Kitchen with a View

Our house is nestled in the trees, giving us the feeling of cozy security. We sit atop a hill, and while it may be quite difficult to make out in these photos, we overlook our front pasture. Across the street, the neighbor has a band of trees along the roadside. 

What a wonderful way to start each morning, watching the new sunlight so brightly reflect off the tops of those trees. From the kitchen it looks like a brilliant band a yellow. I make breakfast for us, smell the coffee brewing, listen to the birds. Couldn't ask for a nicer way to start a day's work. 

Dawn. Sunshine turning the tree tops ablaze in light. 

I've often thought about trimming some of the trees away in order to give a clearer view of the pasture. But sunrises and sunsets remind me that I like being in our protected little area, hidden from the world. So the trees will stay. We purposely painted the house the color of the ohia and eucalyptus tree trunks in order to blend in. I'd say that the tactic worked since most people around here aren't aware that the house is even there.

Sunsets here are usually colorful, courtesy of the erupting volcano, Kilauea. Rose, orange, peach, gold, yellow-green, purples. All sorts of colors. Clouds make the sunsets spectacular, but even a clear sky presents a gentle, colorful end to the day. Since colorful sunsets are almost a daily occurrence, I have to be careful not to take them for granted. I want to be thankful and appreciate every sunset I get the chance to celebrate.  

Sunset.

When I lived back on the eastcoast, I saw that most people were so disconnected from nature that they were seldom aware of sunrises, sunsets, nor the night sky. But I can't be too harsh in judging people, because I myself often failed to notice. Life is different back there. Here I make a conscious effort to keep in touch with the world around me.