I’ve tried several times over the past few years to see the Strawberry Moon, the first full moon of summer in late June. Because it is the lowest-hanging full moon of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, it has a beautiful golden hue at moonrise . Actually, it usually appears pink-ish as it rises, just in time for strawberry season. Here near the ocean, clouds are often covering it. This weekend, the coastline was socked in with thick fog, so I thought my chances of seeing the moon would be slim.
Today, however, was a gorgeous, cloud-free day, and I decided I had to try again to see it. I decided to go to the beach about two miles away, West Beach in Beverly Farms MA. Frankly, I have no idea why it’s called “West” Beach because it’s located in the east or southeast. No matter.
A website online informed me that the moon was going to rise at 8:42pm. I got in the car, and drove to the beach. At 8:40, the sky was pure blue. No sign of the moon. At 8:42, I still didn’t see anything. Then all of a sudden, I saw a faint orange orb rising from the horizon.
As it continued to rise, the color of the moon deepened while its size grew.
The reflection on the ocean that appeared as the moon continued to rise was beautiful as well.
Now from my office window, I can see the moon through the trees. It’s now a butterscotch shade, but still big. What a lovely way to spend a summer evening!
Were you able to catch the Strawberry Moon as it rose on Monday night? Hope so! If you succeeded, please let me know in the comments!
