Easy come and easy go - Comet NEOWISE

To and fro the pendulum throws
We are here and then we go

Understand what we don't know
This might pass
This might last
This may grow
Easy come and easy go...

... to and fro the pendulum throws

-Pearl Jam

I don't know about everyone else but being able to enjoy the views of Comet NEOWISE has been a welcome distraction from all that's going on in the world right now. It's definitely been the strangest and most uncertain year in my existence. Heading out into the woods to view the comet has brought me back to what I enjoy most: spending time at night practicing my photography. 

When I drive to and from the locations where I view and photograph the night sky, I am usually listening to music. Sometimes a particular song will come up as I'm driving that resonates with the experience I had that night.  When that happens I will make a mental note to listen to that song again when I am sitting at the computer and editing the photos. Such was the case as I was driving home after this awesome night of photographing the comet. The song "Pendulum" by Pearl Jam came across my shuffle list and it seemed perfectly suited to the experience I had that night. 

So, when I got home and was working on these photographs, I listened to it a few times in the background.  When I was done working on the photos, I sat back and closed my eyes to really soak in the sound and the lyrics. When I do this I hear so much more going on in a song then I ever did before. The mesmerizing rhythm of Jeff Ament's bass, the details in the haunting echo of Mike McCready's guitar playing and of course, Eddie Vedder's signature sound as the thoughtful lyrics pour out from deep within his core. All of it comes together to create an unforgettable sound. And it all seemed like the perfect match for this photo. 

If you're not familiar with the song and are interested in looking it up, by far my favorite version of it is from Pearl Jam's live performance in St. Paul on October 19, 2014.  I attended that concert and it was AWESOME. The guys played for around 3 hours that night and were at the top of their game. The song "Pendulum" was the first song they played that night. And it laid the groundwork for an unforgettable performance. Much like the experience of seeing Comet NEOWISE.  Unforgettable. 

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