Moonset and sunset

 Spring is well along now on Roundtop Mtn. I won’t have many more days before I lose the view to the west and will once again spend the next six months encased in the “green box” of foliage that covers my cabin.

I miss the open views of winter, though I appreciate that the dense canopy of foliage is the only thing that stands between me and the need for an air conditioner. Those layers of thin, green leaves prevent the sun from penetrating down to my cabin. The thermometer in my car shows a drop of 5-10 degrees as soon I drive under the cover of the forest.

Usually each summer has a week or so that has me questioning my lack of air conditioning, but then the humidity clears or the temperature drops, and I wouldn’t need the thing for another year anyway, so I do without. I suspect that choice will change once I retire and spend entire days in the cabin, instead of just my non-working hours, but that’s a topic for another year.

Both of today’s photos were taken off the back deck of my cabin and show nearly the exact same views. The only difference is that the sun sets on the north side of Nell’s Hill and the moon sets on the south side of it. In the sunset photo, you might be able to see a few of the always spindly redbud trees just beneath the sun itself. In the moonset photo you can see the lights from the porch of my nearest neighbor to the west, which is about a mile away through the forest.

Soon my neighbor’s lights will disappear, as will the entire view of Nell’s Hill. It will be Halloween or later before they both reappear. I always look forward to that.