The Best Part of June 22, 2010

The evening sky. I don't know what it was like in other parts of the country/world, but from where I was sitting, it was exquisite--like something out of National Geographic or a photoshopped piece of graphic design found on the Internet. The utter beauty of the sunset was not only created by the typical orange, pink, soft yellow, and deep blue and purple shades. The clouds played a huge role in the evening's splendor. There must have been storm clouds passing through, because there were huge dark blueish-purple clouds traveling, shifting, and oozing across the sky at a brisk pace. It was impossible to fix my gaze on a given cloud shape because they transmogrified at every moment. At the same time, the sun was setting and the sky was illuminated with colors of peach, cotton candy pink, and hints of yellow. As the clouds changed form constantly, they seemed superimposed upon the bright colors. Sometimes the cloud formations would let patches of the colorful sky peek through; in other places, there were hardly any clouds to be seen, only playfully intermingled colors.

And the grand finale? As I stared out of my window and craned my neck to look all the way to the right and down the block, I saw the brightest moon appear surrounded by one of the most beautiful shades of blue I've ever seen the sky embody. I can't even describe that particular shade of blue--it wasn't deep, nor was it clear. It wasn't sky blue nor the darker shade of evening sky that one is accustomed to seeing when the moon and stars first make their evening appearance. It must have been close to a cerulean color. It was a rich blue, yet still light enough to seem like daytime. It made the moon seem out of place, like a traveling stranger in a foreign town, and yet the sky's hue complemented the moon's every facet, crater, and glowing magical light emanating from it. What I saw last night was enough to confirm that the sky is truly one of the most amazing things on this planet, and it never ceases to fill me with awe, wonder, and, peace.