Thursday, December 19, 2024

December's "Cold" Moon

 I finished my hike a little after 3:30pm. Perfect timing, as December's full moon (called the "cold" moon) was scheduled to rise at 4pm. I had positioned myself behind a boulder covered hillside out in the remote Pinto Basin in Joshua Tree National Park, with a goal of capturing the moon rising over the rugged desert boulders. It seemed like a good plan! However, I noticed a dense layer of cloud cover on the horizon. If this cloud cover thickened or raised higher on the horizon, it would spoil my chances of getting the photo I wanted. So I waited. 
 
And waited. 4:15pm: Nothing. 4:30pm: Nothing. 5pm: Still nothing! I was getting stiff, bored, and impatient. By about 5:20pm I gave up. I packed up my camera gear and headed back to the car. As I left the sandy shoulder and pulled onto the highway, I almost immediately spotted it. I pulled back off the road (I had only driven about 100 yards), parked the car and grabbed my camera.


What a gorgeous moonrise, and how lucky to be in the right place at the right time! My lesson from this outing: BE PATIENT! Don't rush. Take your time. Enjoy the moment.
 
The next morning, the same full moon was now setting and was keeping me company as I drove back home from the desert. Driving west on the 10 freeway, I could see the Cabazon dinosaurs and just couldn't resist exiting the freeway for a quick photo.
Santasaurus!
 
Wishing everyone who reads this 
Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas!
Linking with Skywatch Friday.
Posted by

45 comments:

  1. Carol @Comfort Spring StationDecember 19, 2024 at 11:07 AM

    Beautiful shots of the moon against the pink sky and desert. I love the moon by the dinosaur!

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  2. CloudiaDecember 19, 2024 at 11:17 AM

    Thank you for these beautiful calming pictures and then the punch line at the end with the dinosaur! Nicely done as always my friend. Aloha

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  3. TomDecember 19, 2024 at 11:46 AM

    ...it's great to see the Cabazon festive dinosaur! Merry Christmas to you.

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  4. Liz A.December 19, 2024 at 11:47 AM

    That last photo is perfect.

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  5. AnonymousDecember 19, 2024 at 11:54 AM

    All beautiful again. Also merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  6. carol l mckennaDecember 19, 2024 at 12:14 PM

    Wonderful photos of the moon ~ ah, yes, patience ~ something I am still learning ~

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  7. carol l mckennaDecember 19, 2024 at 12:16 PM

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family ~ Great photos as always ~

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days ~
    clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  8. JimDecember 19, 2024 at 12:17 PM

    Great pastel skies.

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  9. Mikael BergmanDecember 19, 2024 at 12:25 PM

    So beautiful
    Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas

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  10. Jan K. alias AfanjaDecember 19, 2024 at 12:38 PM

    Wonderful moon shots.
    Merry Christmas for you and your family, Peter.

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  11. Yogi♪♪♪December 19, 2024 at 1:33 PM

    Beautiful shots, the last one is really fun.

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  12. Light and VoicesDecember 19, 2024 at 2:00 PM

    Clever ending with the Santasaurus wishing us a Merry Christmas. Right back at you!

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  13. JoyfulDecember 19, 2024 at 3:13 PM

    Absolutely gorgeous moon shots and the dino in Santa's costume was cute!

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  14. LisaDecember 19, 2024 at 4:43 PM

    That last is great! I had to look up Cabazon dinosaurs, and that's quite a roadside attraction!

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  15. A Left-Eyed ViewDecember 19, 2024 at 4:57 PM

    Splendid series of moonrises that were perfectly framed! I love how it is riding the wave of clouds in the first one. Merry Christmas to you and your entire family!

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  16. jack69December 19, 2024 at 5:28 PM

    That third shot and close up of the rugged skyline is TOPS! but so is the last one, with a lot of character, but a perfect moon that is for sure.. Glad you stopped to catch those , THANKS!

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  17. AnvilcloudDecember 19, 2024 at 5:47 PM

    I am not patient. You are in the sense that you put a lot of time and effort in getting to the right location.

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  18. Linda W.December 19, 2024 at 6:19 PM

    Beautiful moon images.

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  19. rupam sarmaDecember 19, 2024 at 8:34 PM

    Amazing views, Great moon photography.

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  20. Nanda kumarDecember 19, 2024 at 8:34 PM

    Patience is must in photography. And that deviation was worth capturing

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  21. Bill December 20, 2024 at 12:55 AM

    Fine shots, Peter! Really nice to see!

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  22. Nandini DekaDecember 20, 2024 at 5:08 AM

    nice terrain...

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  23. JocelynDecember 20, 2024 at 7:02 AM

    Truly a beautiful moon shot. Patience is the key :--)

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  24. marinaDecember 20, 2024 at 7:09 AM

    magical! (beside the dinosaur) :-)

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  25. Billy Blue EyesDecember 20, 2024 at 10:10 AM

    Beautiful photos of the moonscape and I love the dino one. Happy Christmas

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  26. AlanaDecember 20, 2024 at 3:17 PM

    I've been known to give up on sunsets too soon, so why not moonrises? Happy you had enough time to get these shots. They were beautiful, and I'm not sure I've ever seen a Santasaurus. Happy Holidays to you.

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  27. Marie SmithDecember 20, 2024 at 4:16 PM

    Love the moon shots and the Santasaurus! Merry Christmas!

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  28. StrayerDecember 20, 2024 at 6:41 PM

    The green dinosanta and the full moon. I do love that one.

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  29. LindaDecember 20, 2024 at 6:57 PM

    Oh no! The dinosaur is going to eat the moon! Chaos will rein!

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  30. Veronica LeeDecember 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM

    What a great story! Sometimes patience really pays off, and that moonrise was totally worth the wait. Love the Cabazon dinosaurs too—such a fun addition to your adventure! Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing!

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  31. Vivir y dejar Vivir...LizDecember 20, 2024 at 7:21 PM

    Querido amigo, preciosas fotos de la luna, la ultima muy tierna.
    Abrazos y te dejo un besito
    Feliz Navidad junto a tus seres querídos 💋

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  32. Iris FlaviaDecember 20, 2024 at 11:07 PM

    But... if you´d sayed put it would´ve been another scenery.
    As my friend fK uses to say, most things/happenings have a reason. Great pics.
    Oh, Rexi is a Santa now, so cool. My Tea-Rex says hi and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

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  33. Val EwingDecember 21, 2024 at 4:50 AM

    Patience is that hardest thing to learn and I've been there. Sometimes I move, sometimes I wait.
    I love the shot with the dinosaur! All of them are great. I just smiled a lot when I saw Dino T-Rex.

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  34. SinanGCLDecember 21, 2024 at 5:40 AM

    great photos

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  35. SharonDecember 21, 2024 at 5:46 AM

    Very nice moon shots but that "santasaurus" shot is so much fun. Happy Holidays to you too. Here's to a new year of photo taking adventures.

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  36. BillDecember 21, 2024 at 11:06 AM

    Fantastic moon shots. The Santasaurus is spectacular. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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  37. AmyDecember 22, 2024 at 9:48 AM

    The dinosaur is so huge but cool. Hope you have a lovely Christmas.

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  38. VENTANA DE FOTODecember 22, 2024 at 11:22 AM

    La luna hace acto de presencia, en cada una de tus fotografías.
    Muy buenos paisajes. Feliz Navidad.

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  39. MichelleDecember 22, 2024 at 2:44 PM

    Your lesson in patience is a lesson for all of us. Gorgeous photos and I like the dino!

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  40. HelenDecember 23, 2024 at 10:45 AM

    So glad you didn't miss seeing the rising moon above these wonderful clouds and rocky landscape.

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  41. RevrunnerDecember 23, 2024 at 12:37 PM

    Santasaurus. Good grief! :-)

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  42. AnonymousDecember 29, 2024 at 11:13 AM

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  43. Vivir y dejar Vivir...LizDecember 29, 2024 at 4:20 PM

    Querido amigo, te deseo con todo mi corazón
    (¸.•´ (¸.•` * ¸.•´¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ (¸.•` * ¸.•´¸.•*´¨)
    ¡UN FELIZ AÑO 2025!
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    .........\00/........
    ..........\0/.........
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    ¡*Amor, Paz, Felicidad*!
    Abrazos y te dejo un besito, se Feliz
    (¸.•´ (¸.•` * ¸.•´¸.•*´¨)(¸.•´ (¸.•` * ¸.•´¸.•*´¨)

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  44. John's IslandJanuary 4, 2025 at 4:14 PM

    S P & P – I happened to capture the Full Cold Moon on the evening of December 14. It was a lucky capture because it was not long after moon rise and in the eastern sky which is not my best sky viewing area. I’d originally planned to see if I could get a capture early on the morning of the 15th. Glad I didn’t wait as that morning was completely overcast. I shared my Full Cold Moon on my last post on December 21. As always, your post here is a delight. I appreciate your emphasis on patience. 😊 Best wishes for a Happy New Year to you and yours. John

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  45. Hena TayebJanuary 6, 2025 at 5:56 PM

    Call me crazy but the last pic is my favorite!

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