Actually, winter is HERE- as most of the country can testify. Arizona has escaped the bomb cyclone of snow and below freezing temperatures, but rain and snow are now hitting the high country, with just rain here (so far). Fingers and toes crossed that the Phoenix area (where we will be meeting our kids) will be warmer and drier.
Good thoughts sent out to all those stranded due to flight cancellations!
December moon at sunset
Goodbye, 2020!
2020 may have left us battered and bruised, mourning our losses and maybe our innocence as we come to the end of this terrible year, but we can still find hope and inspiration in our heroes, the resilience of the human heart, and in the beauty of our world.
Moonrise- the last full moon of 2020
Time spent gazing at the night sky can be as calming as watching the rhythm of ocean waves. Last night I went outside for a half hour or so before the International Space Station was due to fly over and spent time looking at the moon as it appeared and disappeared behind fast moving clouds.
And then we watched the space station as it made its arc over our driveway- looking like a bright star zooming across the night sky. A few moments of excitement on that dark night.
I missed blackout Tuesday- I hadn’t realized it was happening until late yesterday. But I add my voice to those crying for justice for all Black Americans. These are dark times- but I have hope for better days ahead.
The cloud shrouded moon the other night looked more like a spooky harvest moon than the December cold moon we’ve been hearing about.
Another view…
I can tell I’m recovering well from my surgery, because last night’s view of the moon at sunset drew me outside with my iPhone.
Last week’s pink moon as it rose above the trees.
It was so hazy during last Sunday’s super blood wolf moon eclipse, that it was difficult to get good photos. Here’s three more, showing the progress of the shadow as it moved across the lunar surface.
The full winter moon was obscured by clouds when we got home last night- and I kept thinking about the photo I missed earlier as it rose. But all the same, I’m glad to have witnessed the timeless beauty of this winter solstice moon.
No, I didn’t see the meteor shower.
I did it!
In yesterday’s photo class, we were told exactly where to go (across town on a hill) to get a view of the eclipsing moon, which would be very low on the horizon. Lonnie suggested that we might be able to just see it from the hill at the back of our property, so we decided to set our alarm and see if, by any chance, we could see the moon from our own backyard. When the alarm went off, I staggered over to the window and there was the moon!
I shot many photos right from the backyard, but then carried the tripod with my big lens up our hill and took more photos from the top. I didn’t realize what a spectacular view we have of the night sky up there! There won’t be any more Super Blue Blood Moon Lunar Eclipses to photograph, but there are zillions of stars!
I don’t think I will be going anywhere at zero dark thirty to photograph the eclipse, so here is what I saw tonight.
Sunset Moon:
There were clouds on the horizon- plus it was still very light- so I couldn’t see the moon until it climbed just a bit into the sky. As it got a little darker, I took the shots below:
And as I post this, the moon is high in the sky- and beautiful as always!
Lonnie (my pointer-outer of moons, sunsets, and rainbows) just mentioned that there is a harvest moon tonight. Whaaat? It took me a few minutes to put on shoes and switch tripod heads and lenses- but I did my best to get out to the driveway quickly. I believe this is the first moon photo I’ve taken with my long lens. Fun!
I do wish there was an interesting foreground or that I had captured it on the rise, but it’s the moon just the same.
It looks a bit like a cantaloupe, doesn’t it?
My friend, Carol, is visiting! After an afternoon at Barnstar Brewery and a delicious barbecue dinner, we all sat outside talking, laughing, and watching birds until after dark. As we got up to go inside, we were surprised to look up and see clouds which had not been visible earlier. Carol and I got our cameras to photograph the moon peeking out through the cloud cover and were surprised to see the colors that appeared in our images. Smoke from the fire? I don’t know.
In this shot, you can see a star in the lower part of the photo.
The huge full moon rose ahead of us as we navigated the Phoenix freeways on our way to pick up our daughter’s family at the airport 2 weeks ago. It was bright orange and so huge that I kept forgetting to give Lonnie directions as we headed toward the airport. By the time we got back to the hotel it was no longer huge and no longer orange alas, but I did go out to the parking lot to snap a few shots before heading to bed.
melinda anderson photography 