Dusk at Point Reyes January 24, 2014

I drove out to Pi on this Friday night and arrived just past five as the sun was setting over the Inverness Ridge.  Three deer were munching on the scraggly grass, and the underbelly of the expansive cottony cloud cover lit up with pinks, corals, and oranges in every direction.  I unloaded my gear, flipped on the house lights, and headed downtown for a little walk and a few groceries. 

Almost every store, except the pharmacy and the market, had closed down for the night.  I walked around to witness a town I rarely see, consisting of only a few cars and a handful of people - scrubbing the Bovine Bakery, making a final transaction at the Wells Fargo bank, closing up the compost bin for the weekend.  The hiking boots and clippety-clack bicycle shoes of the typical tourist were nowhere to be seen or heard, replaced by the work boots of the local residents, who joined me at Palace Market to grab a few items for the evening.  I peeked into people’s homes as the lights turned on.  On the second story of a beautiful Victorian, a woman puts on lipstick; where is she headed tonight?  The Christmas decorations still linger on the large tree aside the bank. 

The town is so quiet, like the moment Annie and I first saw it nine years ago and decided to purchase this land.  I love it here.