That might have been the most perfect Memorial Day weekend that we have had in years. After all the rain and clouds that have battered Marblehead in April and May, this long weekend proved to be a literal breath of fresh air with temperatures above 70, a gentle breeze, and hardly a drop of rain (at least, none during daylight hours).

We had just finished grilling last night when I looked up and noticed the cloud cover and hints of color. I quickly checked the radar and decided on a quick trip out to capture the sunset. I drove down Pleasant to Ocean then across the causeway. As I turned onto Harbor Avenue, I looked over my shoulder and then continued up. At Foster Street, I had to make a quick decision but opted to keep driving and ended up along the stairs leading down from Corinthian Lane to the beach below. As it was high tide, I decided to set up on the stairs and had just enough time to get the camera in position and decide on this composition before the best of the evening’s light hit the upper clouds.

I thought the light show might keep going but it fizzled out shortly after this shot and I packed up happy to have captured this memory of a Memorial Day sunset marking the unofficial start of summer.