Happy Sunday! SH is the guest-host for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge with the theme Quiet Hours. Hope you enjoy my take on this theme.

Having experienced the quiet hours only a handful of times throughout my life, I can say honestly say that those hours are precious, especially for someone with a hectic schedule.

In December 2023, I woke up at 4 AM and got an early start on my road trip. By the time the sun began to rise at nearly 8 AM, I had already driven almost 3 hours of my 8 hour drive for the day. Though the interstate has no quiet hours, when I got onto the scenic highway, I could feel the eeriness of the morning.

There was no one on the road. So I decided to stop the car for a quick minute to take this picture and then I opened the window and listen. Other than the sound of the car’s engine, there was no sound. Just pure silence.

During the last years of my time in college, I would carry a point-and-view camera everywhere. It wasn’t anywhere near as good as my phone these days but it was the best I got at the time. Since class registration dates went by the alphabet of the individual’s last name, I was always the last register for my classes and because of this, I often got the worst class schedule like early classes and night classes.

In the early part of the year, when sunrise wouldn’t be until almost 8 AM, I would arrive at school when the sky would still be dark. I remember I would stand there alone, gazing up at the moon, and listening to the silence.

Finally, I don’t think anyone need to get extra early to experience the magic of the quiet hour. I love to head into the mountains, find a lake, and just sit on the shore. The important thing is getting to experience the magic of silence and that’s all it matters.