Mars, from home

In case anyone has missed me and been wondering where on Earth... or, well, off the planet... I went, suffice it to say that once more work and ill-health got the better of me. It wasn't COVID-19, thank God, but, rather, something more mundane... and, alas, all too familiar: cardiac issues. They'll be resolved, as best as my heart team can do, fairly soon, but while I wait for my latest stay in the hospital, I wanted to at least let everyone know that I'm still ambulatory and on the natural history beat. As it has happened, I continue daily treks and documentation through the lens; I just haven't had the hours or energy, since late-August,  to edit the shots and write about what I've seen. As Sandy Denny asked in 1967, "Who knows where the time goes?" I sure don't. But I sure miss taking the time to keep up this walking journal. So, however briefly I can do this, I'm going to try, whether every day or just from time to time. Here's what I saw tonight: the planet Mars. It's making its closest approach to our planet this month, and, last night, it was sitting just to the left of the full Harvest Moon, which almost obscured it, given the lunar light. This evening, however, Mars had moved to a better position for a photograph, with the moon hidden behind trees. Out to the glare, the "red planet" is a genuine stunner.