Golden Hour Thunderstorm and nature’s tapestry of light

Golden hour sunset recently at Lake Kirby in Abilene

Golden Hour Thunderstorm, looking to the west across the lake. The storm was about 15 miles to the west of the lake. The big clumps of vegetation are bulrushes (Isolepis ssp.). You can see the curtain of rain draping down from the storm clouds. Golden hour precedes sunset, and the light is a little redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky. I am constantly fascintaed by natural light, especially early morning and late evening. Here’s another Kirby sunset:

Lake Kirby sunset at the lake shore

The wonderful thing about any sunset, whether spectacular or not, is that any two are never the same. The clouds along the horizon, the suspended particles in the air, and a host of other atmospheric factors, conspire in a beautifully original combination to produce a one-of-a-kind sunset each and every day. The physics of the atmosphere can paint wonderfully rich tapestries for our human eyes to interpret, appreciate, and enjoy.