The weather and sky changes quickly on the Oregon Coast. I scouted Strawberry Hill in the mid-afternoon and was excited for a good sunset. There were good clouds in the sky and the horizon was clear. That’s a recipe for sunset success.

In the span of 90 minutes, the skies clouded over and the fog rolled in, bathing the entire coast in a dull gray. Photographing the sea and the shore line was virtually monochrome by nature. The only color to be had was looking back toward the land, to the evergreen trees and ruddy earth.

The winds whipped up as the afternoon progressed. The crisp, often stinging, blasts of ocean air reminded me I was just a visitor. Mother Nature was firmly in charge and will demand respect. Or maybe the winds were a gift or an offering. The clouds were put into motion, and for a brief time, hints of blue emerged in the sky.

Yet a break in the clouds was not meant to be. A few minutes before sunset, the skies closed in again, encasing the shore in haze. The colors were once again muted and the repeating fingers of land reaching into the Pacific faded into the distance.

I did not get a glorious sunset, yet Strawberry Hill had its own brand of beauty to share. I’m glad I stayed.