Golden Harvest

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Yesterday evening, today’s header photo was my most clear capture of September’s (always) fabulous Harvest Moon. Ever since childhood, the full September moon has been my favorite. Its brightness lights the path and powerfully signals a transition to significantly different weather. In darkening fall evenings, the Harvest Moon’s brightness encourages us to imagine late harvests, the old way with horse-drawn equipment.

After working late at my part-time job and driving home, I planned to photograph the moon but became discouraged. The large globe was barely visible and busy, dodging massive dark clouds.

I’ve played with moon photography for years but am still a novice at turning sky images into art. Yesterday evening, with art on my mind, I wished to capture the globe and earth objects, with the moon as top layer.

That top layer sometimes disappeared and an inviting empty space became an inspiring image.

This year’s Harvest Moon is also a Supermoon. That’s because it’s closer to Earth and appears slightly larger and brighter than usual.

These photos aren’t my mind’s perfect imaginings, but they satisfy. They capture splendid visual elements of the active moon and sky and earthly items. Another lovely aspect is that they touch on the moon’s emotional significance.  

Dear Friends: Transition, reflection, and celebration as summer turns into autumn. Diana

Moonwatching

Thursday, January 25, 2024

After working today for a few hours, I’ll arrive home in time to prepare for this evening’s full Wolf Moon. My plan could stumble over a couple of “Ifs “: (1) If my new camera arrives before the moonrise with time to practice using it, and (2) If this evening’s cloud cover isn’t dense and obliterating the moonsighting.

Early this morning, I watched that nearly full moon setting–clearly and spectacularly! I don’t have a camera that satisfactorily could capture that sight. The new camera coming today should fill the bill, or I’ll return it and upgrade to another.

No worries if tonight’s plan isn’t perfect. Ahead are plenty of full moon sighting opportunities. Plus, several of 2024’s months will bring Supermoons, the biggest and best.

Moonwatching has been a human habit since time immemorial. Early humans saw in moon patterns stabilities of transitions, from darkness to light and from season to season. Modern humans see moons as representing the same stabilities and especially love their “dependability factor.” Moonwatching nowadays helps to offset social and political circumstances that seem to weaken worldwide wishes for stability.

Dear Friends: Cheers to our little planet, that’s always been and forever will be. Diana