A July Evening on the Lake Michigan Shore

A classic mid-July day in 2002. We spent the afternoon together, a whole group of us gathered on the deck. The trees were that deep green you only get in the height of summer.

As the day wound down, we made our way to the beach to watch the sun set over the lake. The water was calm, barely any waves. The kids were down by the shore, silhouetted against the changing light as they played in the sand.

The sky turned a brilliant orange and purple. You could see the sun's reflection stretching all the way across the water. It’s the kind of sunset you try to capture, but the photos never quite do it justice. A lone boat zipped across the horizon just as the sun was dipping below it.

We stayed out until the last bit of color had faded, just silhouettes against the silvered water in the twilight. A perfect, simple summer evening.