1000 words for Summer - moonlight dancing

As the world celebrated the incoming New Year with a light show made of explosives, I thought of the light show I’d seen a few nights earlier on the Summer full moon. Down by the water, I sat overhanging the bay. Water lapping, boats swaying, tingling in the warm evening breeze. By the time it was dark, the moon was high in the sky to film. As the clouds passed the light dimmed too low for my camera to capture the tiny lights reflecting their colours across the bay.

I sat admiring the deep indigo blues, the creamy moon, the neon lights and the charcoal shadows of the clouds, I wanted to draw, I wanted to paint, I wanted to capture it all. It’s a special time of year, Summer. It’s easy to wander out at night, to feel free, let everything go, the way things want to flow. To dance in the moonlight. But right now only half the planet is in Summer, so it’s harder to share. But everyone shares the moon and it’s phases. Everyone can dance in the moonlight on the same night, twelve times a year.

Dreaming, gazing, still tired from celebrating the space between the Summer Solstice, Christmas and the New Year. I gently looked and then I saw it, there in front of me. A natural light show, dancing on the sea. Instead of looking up, I saw the moonlight by looking down. The reflections in the ripples just like the sun had done a few months ago in a minute by the sea “pool water”. I filmed a moving postcard, here it is for you to see.

That day my sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project finally arrived. When I came home from filming, I made some little scribbles. Later I worked them up as the first page of thirty in the little book which must be posted back by the 15th January! As friends wrote on my facbook page, I’ve got my work cut out for me!

A few nights later on New Years Eve, I went into Sydney and saw the fireworks show. It was spectacular! Fired by explosives, off buildings above, off barges and jetskis below. The beautiful coloured glow reflecting on the surface of the harbour and the white sails of the Opera House. I wondered how the aboriginies celebrated different times? They certainly danced, but did did they have fire shows and watch them glow? Did they watch the moonlight dancing on the water?

Sydney spent $7 million and millions came to watch from all over the globe. All over the planet, fireworks and smoke fill the air for that one special night of the year. It really is spectacular. But next time it’s moonlight, if you go down by the sea, there’s a natural light show you can see, it’s natural and it’s free! 

To read other blog posts in 1000 words for Summer Year 4, please use these links:

1. 1000 words for Summer - year 4 begins!

2. 1000 words for Summer - tassie summer

3. 1000 words for Summer - merry christmas!

4. 1000 words for Summer - celebrating space

5. 1000 words for Summer - moonlight dancing

6. 1000 words for Summer - art classes

7. 1000 words for Summer - be ready!

8. 1000 words for Summer - between sets

9. 1000 words for Summer - sketch crawl

10.1000 words for Summer - ferry wake

11.1000 words for Summer - painting party
12.1000 words for Summer - summer wrap

To see what's happened in previous years, please click here.