Sunrise, sunset ...

… gently goes the year.

Weatherwise, 2010 was a gentle year … a cool winter and spring and a calm summer and fall — with no major storms. And, this year, Longboat Observer readers sent in some of the best, brightest and most-colorful sunrise and sunset photos ever.

The forecast for next year? A profitable one! The Longboat Observer and its sister newspapers, the Sarasota and East County Observers, will begin a weekly contest on the weather page for winning photos of sunrise and sunset photos. The weekly winner in each newspaper receives a $50 restaurant gift card from N&M Cool Today. So, start snapping away!

E-mail those winning photos to [email protected], or mail them to The Longboat Observer, 5570 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, Fla., 34228.