Rising moon

My friend a block over started a tradition a few years back in which she invites several of us "Christmas orphans" (people with no family nearby) for a pre-Christmas feast of turkey and all the trimmings, finished off with pie and goodies and a Christmas Carol sing-a-long.  Always, we are sent home with leftovers, a hug, a full tummy, and a big smile.  This year was no different.

At least, it was no different until I rounded the corner to my house and caught a glimpse of a huge orb of brilliant orange and red low over the bay, just rising above Salt Spring Island.

I dashed into my house, grabbed the camera, and almost shaking with the thrill of such beauty (or maybe it was with cold - we are having exceptionally cold weather for this area) I snapped as many shots as I could from my back yard.  I knew I had no time to get down to the sea walk for a better shot a, during the 30 seconds it took me to unlock my door and grab my camera, the colour had already started to change, and clouds were drifting across its surface with thicker, darker clouds moving in fast.

And so - a bit blurry and a bit less brilliant than my first look at it - this was the best I could do.  Not perfect, but the image is still embedded in my memory.  Good friends, good food, good music, and a jaw-dropping beautiful moon made for a Very Good Night.

Moon on Fire
Dec 16, 2016