Malibu Creek State Park at Sunset

It nearing summer and all, I have become obsessed with sunsets. Catching them, anticipating them, comparing them, mourning them, watching them melt away, knowing they'll return again, tomorrow. And tomorrow's will do the same on these long May days.

The weekend before last I was in L.A. visiting my family. Ritualistically, when I'm in SoCal, I take a day trip to Malibu, my hometown. It's my favorite place to reminisce, have lunch, sprawl on the sand, splash in the Pacific, get some fro-yo, buy a Crystal, get new-agey. It's also a prime spot for hikes. I thought this time it might be fun to combine my two summer loves: hiking and sunsets. I stole away my friend Laura (who's down for anything and everything) and ventured through Malibu Canyon to the State Park I played in so often as a little one. As we headed for the main trail, we took the Grassland trail through, well, grasslands.



At around 6 o'clock, families with beach chairs, coolers and flip-flops were headed in the opposite direction from us - to their cars. They'd spent the hot spring day cooling down and jumping from great heights into the Rock Pool.





It was too shadowy to jump in but we had to head there to reach our destination and to complete our nearly 4 mile loop. Along the way, we passed oak trees and sycamores, squirrels and hawks, rock climbers and kid bikers, hay smells and wildflowers.



I could say the sun was setting, but isn't it obvious? See how when light changes, the landscape becomes something seen for the first time, even when you've passed it once before. Back and forth, back and forth.





Some of my favorite "at-home" feelings are the ones I feel when I am outside, seeing and smelling nature. Guessing the name of that flower or that tree. Only knowing the time of day because the sun tells it to me.