Moon of Ice

thin wall —
with the moonlight comes
the cold

~ Issa, 1824

Processed in Photoshop and Picnik.

The clouds cleared out quickly after sunset last night.  The moonrise was stunning.  I was standing at the counter near the kitchen window chopping vegetables when I looked up and saw the bright orange of the moon coming up through the trees.  The first photo (and the processed second version) was taken on Tuesday night.  This is what it looked like last night:

I could have done better if I had dragged out the tripod, but since I was in the midst of preparing dinner, I didn’t want to spend a lot of time moon gazing.  Well, I did want to spend a lot of time moon-gazing, but then dinner would not have gotten made at a decent hour.  I can moon-gaze for hours.  I can stargaze for hours, too.  Last night at moonrise was a good time for looking at the stars.   Orion was standing in the heavens, clear as a bell.  The sky was clear and crisp, allowing heat to escape and the frigid air to settle in.  We had ice on the pond again this morning.

Thawing. (White balance set to tungsten.)

By the time I went out for my walk this afternoon, the ice on the pond was beginning to thaw.  Did you know that the thawing surface of the pond makes a bubbling, hissing, melodious tinkling sound?  It does.  I stood there for the longest time listening to the musical melting.

Some of the surface has thawed completely.  The wind, blowing from the west, has moved the rest of the ice over to the eastern side of the pond.

Tiny waves approaching the ice layer.

The sky is an incredible shade of blue today.  It’s windy and cold, but the sunshine makes up for all that.

My mystery hawk returned today, but I wasn’t able to capture him.  We startled each other.  I was coming around the corner of the house after noticing the little birds scattering and setting off alarms, and he came swooping down over the house.  He made an abrupt turn when he noticed me so I think I may have saved a little bird from being lunch.  I walked out to the front of the yard and he was sitting in a tree, waiting.  Upon seeing me again, he decided to go check out the bird feeder across the street.  I waited for a while, hoping to see him again.  He must have decided I have all the pictures of him I’m going to get for now.  He didn’t return.

Icy reflections. (White balance set to tungsten.)

I reckon that’s it from the Bogs for today.  It’s a good day for a walk around the pond.  The squishy ground is hardened by the cold and the sky is going to stay clear throughout the night.  I think I’ll head out to do some stargazing later on, before the moon comes up (at 8:20pm tonight).  You’re welcome to join me.  Just be sure to keep in mind that it’s going to be very cold.  Bundle up.  It is winter after all.

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