Moon Rise

Moon Rise, Berchtesgäden, Germany, September 2012, Nikon D5000 with DX 18-200mm VR lens, 
225mm, 1/100 sec @ f5.6, ISO 200, 0 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

It was a beautiful crisp morning, and this photo was taken right outside our hotel.  We were very lucky to have such nice weather.  And officially, it's a moon set, not a moon rise.

But as happy as I am with this photo, it is not really why I brought you here.  Instead, I think you will be amazed by this Moon Rise video below.  Simply amazing.  And here is the description about the video:

Full Moon Silhouettes 
Video Credit & Copyright: Mark Gee; Music: Tenderness (Dan Phillipson)
Explanation: Have you ever watched the Moon rise? The slow rise of a nearly full moon over a clear horizon can be an impressive sight. One impressive moonrise was imaged two nights ago over Mount Victoria Lookout in Wellington, New Zealand. With detailed planning, an industrious astrophotographer placed a camera about two kilometers away and pointed it across the lookout to where the Moon would surely soon be making its nightly debut. The above single shot sequence is unedited and shown in real time -- it is not a time lapse. People on Mount Victoria Lookout can be seen in silhouette themselves admiring the dawn of Earth's largest satellite. Seeing a moonrise yourself is not difficult: it happens every day, although only half the time at night. Each day the Moon rises about fifty minutes later than the previous day, with a full moon always rising at sunset.

I'm happy ... Are you?

Happy Boy, Königsee, Bertchesgäden, Germany, September 2012, Nikon D5000 with DX 18-200mm VR lens, 
180mm, 1/640 sec @ f5.3, ISO 200, 0 EV, no flash © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Are you happy?  As happy as this dog?

This guy just seems so content with his big stick.  He's smiling at the camera.

You know what they say ... you're as happy as you make your mind up to be.

So I'd say take your cue from this happy boy, and smile, smile, smile.