Early March Sunrise, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Terri Webster Schrandt

Sunday Stills: Do You Prefer a #Sunrise or a #Sunset?

The last two weeks of March bring many cultural and natural happenings to celebrate. Many folks celebrated some version of St. Patrick’s Day this weekend with hometown parades, green beer, and feasts, complete with corned beef and cabbage. We enjoyed two and three.

green beer and sunset
Generated with AI ∙ March 15, 2024

Although Meteorological spring began on March 1st, we recognize the vernal equinox as the traditional beginning of spring this week on March 19th. To those living in the Southern Hemisphere, happy official first day of Autumn!

sunrise on aspen tree bud
Spring Awakens

Sharing for Cee’s Flower of the Day and Dawn’s Spring Festival (begins 3/21).

To round out the rest of March, folks who celebrate Lent are eager for Palm Sunday, Easter, and the various spiritual celebrations associated with many religious observances.

Winter Sunrise over swimming pool
Winter sunrise in Northern California

Sunrises

Shall we begin with the dawn of a new day?

“At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear.” ― Norman Maclean

Ponderosa at Sunrise
Late Winter Sunrise

“The wintry trees embraced the sun, a messenger that Spring would come.” ~ Angie Weiland-Crosby

Colorful dawn in the mountains
Early pink dawn

I tend to be an early riser, even when on vacation. Here are some inspiring sunrises for your viewing pleasure in case you are not awake for the sunrises. 😊

Baja pink sunset
Pink sunset over the Sea of Cortez, Baja, Mexico
Baja Mexico Sunrise
Baja Mexico Sunrise
The difference a new day makes in our quest for change
Baja Sunrise
Saffron-Sunrise
Another Baja Sunrise
Dawn in the Desert
Dawn in the Arizona Desert
Mojave Desert Sunrise
Sunrise in Mojave Desert
Pixelated Sunrise
Spokane Sunrise
Baja sunrise

Sunsets

Bidding a fond farewell to a lovely day.

“The light of winter is the poetry of patience.” – Unknown

Winter Sunset Alpenglow
Late Winter Sunset Alpenglow

“And just like that…Winter opened cold bleary eyes to the newborn colors of spring. ~ Angie Weiland-Crosby

I would venture a guess that more people watch sunsets than sunrises. I enjoy both but tend to see more sunsets while at home. Two wintery sunsets stole the show in early March …

Mid-March Sunset
2023’s Mid-March sunset (Painnt filtered)

… and this year.

Sunset on snow amidst pine trees
Last winter sunset of 2024? Doubtful!

“The early mist had vanished and the fields lay like a silver shield under the sun. It was one of the days when the glitter of winter shines through a pale haze of spring.”
— Edith Wharton

A sunset gallery for your pleasure!

Climb-Every-Mountain
Sunset over Tuolumne Meadows
Purple radish frames a spring delta sunset
Purple radish frames a spring delta sunset
Windy clouds at sunset
Sacramento Delta Sunset
Gold and Citrine Sunset
Sacramento Delta Sunset
Sunset Sailing Session
Sunset sailing in Sacramento River Delta

Cityscapes at sunset for Lens-Artists this week!

Painnted San Diego Harbor
Painnted San Diego Harbor Sunset
Shelter Island Marina San Diego
Shelter Island Marina San Diego
Sam's Town Sign
Sam’s Town Casino, Las Vegas

“There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” ― Jo Walton

Sharing for Hammad’s Weekend Sky and Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday.

Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders

The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post.

  • Remember to title your blog post a little differently than mine.
  • Please create a new post for the theme or link a recent one.
  • Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
  • Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
  • Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
  • I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.

This Week’s Featured Bloggers

Sunday Stills is a wonderful community of bloggers, poets, artists, and photographers who desire to connect with one another. Below are this week’s links from bloggers who shared their photos of sunrises and sunsets. I add these all week as new links are posted. Please take a moment to comment on my post if you link your post to Sunday Stills.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Irish Blessing Graphic

Wishing you a blessed weekend and week ahead as we all enjoy the awakening of spring (or Autumn) and other holiday celebrations. Join me next Sunday as we explore the theme “Urban.”

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144 comments

  2. Great sunrises and sunsets Terri! For me, it depends on the time of the year. Now as the days get longer, I prefer sunrises because in summer the sun doesn’t set until 9 p.m. I’m a morning person. During winter, it’s great to catch a sunset at 5 or 6 p.m.

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  13. Your sunrises and sunsets are picture perfect! I love the different angles you took the photos from. The sun, no matter how cold it is where we live, gives off warmth for our weary winter souls. The Jo Walton quote is wonderful addition/closing to your post. While the calendar indicates Spring is here, we’re getting a shocking revival of winter. We’re heading into a week of the snow and cold that we didn’t have in the beginning of March. WTH!? (On a blogging note, what did you do different to post this week? Normally, I see your most recent post on your Home page, today I found it in your sidebar instead.) 🤷🏻‍♀️

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    • Thank you kindly, Shelley! Our strange winter/spring pattern is playing games with us I’m afraid! Sorry about all your snow (said no one ever), but we are basking in 60+ degrees and full on sunshine since Friday and into the week. Way above our normal 50s. I fear March came in like a lion here and may leave like one, too!

      Thanks for letting me know about the post. I forgot to add the Sunday Stills tag which puts it at the top of my home page…much appreciated!

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  15. Great photos and images! I prefer the sunrise 51% vs the sunset at 49% 😅 But, living in my cozy little home on wheels, it all depends on which coast I happen to be on or if I’m somewhere in-between.

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  20. Terrific subject Terri – hard to go wrong with sunrises and sunsets. As you guessed I’m in the larger group of those who feature sunsets as I am NOT a morning person (I’m a firm believer that we are born with a preference!) However I will say the times I’ve gone out for sunrise have all but once been spectacular mornings. I once said God knows if I’m up for sunrise He or She had better make it a good one LOL. Loved your images and appreciate your including me based on my very-much-welcomed sunset as I left rainy NYC and arrived back in SC’s low country!

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  24. From fall through winter the sun sets around 6:00 in south Florida, creating a perfect ‘happy hour’ setting on my favorite beach. Many of my favorite photos are of sunrises, but I rarely get up that early, so I’d have to choose sunsets. Your AI generated green beer photo is awesome!

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    • Those southern sunsets sound perfect, Suzanne! 6pm is a nice sundown time during the winter. I knew well how dark it would get here in Spokane, but I actually enjoy winter 😄
      Glad you liked my AI beer! I’ll have to ask an AI if it tasted good 🤣☘️

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    • Thank you, Beth! It’s nice to be able to enjoy both. Our property is between two mountains so I have to go in search of spectacular sunsets. I can sometimes capture some decent winter ones like I shared from my backyard. Have a great week!

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  27. Terri,

    Living closer to the east coast, I see more sunrises, but I’m told that no one should ever miss a sunset. I guess I’m conflicted. Good to see you experimenting with AI. I stuck my hand in this week. May have to reach out for tips (again). My contribution is a sunrise I witnessed at Kure Beach, NC. Have a great week! Joe

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    • Thanks, Joe! Might as well have fun with some creativity, right? We had a doozy of a sunrise this morning which will will share soon (already on FB). My phone won’t let me see the image you shared. I’ll check later. Reach out anytime!

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  30. You have some amazing sunrise and sunset photos here Terri. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the pastel-streaked skies for sunrises or orange-layered skies for sunsets. For the vibrancy of the sunrise, I think I’d pick the two Baja sunrise shots and for sunsets the Sacramento Delta Sunset photos. I am not in a rural area and not out before dawn or near dusk to get beautiful shots, but I do have a few “just past sunrise” photos from prior posts. They were not enough to make a whole blog post, so I will put them for this week’s Wordless Wednesday instead. I have written several times about my friend/neighbor Marge, who convinced me to start a blog. For many years she got up and drove to MacDonald’s to get breakfast and took it to the Detroit River to watch the sun rise every day, no matter the season. She took her point-and-shoot camera and would send me photos from that morning later that day. I wished I’d joined her, even once. The day she passed away and on a couple of other occasions, I used her sunrise photos as a tribute to her. I did link to your post because some of my followers may be following you via that link. P.S. The AI green beer picture is so lifelike!

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  33. Hi Terri, a lovely collection of photos and also the quotes are very fitting! I also love sunrise and sunset photos, particularly if I’m at the beach for some reason. One of our best places for photos at both times of the day was Uluru in the Northern Territory, they had special spots for both ends of the days and my goodness were they popular with the tourists, many setting up early complete with drinks and snacks while waiting!

    Thanks for another visual feast – I did not know about eating cabbage and corned beef on St Patrick’s day!

    I’ve joined in a bit late in the day (since it’s Monday afternoon here now) but I finally got my post written!

    https://debs-world.com/2024/03/18/its-what-you-do-between-the-dash-sunrise-sunset-sundaystills/

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    • Thank you, Debbie! Being at the beach is such a lovely way to see sunsets. I can only imagine the sunsets/rises at Uluru were one of a kind! I’ve celebrated St Patrick’s Day my whole life and you’re not the first person who either doesn’t recognize the day nor eats traditional Irish food to celebrate. And you are not late at all 🙂

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  42. Hi Terri, I prefer sunrises to sunsets. Sunsets make me feel sad. But, I love your stunning photos of both sunrises and sunsets. The one of the green beer against the sunset is outstanding. And so is the Sacramento sunset as well all the last winter sunrise and sunset. Well, this challenge tempted me to participate though I’m no photographer. Here’s my link-
    https://smithavpennings.com/2024/03/18/sunday-stills-sunrises-and-sunsets/

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  44. Oh my goodness…I had my post done and then didn’t see your post. I need to start scrolling further. I’ve done this with marshas too…I’m so used to seeing the current post at the top and if I don’t see it, I assume it hasn’t been posted yet…lol. I’m an early riser too. I don’t set an alarm on vacation but still tend to wake up early. I love both a sunrise and a sunset and it’s fun if I’m in a good place to see both. The wind turbines remind me…on Saturday we drove to Hood river and there was one of the blades being transported in front of…wow was that something to watch. He was working on going through a tunnel off 205 onto I-84. THese are all beautiful photos.

    https://troyerslovinglife.blogspot.com/2024/03/taking-in-life-around-mesundaystills_17.html

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    • Hi Kirstin, I forgot to add the Sunday Stills tag so it would stay at the top of my blog page. I have also seen those huge wind turbine blades trundling down the Hwy 84 on many occasions. Thank you…off to read your post!

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  52. I am much more likely to see a sunset than a sunrise 🙂 I am so pleased to have the time change! Even though I “lose” an hour (who cares, though, when we are retired and can make our own hours), getting that extra hour at the end of the day just makes me happy. Maybe because it feels like spring has arrived and summer is close. The only bummer is that, as the sun sets further north, I can’t see the sunsets from our deck.

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    • It’s been fun to read everyone’s preferences, Janis! I’m still suffering the time change effect, I’m just weird that way. 😁 Right now we get perfect equinox light to the east and west. But soon both times will be far to the north. I’m not complaining at all 🤣

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  56. […] Terri’s Sunday still challenge this week was to post pictures of sunrises and sunsets. I had to participate. I’m not a great photographer but I love taking pictures. And, since I am a morning person who enjoys watching the sunrise, I have loads of pictures. Fortunately, for me, our living room faces the East. So, it means I get to see the sun rise every single day. I consider it a blessing. No matter how many sunrises I see, I will never fail to be mesmerised by it […]

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  61. I finally found your post. I love your Spring Awakens photo, and your winter sunrise in N. California. I don’t doubt that you will have another snowy sunset, be it won’t be a winter one! LOL Your AI image is great, too. You have so many lovely photos for this post.
    ““At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear.” ― Norman Maclean” The reason nothing is clear is because we’re not quite awake. It won’t be long until when I wake up in the middle of the night and read, I will be going back to bed at sunrise. I’ll get some good pictures for next time! LOL

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  68. I’m very much a fan of sunrises than sunsets, Terri. During our winter months we get some stunning sunrises, and I’m up in time to see them when walking the dogs.

    Sunrise Over Swansea Bay #WordlessWednesday #Photography

    Unfortunately, because of the position of where we live, we don’t get to see any sunsets. But the sunrises make up for that.

    I do like your ‘Last Winter sunset of 2024’ photo. It would make a lovely Christmas card.

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    • I have to agree with you, Hugh, about preferring sunrises now. Back in our Sacramento delta days, every sunset was amazing and we would see three per weekend. I enjoy our mountain sunrises where we live. To get a really good sunset shot, I have to drive 2 miles to the bluff overlooking the lake. Oh darn.
      Thank you, Hugh–our winter sunsets can be quite spectacular if captured right.

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