The Bright Moon Light

This morning crawled out of my warm and cozy bed to go running. Since it had been a few days since my last run, I was anxious to get back to my normal routine, so that made getting out of bed on a dark, cold morning a little easier. As I left the house, bundled in my warm running gear, I noticed the moon. The light radiating from the full moon was stunning. It was so bright that I thought my neighbors had switched on their outdoor light. The entire western sky was lit up from the light of the bright moon. Even though it was 5:10 a.m. in late November, the sky looked very light. The air was cool and crisp, and no breeze was blowing. The humidity appeared to be very low, as there were only a few specks of frost glistening on the grass. The weather conditions were perfect, my lungs and legs cooperated, and I had the best run I'd had in a couple of weeks. Between the beautiful moon and the feel-good sensation that comes from vigorous exercise, I was ready to meet the challenges of the day!

A beautiful sunrise or sunset is mesmerizing to most people. The sun is not only essential to our lives, but the sun can be a magnificent site! And the light that shines from the sun reflects on objects and adds more beauty to nature. I rely on sunny lighting for most of the photos I take for Rachel Raccoon and Sammy Skunk books. Bright sunshine illuminating a pretty blue sky makes a nice background and adds a crisp quality to nature photographs. Overcast and foggy days also hold beauty and may make interesting photographs, but I prefer sunny days to provide optimal contrast and lighting for the pictures I use in the books.

But the night sky has its own splendor. No matter what the current moon phase is, the moon casts an eerie glow on an otherwise dark night. The stars stand out distinctly in the night sky. Looking at the moon makes me feel very peaceful. When I am out early exercising, I enjoy the solitude of very few people on the sidewalks and not many cars on the streets. Having the moon keep me company is enough to help my mind and body awaken, and watching the moon entertains me and keeps my mind from focusing too much on how I'd really like to take a break.

A short time later, the sun started to rise, and the moon was less visible. Still, the view of the early morning moon was stuck in my head for the rest of the day and continued to give me feelings of optimism and hope.