One becomes practiced at predicting the “quality” of an impending sunset by observing the array of clouds that are present prior to prior to its lordly unfolding. Last evening foretold something dramatic. It did not disappoint !

The clouds, infused with the waning sunlight, wove magical patterns of color. In whatever the direction, the scene was compelling, humbling to any soul fortunate enough to behold it.

It is nearly insulting to such a sunset to snap a photo. They are never reproduced with the quality requisite to do them justice. Their is only one solution here: this coming evening, unlikely as the notion is, you might see one better yet !

Hope Springs Eternal to the human heart.