Staff writer
I saw the supermoon on Saturday and was impressed. However, it was not just the big, beautiful moon that awed me. It was the whole evening, the whole setting, the whole wonderful reality of what makes life in rural Kansas so awesome.
My plan was to take some pictures when the big moon showed his face, so I went out at dusk and sat on the hood of our old Dodge truck on the field road.
Turtledoves called their mates to bed, a cool breeze lifted my hair from my face, and the wonderful smell of country fresh filled my nostrils. As darkness spread over the scene before me, I could not help admiring the lush green oats swaying in the field before me. Thanks to recent rain and good growing temperatures, all the trees and foliage around me looked in great shape.
Then the moon began to rise. At first, it was big and orange, poking up almost mysteriously through clouds on the horizon. As it gained some height, it brightened and took on a brilliant glow. The beauty of it took my breath away. I tried to snap a few pictures, but nothing could do justice to the actual event. I finally just sat back and enjoyed the moment.
It seemed the night animals were watching too. Coyotes from all four corners seemed to take cue from the rising moon and sent their serenades skyward, howling and yapping with glee. Once the coyotes quieted down, a few owls hooted an unforgettable chorus.
By this time, my husband joined me and together we watched the supermoon rise higher and higher, wondering exactly what those shadows in the middle were. A rabbit, a man? To me it looked like a person kneeling in prayer.
Whatever it was, I just could not get the phrase, “it doesn’t get any better than this,” out of my mind. Nothing beats a Kansas sunset, except maybe a supermoon on the rise. I’m so glad I got to see it.