Perfect Sunrise

The last time I saw a sunrise this good I was on Miami Beach, staying at the World Famous Fountainbleu in 2003. While I've seen a lot of sunrises lately they've all been imperfect. Either I get there a few minutes late and the sun's already risen (as opposed to Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises) or the sunrises are blocked by buildings or trees. But on this Labor Day morning I made an extra effort to be on the mountain at Sunset Park well before sunrise. Setting out at 5:55 a.m. I summited the mountain at 6:09 and the sunset wasn't due until 6:15. I had a few minutes to enjoy a 180-degree panoramic view of all the mountains that surround the Las Vegas valley from north to south. As an orange-yellow-red-cream colored (take your pick) sky hovered above the eastern hemisphere I couldn't help but think that the multiple mountain ranges I saw looked like one-dimentional cardboad cutouts from some giant Hollywood western set.

 When the sun finally began to emerge, one minute late due to mountain blockage, it looked like liquid gold pouring between the peaks in the distant mountains behind Lake Mead. It took four full minutes for the full sphere to clear the peaks and light up the day.

That is when I pondered that the sun is 5 billion years old and only has 5 billion years to go until it burns itself out. Our giver and sustainer of life is half-way to extinction. While this is no problem for athiests, for those who believe in reincarnation and multiple lifetimes this may cause some concern. Have no fear. Get ready this is deep. The universe has gone through many beginnings and endings according to Hindu philosophy. So don't sweat it when the sun burns out. The cycle will repeat.

Now that I've delivered my cosmic message for the day I can relax and watch this week's Game of the Year: Florida State @ Miami. I'm on the verge of registering for this year's Las Vegas Marathon Dec. 10. Prizes include a trip to Tahiti and a stay and Mandalay Bay. Not for winning. Just for signing up. Wish me luck. See you in this universe or the next...

Clambering up Cold Mountain path, The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on: The long gorge choked with scree and boulders, The rushing creek, the dew-soaked grass. The mossy rocks are slippery, though there’s been     no rain. The pine sings, though there’s no wind. Who can leap the world’s ties And sit with me among the clouds? HAN-SHAN