Moon set

© harrington

Do you pay any attention to the moon? Do you know its phases? Do you know the difference between a waxing moon and one that's waning? It's one thing to not pay attention to what's right under our feet. We don't want to spend our time looking down. But why wouldn't we want to know more about what's right in front of our eyes? Is it because we can't "do anything" with it? (Lord knows we've left enough trash on it already.) What about those lines from The Night Before Christmas?

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snowGave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

Have you ever been out in the snow on a full-moon winter's night in My Minnesota? Every time I have, it triggers the next line about "what to my wondering eyes should appear." One thing we can certainly do with the moon is enjoy it. See moon rise. Watch moon sets. Learn when its waxing or waning. I know I paid more attention to the moon when I lived on the east coast and chased striped bass. The moon affected the tides and stripers were most likely to be found within casting distance of a beach at night, when the moon was out. With winter's shorter days, we have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the night sky. Let's not miss them.