Second Sunset

(Continuing the recap of my Southern Oregon Coast trip in late April....)
 

After a very rainy second day, I had low expectations for sunset.  Near dinnertime, the skies finally dried up, but thick clouds persisted.  Thinking the night's sunset would be a bust, I almost didn't venture down to the beach.  But my clothes had finally dried from the afternoon's hike, and I didn't want to sit in my yurt all night.  Besides, I was here to see the sights, no matter the weather.

A touch of pink light

Gathering my now-dry camera gear, I made the short walk to Harris Beach.  Wildflowers bloomed along the path, water droplets still clinging to their petals.

Lovely white wildflowers

After exploring the northern end of the beach the previous evening, tonight I chose to wander in the opposite direction.  I was surprised to see houses perched on top of a bluff overlooking the ocean.  Obviously I wasn't in wilderness here, the park was adjacent to Brookings city limits.

Waves on the sand

Although cloudy, the skies shone with a muted pink light.  Reflecting on the wet beach sand, it made for some photo-worthy images.  I snapped a couple of photos to capture the scene.  With the heavy cloud cover, I thought that might be the best light I'd get.

Golden skies

However, I couldn't have been more wrong.  About an hour from sundown, the clouds suddenly began to part. 

Interesting clouds

The partly cloudy skies began to turn a stunning shade of gold.

A faint rainbow!

As I looked back towards the developed bluff, I spotted a faint rainbow hovering over the houses.  Who would've thought?

The sky colors reflected on the sand

The purple-pinkish-orangish light that reflected from the sky onto the beach was quite lovely.

Beach patterns

As was the sky color reflected in crashing waves.

Dropping sun's last rays

I found a group of offshore rocks that looked like a good background, and waited for the sun to drop.

Orange ball

Slowly, the sun's orange ball sank towards the horizon, casting rays out from beyond the clouds as it made it's journey downward.

Going down....

Watching the sun set on an ocean beach is such a peaceful experience.  With one last orange gleam spreading across the sea, day transitioned into night.  I lingered afterwards, capturing the final sky colors reflecting on wet sand.

Last light on the beach

Time for another night of rest in my dry, cozy yurt.  The weatherman promised a rain-free day tomorrow, so hopefully I'd finally get a chance to explore the gorgeous Oregon coastline north of Brookings.  Which I'll cover in my next couple of posts.