The moon was full last weekend and the beginning of this week. It was bright, illuminating the street much better than the old fashioned lamp outside my house. The extremely clear skies that led to the dropping temperatures also allowed the light of the sun to reflect perfectly off the moon.
On Sunday I went to a friend's house to watch the Superbowl. Her husband is a park ranger, and they live in the park, away from the main road and civilization. When I was there a few weeks ago, her sky was brimming with stars, more than I will ever see on my nightly walks with Sadie here. I was excited to see them again, and I went outside after dinner (around 6:00) to look at them, much to M.'s and the hostess's amusement.
But they were gone, obscured by the light of the moon. The moon itself looked pale--paler than usual, almost washed out by the vibrancy of its reflected light. The sky was clear, and the night was perfect, in terms of stargazing conditions. Except for the moon.
I tried for a few moments, but even my beloved Orion was hard to find. I trampled back into the house a few minutes later, frustrated. My opportunity to stargaze for a while had been swallowed up in the light.
Monday night, as I took Sadie for her walk, I again found that it was bright out, this time at 9:00 PM. As we made our stop in the back yard, I looked up, and once again, the moon was there--bright white, like a halogen bulb in an oncoming car. Orion was gone. My touchstone was missing. I felt out of place. I curse the full moon, boring and bright as it was.
On Tuesday, Sadie and I went to pick up M. for our daily walk. It was about 5:00 or so, a little too early for true dusk, but getting there. As Sadie and I crossed the street to wait in front of the apartments, I noticed a pale yellow light through the trees, right above the horizon, barely over the tops of the houses and the fenced in back yard where the three Great Danes live. I assumed the street lights were coming on, and ignored it. Daisy and M. came out of the house, and the dogs pulled us toward the dumpsters, behind the apartments. As we walked, the trees thinned a little, and we turned right down the street to start our loop.
There, on the horizon, hung the moon. It was a welcoming, pale yellow, no longer the painful white. It rode just above the houses, low in the sky. Instead of vibrant white light, the moon fairly glowed, like a gold necklace newly shined. The sky behind it was darkening, which made the moon stand out even more--like a fire on a cold night, giving warmth.
Hey, check out the moon, I said to M.
Wow, M replied.
We walked for a little while in quiet after that.
I'd forgotten that there was beauty outside of a few stars.
Beth, when you said you had written about the moon this week, I had to come check it out. I am in love with the moon. Much like Orion is your "touchstone," the moon is mine. (By the way, I love your weaving of Orion into multiple posts. It really creates your persona as a writer.)
ReplyDeleteSo it surprised me that you became so annoyed at the moon. Often in literature, the moon is played up to be a guide, a mother, a beacon of hope. I love your display of the moon as a hindrance-- to me, it actually goes along with the idea of moon as feminine, just from a different perspective.
And, of course, your finding the moon to be beautiful again, outside of the stars, shows a journey between you and your relationship to the night sky. I remember stars like you see them in places where no city aura bleeds out the faintest. I don't get that here in Pittsburgh, even though I am technically closer to the stars with the change in elevation from South Carolina. But boy, that first time I saw the moon over modern gothic PPG Place... I'll never forget it. :)
I love this! You have quite the different view on the moon. I never thought of it as an annoyance, although the night I went out to look at stars, the moon took up the sky, as well. I just tried to work it in. :-) I always think of city lights as a foil to star gazing, but I really like how you critique nature here.
ReplyDeleteYour description of the moon is lovely. I would love to be able to see other features of this place as evocatively, because surely there is other beauty outside of stars waiting to be uncovered.
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