Just a few moments earlier the pink outline around those clouds was very pronounced.  I walked swiftly to the office, retrieved the camera and stepped out on the front deck.  The contrast was mostly gone and only a bit of it remained.

The next day, neighbor, Bonnie, asked Sylvia, “Did you see that sunset?  It was outstanding!”  Sometimes seconds can make a huge difference.

Yesterday, I watched a documentary on the events of 9/11.  They told of people who ran errands on the way to work or were caught in traffic and didn’t get to work at the World Trade Center on time.  These were the ones who escaped the horror of that day.

Or as Maxwell Smart said, “Missed it by that much.”

It also reminds of the winter I saw the feral cat we called Corporal stalking some juncos feeding on the ground.  She slowly and stealthily sneaked along the path toward the birds.  There was a mound of snow just before she arrived at her target.  Corporal crept into place, twitched her butt a couple of times and then pounced.

As the cat leapt, the birds flew.  Corporal ended up with her face buried in snow and her paws on either side of her head.  The hunt wasn’t even close.

With snow-covered face, kitty gathered up her shredded dignity and strutted away.