~Harvest Moonrise~

~Moon Over The Santa Catalinas~

This is the first full moon of autumn, traditionally referred to as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon allows farmers at the peak of the harvest to stay in the fields longer than usual, working by the moon's light. It rises around sunset, but also the moon seems to appear at nearly the same time each successive night to benefit the field work.

But for me, with no harvest to bring in, I can just sit back and enjoy the event. The foreground mountain range adds to the spectacle of this big moon. I'm about 6,000 feet below the summit of Mount Lemmon, the peak of the Santa Catalina Range. It was still light in the west, though the sun had set maybe fifteen minutes before moonrise.


Poem by David Henry Thoreau:

On fields o'er which the reaper's hand has pass'd
Lit by the harvest moon and autumn sun,
My thoughts like stubble floating in the wind
And of such fineness as October airs,
There after harvest could I glean my life
A richer harvest reaping without toil,
And weaving gorgeous fancies at my will
In subtler webs than finest summer haze.


Hope you enjoyed the view, TucsonJim ;o)

Big Harvest Moon