Last night, Jon and I went to Cleveland Lakefront Preserve to watch the sun set. This is a fabulous bit of nature just east of downtown. It was formerly a dumping site for material dredged out of the lake. Now, it is an 88 acre wildlife sanctuary. I am perpetually amazed at how nature can take over an area and renew it so beautifully if just left alone to do what it does. I found this little history of the site for those interested: https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/433
We walked through a turnstile into the park and followed the perimeter trail to the left. It winds through some wooded areas and then into a grassy field where a curious deer and her friends let us get quite close. I loved the way the deer looked standing among the grasses and wildflowers!
We continued down the path until it reached the embankment at the lake. On the left, we could see the lookout. It’s a beautiful spot with benches and a little patio with views of the lake and downtown. Fishing boats bobbed on the darkening water and speedboats and jet skis zipped here and there in the fading light. We could hear the flutter and calling of so many birds in the bushes and grasses around us.
I have seen many sunsets. But I don’t think I have ever really watched the sunset like I did last night. It was incredible to just sit quietly and watch the sun dip behind the horizon. It lit up the edge of the world with a warm, dramatic glow before leaving us in shadow. I can’t wait to watch another!
