Blue moon

As an avid stargazer I have a love-hate relationship with the moon. I like it when it’s near the horizon, especially when I can photograph it near a local landmark such as the capitol or a Fort Lincoln blockhouse. When it’s up in the sky, however, it tends to ruin any stargazing with its overpowering light. In the daytime, however, it’s another story.

I got the idea of photographing the moon during the day when my two year old pointed out the moon to his daddy. I was able to get out the long lens and my tripod to get this shot with the deep blue of the afternoon sky instead of the black of the night. I like the daytime moon much better, actually. It’s also easier to get an even exposure, since I don’t fight the contrast between a black sky and a brilliant moon.

If you keep track of the current moon phase, then you know that this isn’t a recent photo. It was taken a few weeks ago, actually…I just forgot to post it. Lots of people mind the phase of the moon; I’m told that avid fishermen do. When I lived up in the Rockies, I always knew when the full moon was coming because I’d go snowboarding at night. At 8,000 feet you can see pretty well in the moonlight! As a stargazer, I also watch out for the “new moon” phase as it provides the best opportunity to see the other objects in the night sky without interference from the moon’s bright reflected light.

Consolation and “the nice man”

Our church is going to have some of our supported missionaries visit us this month. I’ve met some amazing missionaries in the past few years, and I look forward to reconnecting with these people when they stop through. As I ponder some of the past missions events we’ve had, along with some of the wonderful missionary families who have come, I was reminded about a pair of stories that really struck me as a relatively new husband and new Daddy. Click below to listen.

These moving words were spoken by a missionary to the Pacific who visited our church this weekend. He’s been on the field it seems like forever, and you can tell from his stories that he’s made some great sacrifices over the years as all missionaries do. I’d love to give him direct credit, but some of these guys take a risk being in the field, often political and sometimes physical. Putting their names on the Internet can sometimes cause unintended harm and I’d hate to risk doing so.

Hopefully by electronically enabling you to hear this man’s words, which moved me as I struggle to be a good daddy and provide my little boys with blessed memories, I can pass along some of that consolation he was talking about.