A Mood Altering Berkshire Moon

Yesterday, due to the infamous "circumstances beyond my control", I was late leaving work. Not by a few minutes, but many minutes. The Berkshires' early evening had already descended, I was getting a bit hungry for dinner and not in the best mood overall. But after a few minutes rolling northward home, things would change.

In the eastern sky I caught a glimpse of the rising moon. It was 1 day past full officially, but I could hardly tell the difference. Hanging low over the horizon, slightly orange as a trick of our atmosphere, it was also huge! That effect is a kind of optical illusion which has to do with our perception of perspective.

I remembered a time when I was a grade-schooler, walking to our local library on a late afternoon in autumn, and seeing a similar big ol' orange moon. To my kid-sized brain & eyes that thing looked as big as a house. I smiled and held that memory all the way home yesterday, guided by the glowing lunar lantern. If I had left work on time I would have missed the show.

So in this still new year of 2018, remember to take time to stop and smell the roses...or watch a full moon rise.