Central Oregon Sunset

The old saying, red sky in the morning is a warning, red sky at night is a sailors delight. Sometimes it says sheepherders but it means if the sky is red in the morning bad weather is coming, if it is red at night the next day will be a delight.  I have found this saying is as accurate as the weather forecaster but it doesn't say anything about when it is not a red sunrise or sunset.....

When I moved away from Central Oregon is the first time I ever realized the beauty of the sunsets. When you grow up with it daily you don't realize how rare they are. When I would see people pulled over taking pictures I would wonder why tourists were caring about a sunset. Now I am the one pulled over taking photos of the sunsets.

When I first came back to Central Oregon I would set out every night and watch the sun set behind Mt. Jefferson. What a delight it was.

An inmate at the jail that was convicted and sent to federal prison in Texas said that it was the best thing that ever happened to him. He had no respect for life or the beauty around him. He took everything in life for granted. Then a fatal accident landed him in prison and he had lots of time to think about drinking and parting and what life was about. When you have nothing to look at when you look out the window for year after year he missed the mountains, the sunsets especially. He learned that life can not be taken for granted. He was one of the few people that came out of prison a completely changed man who cared very deeply about people and the world around him.  He was a joy to listen too and taught me many lessons about life from the experiences he told.  He was in a work release program at the jail where I worked and did a lot of good that year to many that came to jail every weekend.  He became a teacher of life and appreciation.