Rootless Moon Stories

Lingering moon, Alamogordo Balloon Fest, New Mexico. September 2013.

There is a blue moon tonight, which makes me think of other moons.

Full moon, Kutaisi, Caucasus Georgia. June 2012.

Harar, Ethiopia

My favorite moon experience might have been in Harar, Ethiopia. The moon was so bright, I took a shower by the light beaming through the window:

.... I wish I could stay longer in Harar. Sean McLachlan, the online travel writer, told me of the pleasure of walking in the walled city (Jugal) by moonlight. In the narrow, curving, cobblestoned streets, a hyena might brush against your thigh as it made its silent night-time rounds.

Sean was also in the practice of spending an entire day hanging out with a tailor in his streetside shop. I saw Sean doing exactly that one day. Borrowing Sean's idea, I would spend an entire afternoon and evening with a woman vendor, pulling up my own stool to sit under her umbrella. Maybe I'd even shout out "faranjo!" when I saw one pass. Or maybe I'd shout out "habesha!" to all Ethiopians who walked by.

But not enough time for either of these things.

As it was, I showered with my bathroom light turned off so I could look up at Harar's full moon through the high window.

Full moon, Oliver Lee State Park, New Mexico. September 2012.

On a train from Batumi, (Caucasus) Georgia

From The Black Sea, Part 5: The Train to Tbilisi:

... Sandy and I had splurged on a two-bed train cabin. We'd bought late-night dinner fixin's.
We each put our pillows at the end of our beds by the door, stretched out, and we could see the big ol' full moon roll with us on the train.

Moonrise, Alamogordo, New Mexico. October 2012.

White Sands National Monument, outside Alamogordo, New Mexico: 

Full moons get center stage at White Sands, as they should.

White Sands National Monument, NM: Into the Night

Summer Solstice 2013 at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico

Full moon over Alamogordo, from White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. November 2012.

Moonrise over the Sacramento Mountains

At Oliver Lee Memorial State Park in New Mexico, I was a lucky witness to some spectacular moons.

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park: Always Something Going On

New Mexico: "Dark Skies"

Summer solstice moon, White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. June 2013.