The second full moon of July 2015, thus the nickname blue moon, rising over the Knox Farm in East Aurora, I was in place for a while awaiting the first signs of the moon. My compass was telling me I was at about the right spot but there is always a dose of mystery, the unexpected nature of weather and clouds, and of course a little bit of guesswork imagining the line of sight. And there it showed its top! I was lucky, I only had to move about 20 feet to the right to align it where I though it would look its best. The mixture of remaining daylight and the moonlight balanced nicely at the perfect moment too, even if for just a very short moment. Just a few minutes later, the moon was too bright compared to the darkness below. And then it rose high and disappeared in the blanket of clouds. Start to finish, not more than 15 minutes but what a show!

Knox Farm State Park is the former country estate of Buffalo's renowned Knox Family. It is located adjacent to the historic village of East Aurora. There is a variety of habitats, including grasslands, woodlands, ponds and wetlands.

The park offers hiking, cross-country skiing, biking (in designated areas), and horseback riding (by permit), as well as wildlife spotting.

Sources:

- http://www.nysparks.com/parks/163/details.aspx
- http://www.friendsofknoxfarm.org/