A Lovely Cold

By the artist Sandra Boynton (from her FB post)

Sunday, December 15, 2024

The department store where I am a part-time worker was busy yesterday; all good for the business and inspiring for its employees. After hours on my feet, checking out customers, and returning tried-on clothing to wherever the pieces came from, I leave to go home. I’m tired but happier if we’ve been super-busy with customers.

I’m off from work today and (speaking of super) anticipating tonight’s sky with December’s “Cold Moon” appearing. While driving home last evening, I couldn’t stop looking at that moon, bright and clear. From all indications, sightings of it tonight should be even better.

It’ll be spectacular, and here’s why.

The Cold Moon is the “longest” full moon illumination of the year. The moon’s proximity to the winter solstice (December 21st) gives it a longer path through the sky and gives us more viewing time.

This year’s Cold Moon happens to coincide with a rare “major lunar standstill,” which occurs roughly every 18.6 years. The standstill is caused by a wobble in its orbit that makes the moon reach its highest and lowest points in the sky.

I will enjoy tonight’s longer moon-viewing opportunity with unusually striking visual effects.

Dear Friends: Last night’s moon greatly hinted toward what’s to come. Diana

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

Moonglows

Friday, September 13, 2024

Today’s header is the lovely waxing moon in last evening’s clear sky. The previous evening, I had tried to capture this eye-catching moon, but it was scudding upward in a wildly cloudy sky, and my cell phone’s camera wasn’t capable.

This capture from my big auto-focus camera uses its programmed “moon setting.”

I was surprised to find the setting accurately capturing a complex area arrangement in the dim evening light. It zeroed in on the distant waxing moon, identified a nearby leafy tree branch, and found my low-hanging ham radio line. (Typically, I’d edit out that radio line, but this trio clear-capture delights me.)

I’ll practice more in the upcoming evenings. Next week, shooting from a hill on my property, my camera will seek complex area arrangements with this month’s impressive and fullest moon.

I said yesterday that my blogs would start going out later in the mornings, but my lateness to publish yesterday brought my kind neighbors over to check on my welfare. Their visit encouraged me to think about my situation more thoroughly.

So, I am deciding not to feed the horses and exercise physically before writing and publishing my morning blogs. I have become reawakened by reconsidering what’s most important. If I happen to stumble over a rock or get stepped on by a horse, finding me sooner may beat discovering me later.

That helps to ensure that the lights of silvery moons will keep shining on my ambitions.

Dear Friends: Today, Pimmy visits the equine hospital for a check-up. Diana

A “Strawberry” Team

Friday, June 21, 2024

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the year’s longest day when twenty-four hours split to share equally the daylight and darkness. It marks the end of slowly increasing daylight and starts us anticipating a dark season’s gradual arrival.

The evening light lingered and illuminated us Moon-Chasers. We donned our uniforms, took a camera, and headed to an appropriate place near the airport on the city’s east side. We intended to capture this month’s almost full “Strawberry” Moon. We were going for that “nearly full” moon because commitments prevented us from chasing June’s fullest moon, happening tonight.

In lots of lingering daylight, we watched the rising moon. At first, it appeared very dimly, hovering almost invisibly over the tall trees and ridge of peaks that were our horizon. The barely visible Strawberry made us unsure we could capture it adequately, but in elevating the moon became clearer and eventually very beautiful.

Photos of that moon capture the eastern countryside’s dark sky. The darkness was a significant contrast to a lighter sky west and toward the city.

Susie and I did lots of moon and airspace shooting. We quickly recognized that we were in an area that invited playing, and we did that, too.

We love our Team Uniform!

Dear Friends: Ode to an interlude of beauty, fun, and friendship. Diana

Split Screen

A jet flies northbound as the nearly full moon rises over Washington. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

Saturday, March 23, 2024

The Worm Moon will be at its fullest while rising in a couple of days. Early today, its waxing fullness setting in the west and brightly through my bedroom window awakened me.

I enjoy photographing full moons and plan to try capturing this month’s. Additionally, the upcoming rising full moon will be exceptional. That event includes a solar eclipse.

While doing some pre-full-worm Moon-rising research, I discovered the photo that’s today’s header. I can’t stop wondering how it was possible to capture that jet crossing against the full moon so clearly. Maybe it came from using special equipment or from an instant of sheer luck.

One of my assumptions is that the photographer was near an airport, had previously seen similar crossings, and this time had special equipment and captured the image. Another assumption is that it’s simply from a good camera–a lucky shot, and likely software-enhanced. Whatever, it’s gobsmacking.

Assuming the image is from a professional photographer lengthens the distance between that person and me. It makes the outcome less about using special equipment and/or about general good luck. It’s more a result of having the wisdom of experience and the skill of anticipating accurately.

Dear Friends: Undaunted by the near-perfection, I will be out again trying my hand. Diana

A Moon Mood

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Yesterday evening, after driving up my driveway and reaching its top, I saw the moon, a mere sliver of its fullest self and crystal clear among many dark clouds. I felt instantly attracted to that sliver, sensed it as free-floating, and wanted a photo. I hurried into the house to become organized, get equipped with a camera, and hurry outside again. By then, the sky was full of dark clouds obscuring the light sliver.

I walked around while looking skyward to glimpse even a tiny bit of light. It was a no-dice situation that denied any possible hint of a moon presence. I couldn’t just give up, and so wondered why I’d been compellingly drawn to that sliver.

As a personal baseline, I love full moons. From earliest human history, they have affected all beings’ senses of emotion, intuition, and growth. Humans have latched onto the times of full moons to conduct rituals, release energies, and renew beginnings. The sliver moons might influence humans more subtly. Last night’s sliver seemed to encourage me toward introspection, internal growth, and maybe seed-planting for future endeavors.

There’s evidence that the moon’s phases influence all living beings. In humans, full moon periods align with our physical activities and emotions—external and internal. We are also influenced by slivers, constantly changing by waxing and waning.

Waxing crescent moons (sliver growing) encourage beings into modes of excitement and anticipation; waning crescent moons (sliver shrinking) encourage beings into modes of internalization and reflection.

I’ll add that any perceived powers of moon phases aren’t scientific. There are common perceptions (including mine) that draw from long-time observations of cultures and traditions.

Dear Friends: Today’s header photo is from the internet. Diana