A Memorable Place

A sunset moment, a double blessing

By Nancy A. Stagnitta

I earn my keep in this life as a flutist. I often hear people say, "How lucky you are to be able to do what you love for a living." Lucky indeed (though I suspect that the hours, weeks and years spent in a practice room may have had some influence).

I feel especially lucky during the winter months, when I travel to Florida to work as a principal flutist with the Sarasota Opera.

While there, I am doubly blessed. I do what I love for a living and I do it in a place where, almost daily, I can do something else I love: watch the sun end its day over the water.

Every night there is a unique, unpredictable show, when the sky is masterfully painted before my eyes. Sometimes there are bold, brash orange stripes, sometimes pale, gossamer pastel whispers that I know will vanish at any moment.

"Never turn your back on a sunset," a passer-by from Minnesota once told me.

On this night, I carry out my usual routine. I play my flute, preparing for the evening's performance. I ready my black orchestra garb and lay it out on the bed. And then I walk to the water's edge.

I walk along the shore, passing the great blue heron that stands serenely motionless in the same spot every night, where the beach curves gently eastward. We have never outwardly acknowledged each other, he and I, though I can sense that we are united in our reverence for what is about to happen.

I walk farther, watching the show unfold, drinking it in. I never, ever turn my back.

I utter a silent prayer of thanks for the marvel of this moment, and a prayer of hope that those who live in strife around the globe might have their moment to watch and drink it in, too. And then, the sun takes its final bow beneath the horizon, moving quickly, as if it suddenly remembers it has somewhere else to be.

Later, I sit in a darkened theater, under the stage, in the orchestra pit. I am earning my keep, and I am doing what I love. My breath brings to life a metal tube beneath my fingers and lends voice to notes written on a page a century ago. I hear all around me and soaring above me the most exquisitely beautiful music.

I close my eyes for a brief moment, and I drink it in. How lucky I am. And then I chase a smile away as I revise that thought. How doubly blessed I am. There is a trace of sand in my dressy black shoes.

Nancy Stagnitta lives in Sparks.

My Best Shot

Michael Lowenstein,

Baltimore

The look of lava

"My wife and I recently experienced the incredible beauty of the Costa Rican jungle. After many hours of rain, the fog lifted and we saw the lava flowing down the side of the Arenal Volcano. We were able to approach within two miles and get a close-up view through our guide's telescope. We felt fortunate to have witnessed such a natural wonder."

Readers Recommend

Inca Trail, Peru

Julia Drees and Erin Chalmers, Elkridge

"For four days we hiked along the centuries-old Inca Trail in the Peruvian Andes. A cobbled path climbs over a 14,000-foot pass, clings to the side of soaring mountains and passes through ruins before it ends at the famous city of Machu Picchu. On the third day we hiked past a roofless house, part of the Phuyupatamarca ruins, meaning "town above the clouds."

Vietnam

Betty Porreca,

Highland

"My husband and I were traveling in Vietnam to photograph a solar eclipse. We had time to visit the beautiful Mekong Delta and have lunch at Mr. Gio's Teahouse. The area is known for its huge bonsai garden, but I found another attraction -- a young man asked if I would hold his python."

Let Us Hear From You

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My Best Shot: Send us a terrific travel photo with a description of when and where you took it. (Cash value: $50.)

A Memorable Place: In 500 words or less, tell us about a travel experience that has changed you; the nostalgia a special place evokes; the power of a favorite beach, the mountains, a city cafe. (Cash value: $150.)

Readers Recommend: Briefly tell us about places you've recently visited that you'd recommend to other readers. (Photos are welcome.)

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