I arrive home at 4:21. My goal is to be out of the house at 4:30. Sunset is at 5:15 but it stays just light enough to push the walk to a full hour.
I'm out of the house at 4:38 and I almost make it to my goal, but darkness begins to wrap the mountain. The thought of mountain lions turns me quickly around.
There's movement in a clump of scrub oak; I startle and start to run. It's no mountain lion, but a reminder to time future hikes before sunset.
But truly, sunset hikes are the most beautiful of all hikes. The dazzling orange lights up the mountain edges. The clouds are fire-reflective. Sound is dampened. The air is soft.
When I am closer to home Christmas lights illuminate the surroundings like lights in a harbor. Like a ship, I am directed home.
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