| The full moon over Blooming Hill at 7am in the morning on December 14. |
It is a good night for the last full moon of 2016. The clouds stretch across the sky in wisps and clumps but the moon shines strong while the stars twinkle bright. The moon's glow is a fitting tribute to the holiday season as this super moon is one of the biggest and brightest full moons we will see for many years to come, providing an illuminating show in the dark gray night. I think of Margaret Wise Brown's book, Goodnight Moon and the comforting and quiet picture it paints in my imagination. Named long ago by American Indians as a "Long Night's Moon" since the nighttime darkness engulfs the earth longer and longer as the winter solstice approaches, this December moon glows contentedly in the cold and cloudy sky lighting our country road with a slippery glow.
| Our country road shines under the December full moonlight. |
From my vantage point, looking out the window, I half expect to see my neighbor's cow jumping over the moon tonight, as it is so bright. The deer and fox take advantage of the moonlight and forage quietly out on the great green lawn. The dog barks. He's a bit afraid to venture off of the porch as those quiet, ghostly figures dash and dance in the yard, rustling leaves and snapping sticks--subtle noises everywhere. Thanks to the old man high in the sky, the field is veiled in midnight blues and deep winter greens. Let the old man in the moon have his last hurrah of the year and dream of all his encores yet to come. The winter clouds cannot dim his enthusiasm and the stars compliment his stature. This particular "Cold Night's Moon" is a celestial holiday gift, whispering hush as the night unfolds. It is a good night, moon.
