Light Show

 

While Glenda and I were enjoying a truly brilliant light show Thursday evening, Dave was quietly snapping photos of the sky.  He captured some great shots and we didn't even know he was doing it.  Luckily he shared them with us so I can share them with you.  The lightening was lighting up the sky brilliantly for most of the evening but it was far enough away that we never heard any thunder and we could safely sit there and enjoy the show. (By the way, those two short light streaks in the upper right are a plane passing overhead.)

This one looks like a perfect Halloween moon shot.  

Dave got a little "arty" with this shot of his champagne glass ready to swallow up the moon.  

Thanks Dave for sharing these great photos.

Lunar Eclipse Surprise

 

It was "champagne Thursday" a couple of days ago and I was enjoying an evening of champagne, sushi and conversation at my friend Glenda's house.  Dave (Glenda's son-in-law) had joined us and when afterward Dave and I were heading to our cars, he mentioned that there was supposed to be a lunar eclipse that night.  So I stopped in my tracks and looked up at the sky and sure enough, the eclipse was happening as we were standing there.  

I only had my cell phone so I didn't think there was much chance of getting a decent shot but I was pleasantly surprised.  I adjusted the exposure on the phone and this one turned out pretty good.  You can see the shadow over the moon had covered all but the very edge.  

What a great way to top off champagne Thursday!

Waxing Crescent

 

Just before I went to bed last Friday, I caught site of the moon setting in the southwestern sky.  I grabbed my camera and took a few shots.  This was the best of the group.  With the moon so low in the sky, it had taken on a yellow glow.  I asked Google what phase it was in on Friday and learned that it was a "waxing crescent".  

Looking at it makes me a bit jealous of those brave astronauts who recently made the trip around the back of the moon.  What an adventure that was.

Full Moon Over Camelback Mountain

 

These photos won't win any prizes but I was enjoying the full moon hanging above Camelback Mountain as I was driving to my friend's house.  I snapped a couple of shots out the windshield of the car as I was stopped at the traffic lights.

As I got closer to my friend's house, the perspective almost looked like the moon was setting behind the mountain but it wasn't.  It was on its way up in the eastern sky.

When I got to her house, I tried taking one from her back garden but I had this tree to contend with so I framed the moon between the tree limbs.

After all of that, my friend Dave got the best shot.  He had a much better view when he snapped this one.

Full Moon

 

As promised, I returned to the garden late Friday afternoon and got to see the full moon floating above the garden against the twilight blue sky.  The moon was created by UK artist Luke Jerram and like the real thing, it has traveled around the world many times.  You can see photos from some of the places it has visited here. 

In this shot, I captured the moon rising above the setting sun.

Once it got dark, the moon was a stunning sight.  The display location allowed the visitors to walk all around it and even under it.  

It was looking pretty spectacular floating over one of the garden mountains.  

Today is the last day to see it at the garden so I'm glad I got to see it while it was here.  I'm even glad I got to see the "zipper" mishap. 😃

Full Moon Rising

 

I was at my friends Julie and Dave's house last Thursday celebrating St. Patrick's Day when we saw the full moon rising in the east over the mountain.  I snapped this shot with my iPhone and was surprised at how well it turned out.

My camera was in my car so I ran out to get it and took this shot using the "moon" setting.  It made the sky and foreground much darker but the detail of the moon was better.

I zoomed in on just the moon and got an even better shot of it.  I was surprised at how long it stayed the yellow color.  When I ran to get my camera, I figured by the time I was back in position it would have slipped from yellow to white but it didn't.  I'm sure it has something to do with the dust and pollution in the atmosphere.  

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

 

I woke up around 3:00 AM Wednesday morning and looked out my window.  I thought I was seeing things when I saw what looked like a bright light over the buildings next door.

I finally realized I was seeing the moon peeking through an almost completely overcast sky.  I thought it looked very spooky in that kind of "dark and stormy night" kind of way so I grabbed my camera.

After the sun came up, it was still very cloudy and looking a bit threatening in the western sky.

After a while it started to rain very lightly at first but by noon it was coming down at a steady pace.  Rain, glorious rain.  We even had a bit of lightening and thunder.  It was very refreshing.  

I love seeing those rain drops on all the trees and plants.  It's just what we needed.  Not enough to get us through the summer but, nice anyway.  

Moon Shots

 

I love it when the moon shines brightly during the day.  I took this shot as a sort of abstract moon view.  There is even a bird sitting on one of the arms of that saguaro cactus if you look closely.

But I also zoomed in on the moon to see how much definition I could capture.  Not too bad.  You can see all the craters and hills and valleys pretty well.

I threw in a night-time view just to compare the two.  Every time I photograph the moon, I can't help but think about those adventurous and pioneering men who walked around up there all those years ago.  The mysteries of space intrigue me quite a bit.  There is so much yet to be discovered.

Fly Me to the Moon

The moon was looming over Camelback Mountain mid-day last Sunday so I used my telephoto to see if I could get a good shot of it.  This is the one I like the best.  I love the way the telephoto makes it look so close.  It looks like I might be standing on another planet looking at the sky.

Full Moon

Last weekend, I was at my friends Julie & Dave's house for dinner and it happened to be a full moon night.  I was busy helping prepare the dinner so Dave grabbed my camera and went out to see if he could get some good shots.  I'd say he succeeded nicely.

After I downloaded the shots, I sent a few back to Dave who told me he took them hand-held.  I'm really impressed now.  I'd say he did a fantastic job.

The Moon

I thought it would be appropriate to put up a photo of the moon today on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.  The Apollo Lunar Module Eagle landed on the moon's surface on July 20th 1969 at 20:17 UTC.  I wonder if those footprints are still there.

The Park and the Moon

Here is another view from Encanto Park, this one looking in the opposite direction from yesterday's photo.  There are several of those small bridges crossing the lagoon as it flows across the park.

Another view looks at the expanse of the park scattered with picnic benches.  Most of the picnic benches are positioned under shade trees or shade covers but, there are a few out in the sun.  Notice that little spec of a moon in the sky......

...I decided to zoom in on it.  I love a good day-time moon.

Saturday Odds and Ends

Saturday seems like a good day to post a few more odds and end shots from my files.  Above is a pretty lamp I saw hanging against a wall surrounding a house.

This one is taken from my balcony looking at a neighbor's balcony that is overflowing with plants.  What a petty sight!

A friend and I had dinner last week at a great little pizza place called Craft 64.  We ordered the caprese salad and I loved the way it was served like a whole tomato sliced with the fresh mozzarella inserted between the slices.  It was every bit as delicious as it looks.

Here's a silly shot I took with my cell phone at dinner with friends last week.  One of those spot lights that businesses use to light a room was shining right over the top of the pepper shaker and creating those dots of light inside the shaker.  Sometimes I just can't stop myself from snapping a shot.

This last one is also a phone shot so it's not the best.  All I had with me when I spotted the full moon over Camelback Mountain was my cell phone.

Just another set of observations along the way!

Moonshine

Not that kind of moonshine but the kind of moon that shines even when it's light.  I love it when I can see a full or nearly full moon and the sky is still a pale blue.  

This one was dancing behind the palm trees!

One Small Step....One Giant Leap

I know exactly where I was on this date in 1969.  I was sitting in front of an old black & white television set in the family room of my childhood home in Quincy Illinois along with my parents as we watched Neil Armstrong make that first step on to the surface of the moon.  What a monumental event.  It was one of those events in life that stays with you for a long time.

Today our explorations into the space outside of the earth's atmosphere have evolved and advanced and we now have an International Space Station that is in constant orbit around our planet.  Many times, I've walked outside to watch that station pass overhead.  It's just a light in the sky but it thrills me every time I see it.  Did you know that you can see it too?  Go to the "Spot the Station" website and enter your location information and they will give you a schedule of when the station will pass overhead where you are.  The time and direction is very precise and accurate.

So, where were you on this date in 1969?

Moon over high-rises

I went out again last night looking for clouds that might form a sunset but I got stopped by the moon hanging over one of the mid-town high-rises.   I walked a little further to see if I could catch the moon between two buildings but, by that time the moon was too high to make the "in-between" shot.

Dinosaurs are the subject on Sharon's Sojourns today!

Day Moon

I took this photo the last week of January and liked how clearly it turned out for a day time shot.

Full Moon

I was on my way to meet friends for dinner Saturday night when I spotted the full moon.  Luckily I had my camera with me so when I got parked I took a few experimental shots.  I think I like this one the best.

Full Moon...setting

Wednesday morning when I left for work, I caught a glimpse of the full moon floating very low in the Western sky.  I drove into a parking lot wondering if I could catch a shot before it sank from view.  This would have been better with a different camera and a tripod but, it isn't bad.

Cactus, Palms, & the Moon

Things you see when you look up.