The moon sets in early morning over U.S. 221 just south of Willis, Virginia.

The Blue Ridge offers spectacular views of moon risings and settings. Most of my photos show the moon over mountains or fields but this shot with a road and other signs of civilization caught my eye in the rear view mirror as I drove from our farm to the studio in the wee hours of the morning.

The sun offers a different kind of beauty with sharper colors and brilliant reds. The moon, however, is more serene, especially as it makes its exit at the start of the day.

Sometimes, nature’s beauty overcomes the clumsy hand of mankind.