We set out for our first ever Thanksgiving Day Full Moon Rising Tour under a crisp, clear blue sky. The lake was smooth and the sun was warm, though the western shore, in the shadow of Fisher Knob, was several noticeable degrees cooler. The eastern shore heading up Whitewater River shone, bright yellow and gold, illuminated by beeches and birches, hickories and maples. Everywhere, clattering kingfishers swooped along the shoreline, lighting briefly on trees fallen in wherever shoreline has eroded. As we turned back to the main body of lake to watch the gloaming light change over the water, a low horizonal haze formed to the southeast, over Jocassee Dam. A light breeze rocked the water ever so slightly as the last rays of the setting sun dimmed, and within a few minutes the moon rose, large, very bright, and very clear, over Bootleg Ridge. Not a soul failed to be moved by a deep sense of gratitude for the beauty of the moment. ~K
