The moon rose tonight, nearly full, partnered by brilliant Mars. They make a striking pair, even when there's quite a bit of moisture and cloud cover.

Before supper, they were impressively tight and then, after supper, the pair were traveling even closer together, higher in the sky. Evidence of the mechanics of the solar system and of our perception from our location. The planet under our feet is always in motion.

The sun has completed its full fan of rising locations for the year. It rose to the left of the field at summer solstice, it seemed dead center by fall equinox, and now is rising to the right of the field at winter solstice. June to September to December, the sun inched from left to right, day by day. Now it will retrace the path back, back to center in March for the spring equinox.

Watching the sky, I feel grounded. It’s like being inside the workings of a magnificent clock, everything moving and interacting in ways that are predictable and logical. So reassuring, especially when the workings on the surface of our planet seem to make no sense at all.