edit -0012 Saturday five happy-stances came together to fulfill a desire of several years: being able to photograph the Shoals Spider Lilies on the Flint River by moonlight.  Precious time off from work, a full moon, lilies in bloom, a clear sky following days of clouds and rain, and dear friends Pam and Fred, who allowed me to hang out unsupervised in their yard during the night, all worked together to bless my socks off.

edit -0039

Mars was one night away from opposition, when it would be the brightest this year.  So bright, even a nearby full moon couldn’t muscle it out of view.  In the first image, Mars is the dot to the right of the moon; in the image above, it's the tiny dot in the bottom right of the picture (looking like a period after my name  :  )      Here it is by itself:

edit -0796 Further along in the sky was big brother, Jupiter.  In the shot below one can see the four Galilean moons, (L to R): Callisto, Io, Europa, and Gamynede

edit -0797

In the image below, good eyes (and monitor) will see two dots way below the glare of the moon.  The one on the left is Saturn, and on the right is the red giant, Antares--the 'heart' in the constellation Scorpio.  (Again, Mars is the bright object to the right of the moon.)   edit -9980

But let us consider the lilies of the Flint.  Whether by day or night, they can be a source of delight   :  )

small -2891 small -2862 small -2990 edit -8442 Luke 12:27

small -2875 edit -0047