Sunsets At Stampede and Prosser Reservoirs

Song:  Crossing The Sweetwater

Flute:  Jeannine Goeckeritz

Harp:  Tamara Oswald

My mother is staying with my younger sister for a few days...

and this allowed me to take my elder sister and her husband to 

two of my favorite spots to view the sunset.

We first went to Stampede Reservoir (Yesterday)...

and we just got back from Prosser Reservoir today.

I love going to these two places when I just want to get away from everything.

  Both of these spots are so serene...

usually, all you can hear are the wind in the trees, the odd call of a bird...

and crickets, as the sun sets.

I get recharged and inspired every time I visit these...

and other places I know of nearby.

And as they are so near...

I know that at anytime I feel the call of the mountains...

I am there without a bother or a care in the world.

Both are not only just a short drive from home...

 incredibly enough, they are almost always devoid of people.

All three of us are avid amateur photographers...

and we all love a good sunset.

We took our dogs along to each place.

Hana loves going to the mountains...

as does Kenji (My elder sister's dog).

Both, my elder sister and her husband are recently retired.

Both love being retired...of course.

I wanted to show them some places I have been enjoying for years.

We will be going to Donner Lake in a few days...

and to the observation point.

Perhaps next week, we will also go to Pyramid Lake for the sunset.

As I have been living in Reno since the end of 2011...

I have discovered some hidden gems nearby...

most of them are just a short and scenic drive from home.

I also showed them an almost unknown camp site which is a fisherman's paradise.

I am sure they will be going there later on.

Anyway...

whenever I hear people say that they are afraid to retire

because they wouldn't know what to do with themselves...

I know right away that they need to experience the mountains.

It takes but once in a serene place as you watch the sun go down

to realize that it is in solitude that you discover your passions in life...

and that time is our most precious commodity.

This is why you plan your future...

 so you may thoroughly enjoy the simple pleasures in life.

Even if you are on a limited budget...

the best pleasures in life are almost free.

I absolutely love music, writing, photography...

and scenic locations with beautiful sunsets.

Once you buy the initial equipment...

you then have a lifetime of deep enjoyment

with very little expense.

Time is what all of us have so very little of...

and to waste it on frivolous concerns 

and meaningless activities designed to merely pass time...

is to exist in a dull and colorless life.

Living life filled with love and a deep passion for a creative outlet

is one of our key missions in life...

and to fail at this...

 is to fail at the one thing we will only have once...

and never have again.

Stampede Reservoir

My elder sister and her husband.

Both are retired...and loving it.

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And on the following evening:

Prosser Reservoir

Just before leaving...

I took one last shot of the fading sunset.