The Christmas Eve Walk and the Sunset Present | Eastern North Carolina Now

    It has been a busy year here in 2016, and as we draw to a close in this Christmas season, I found the time to study the clouds from my Mac'swood home, and made this decision for the allocation of time in this waning day: I am making the 5 minute drive down to the Pamlico River for the sunset. I was not disappointed in my effort.

    My reward for the ride, and the time away from my Yuletide duties, was an explosion of structure and color with my favored muse - the Pamlico River Trestle - in the center of this moving subject, of course, the sunset will always be the star of the show and that is God's creation, not Man's.

The Pamlico River Trestle is just east of downtown Washington and can be easily seen from Washington's downtown waterfront. Witness here the tresle spanning the Pamlico, in this image made by SNI Productions, from high above The John H Small Commerce Project: Below.    Click image to expand.
    The Pamlico River Trestle is a truss swing bridge, which is on the Norfolk Southern Railway line, which was extended across the Pamlico River to Bridgeton in 1903. Since those days around the turn of the century, this railway line has provided access to northern Beaufort County from the south for predominantly cargo, while also proving a vectored muse for photographers such as myself.

    Below, I offer these sunset images from this Christmas Eve evening:
I begin this series with the sun shining level and bright just above the horizon: Above. My next shot is one where I make the proper adjustments to bring the departing sun into the picture while keeping my muse still in focus: Below.     photos by Stan Deatherage    Click image to expand.
    I am minutes into my Christmas Eve walk and the rewards are quite obvious. On another note, I never walk on this trestle, where I don't get that nostalgic rush, remembering my youth as I grew up on East Main Street and spending an abundance of time on Washington's waterfront, including that old trestle.
This next image sets the mood for the end of the day acknowledgement, where we give thanks for making it through yet another day, and praise our maker's hands in gifting nature the tools to build so much beauty: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage    Click image to expand.
    The sun often does not oblige a full shot into its life sustaining glory, but this day is different. The shots work while it is up, and I make the proper adjustments so that the images work once the sun has dipped below the horizon.
The sun dances just above the horizon and then below as I make my way onto the trestle: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage    Click image to expand.
    This old trestle may seem a bit dated and unsafe to walk on, but if these huge diesel locomotives can pull hundreds and thousands of tons of freight down this Norfolk Southern Railway, I feel safe enough to walk the railroad ties ... but, try not to stumble.
The sun below the horizon still works its magic on the clouds: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage    Click image to expand.
    It was a good walk, a great view, and I was careful not to stumble.
This time of the year, these sunsets are shorter because of the arc of the sun, so, one should shoot their shots fast and often, and keep the best. These shots are just a few of what I kept from that eventful walk into those last rays of the sun: Above and below.     photos by Stan Deatherage    Click image to expand.
    The day done and spent, my spirit filled a bit fuller with the fuel of life; I amble home, I make my five minute drive, and I join my family for a Christmas Eve dinner. It was a good day to be alive.