Wolf Moon Rising. First full moon of 2017.

January's full moon is known primarily as the "Wolf Moon," according to the Farmers' Almanac.  The Wolf Moon was sometimes referred to as the Old Moon or the Moon After Yule. Some tribes called January’s full moon the Snow Moon, but most tribes applied that name to February’s full moon. 

What is a Wolf Moon? In January, amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Native American villages. Thus, the villagers began calling January’s full moon the Wolf Moon. 

i've never been able to capture good moon pictures, they always just look like a bright light in the sky. The other day, i saw the moon out during the day and it was so huge, and clear that i couldn't help but try to capture it with my camera.  i was so surprised when my picture came out so well. You can even see the craters on the surface of the moon. How amazing is that? i just used a point and shoot digital camera with the auto setting.

A few night later, when the moon was almost full it had this beautiful halo around it, so i went out again and tried to get a picture. Lunar halos usually signify that rain is coming.

The first full moon in January 2017, was on the 12th.  i tried to capture it just as it was coming up over the trees.  i thought this photo turned out neat.

i took many photos trying to get the moon into focus, but it wanted to focus on the trees in front of it instead. i thought this photo was just as amazing. i'm actually tempted to turn it into a painting.

Once it got above the trees i took a ton of photos. This was the closest to in focus as i could get. My son got a telescope for xmas, and had it outside looking at the moon. The moons was actually so bright that it hurt our eyes to look at it through the telescope. The night was surprisingly warm for January, and we really enjoyed being out in the moon light staring up at the night sky. The full moon is a time for releasing and letting go of negative energy.  Although the poem below is about a summer moon, i still really liked it and couldn't find one for a winter moon that i liked as much.

The moon is at her full, and riding high, 

Floods the calm fields with light. 

The airs that hover in the summer sky 

Are all asleep to-night.

- William C. Bryant