Evening Falls

Yesterday, for a very delicious reason, Ranger and I were late for our walk. In fact, by the time we walked out the door, the front porch light was already on and I could see that daylight was fading fast. 

Ranger, however, was not fading at all. As usual, he was bouncy, excited, and in a huge rush to get out the front door. But then, also as usual, he came to an abrupt halt along the front sidewalk, and enjoyed a long, leisurely sniff at the flowers in the front bed. 

At the far corner of my yard, I took a peek down the hill to see that the sun had already set. 

And as soon as we stepped out onto the main street outside our neighborhood, I discovered that the moon was already rising. Yep, we were definitely running late.

Over behind the high school, the pink light was fading from the sky and Ranger made a lonely little figure, crossing the wooden footbridge in shadows.

But don't be deceived. The back fields and parking lots at Kamiak were alive with student activities. Soccer and (American) football games were in progress, complete with whistles blowing and crowds cheering. Mixed in among the sporting contests, various instrumental sections of the marching band were rehearsing in groups of 20 or 30, scattered here and there around the grounds. I snuck this shot of the brass section practicing in the parking lot, and the group of woodwinds were to my left, just beyond the frame of this photo. Needless to say, it was a noisy and festive atmosphere.

As we neared the front of the school, the sounds faded and Ranger and I enjoyed the peacefulness of the gathering dusk. Dark was settling in, and lights were coming on all over the school grounds...

and at the Mormon church next door to the school...

and along the streets...

all the way back to our own cozy home, where dinner was waiting on the table.