But this time when I let her out on the chain I saw something very interesting peeking at me through the trees. It may look like the biggest brightest mysterious orb you've ever seen, but it's really the Moon, and it really was crescent shaped.
I know it doesn't look exactly crescent shaped in these pictures, but that's because the focus is on the tree. I tried to get some good Mooon pictures a little while later, but for some reason the manual settings that I normally use for that didn't work at all this time. And then the clouds came to hide the moon for the rest of the night. I hate when that happens!
The whole time I was doing this I was also trying to lure Isabell back into the house. It's not that she had been out there for a long time, but she was watching something in the darkness much too intensely.
The other reason I was trying to get her to come in was because of a struggle of wills between us. Isabella still has a strong habit of not coming when she is called. She does this completely on purpose. I know, I've checked. I've been teaching her to be a proper dog, but it's taking time. She's big and she's smart, and she thinks she's too big and too smart.
And my thoughts wander...
So, did you get a chance to go over to Nature Center Magazine and take a look at our Latest News feed? It's really good. We update it several times a day with the very best nature news from around the web. This is very interesting stuff. You already missed a story detailing why your yummy, buttery popcorn smells like a bearcat's butt, and a more serious story telling about a recent near miss the Earth had with an asteroid. Kind of scary. Go take a look. It's free. It's short. And it's very interesting.
And back to this post...
I finally came back into the house to look at my new Moon pictures. Soon there was a scratching at the door. It was Isabella wanting back in. I let her wait for a few minutes. If she wouldn't come when I called her then she was going to have to learn. I eventually got up and let her back in, and now she is lying behind me fast asleep. Good dog, Isabella.
Nature Center Magazine - Your starting place for nature!
If it's not Venus it might be Jupiter which is close to the moon at the moment. Venus is brighter and only visible for a couple of hours after the sun goes down.
ReplyDeleteIf it's Jupiter then you should be able to see 4 moons through a pair of binoculars.
If you look now, you should see the moon, Jupiter and Venus in a diagonal line, with Venus just above the horizon, Jupiter in the middle and the moon just above Jupiter. :-)
@John
DeleteI am guessing you are right that it may be Jupiter. I'll look for all three next sundown.
The shot looks like a full moon with all those tree branches in front of it. I like it.
ReplyDeleteDuke and Isabella have a lot in common. Duke may be small but he tries very hard to call the shots
@Ann
DeleteThe Moon showed only a small crescent with the naked eye. I'm glad the camera didn't focus well.
Them trying to call the shots makes these dogs even more fun and challenging.
Hello! The John comment is very interesting...Beautiful and interesting photos! Well done! You give me beautiful ideas!
ReplyDelete@Amin
DeleteYes, I think john knows what he's talking about. I took these photos from the example of some of my blogging peers.
Perhaps Isabella wondered off to get another view of the moon. She sounds like a good dog to come back. With mine, who knows where he would wander off to. I didn't know you can see Jupiter's moons with a binocular. I will have to check that out. Thanks John.
ReplyDelete@AVCr8teur
DeleteI have to keep Isabella on a chain or she would run off too. I still have trouble catching her even on the chain. I didn't know that about Jupiter's moons either. It's very interesting.
From those orbs to the moon, then We have Venus, and Jupiter.
ReplyDeleteThe night was quiet, but busy.
@Rainfield
DeleteJupiter, the biggest orb of all the planets.
I really like these descriptions of your everyday life. They are really full of detail these days, not only what is occurring in your world but also your mind. This is really good Ratty!
ReplyDelete@WildBill
DeleteI'll have even more of these everyday life descriptions because I won't be journeying far for a little while. I just broke my foot today.
i hate when what you want doesn't focus.The moon at this angle is fun to see as it grows.
ReplyDelete@Out on the prairie
DeleteI think the one street light outside was interfering with my camera's focus. I've never had that much trouble taking a picture of the Moon with the correct manual settings like I was using.
Actually the focus on the limbs made for a great shot Ratty.
ReplyDeleteRe John's comment. I had heard the moons could be seen with a good telescope but I never thought about trying binoculars, I'll have to give it a try.
@SquirrelQueen
DeleteIt's that focus that I was going for. I tried taking some other pictures of just the Moon, but I couldn't get it.
My grandpa used to look at the Moon with binoculars. I remember getting to look at it a few times that way. The detail is remarkable.
Indeed night time adventures seem interesting with all natures hidden mysteries. Wow...thats amazing you got to capture in your camera, the crescent Moon and the planet Venus. I have never seen such a fascinating shot before with a Planet in it and i am quite amazed to figure out we can actually capture something like that.
ReplyDelete@Elvirah
DeleteI've captured the Moon before, but I also never thought I could capture the image of a planet.
The moon really doesn't look crescent shaped at all here...it looks like it could be a full one. I have a lovely view ,most nights of the moon rising and then setting< (unless it's cloudy that is!) maybe I should think about taking c=some photos of it too??
ReplyDelete@allotments4you
DeleteThe Moon had a lot of clouds around it while I took these pictures. They gave it an extra glow. You should try getting some Moon pictures. It's a fun little adventure. I usually have to use the manual settings on my camera to get them.
Your moon shots are quite wonderful to see! I am still trying to come out at night to look for the moon and was frighten to see some possums in the neighbor's yard..
ReplyDeleteIsabella and you are both brave!
@Icy BC
DeleteI've seen possums around here too, but they always run away. There aren't many fences here so they run because it's easier for them. I encountered a big possum once many years ago that sat on the fence next to my porch and hissed at me and my old dog Tilly.
I'm really surprised the planet showed up, but it's very clear! Good stuff.
ReplyDelete@Sharkbytes
DeleteI was really surprised by that planet too, but once I saw it in my view screen I kept trying to make sure it got in my shots.
i haven't taken shots of the moon lately, that despite we have some clear nights here :( I love your moon shots peeking from those trees.
ReplyDelete@betchai
DeleteThese pictures were inspired by a few pictures I saw that other bloggers have done. I thought they looked so good that I wanted to try it.
I love your moon photos! Sometimes the moon does strange things when humans try to photograph it.
ReplyDelete