moonrise and sunset

It's been more than a month. I was afraid this would happen.

The sky has been incredible these days, in the flat north country.
Today I came out of the library shortly after 5:00. The chapel bells had just started their daily chimes. (They play songs everyday from 5-5:30). Looking up I saw, as if resting on the chapel's ridgeline, the moon as full and bright as I have ever seen it--brighter, even--glowing against purplish clouds in a richly navy blue sky. The lamp posts gave their own glow, but it was still on the cusp of darkness, not late enough to see the stars. I was surprised to see the moon like this, like an unexpected visitor, and paused on the sidewalk to stare at it for a while.Someone else bustled out of the library, and not wanting to appear a fool, I let go of my stare and kept walking. But coming around the corner of the long library I had to blink once more at the western sky, still pink from a sunset. How wonderful.