Bar Harbor Inn in Bar Harbor, Maine

This week’s photo challenge is “The Golden Hour“, the first and last hour of sunrise.

For me though, the golden hour is not about the sunrise or sunset.  To me, the golden hour is what happens at the end of the day.

It’s sitting on the deck as the sky grows dark and the stars begin peeping out.  It’s listening to the frogs and insects as they start their evening song and watching as the bats fly overhead.

It’s a time for reflection on the day, of what went right and what went wrong, of thinking ahead to tomorrow and what needs to be done.

But as the darkness sinks in, my spirit calms – listening, watching, relaxing into the quietness.  I wave to neighbors as they walk by, but mostly I’m alone with myself and my thoughts.