Full moons are always a treat no matter where you are in Texas. But once you see a full moon rise above the horizon at Possum Kingdom Lake while paddling on the water, you know you're witnessing something that very few people are. The experience pretty much leaves you stunned.... the white light glistening off the black water, the glow of the light silhouetting the rocky cliff line, with the only sound being the blade of your paddle folding into the darkness. So serene. Last year a group of us did this each month May-August. We launched in Neeley's Slough at The Cliffs marina, had 14 or so paddlers one night and we all ventured out along the shoreline below the hotel to chase the moonrise in the pitch black waters. Just. To. Die. For. Another night when the moon rose late we took to swimming off the Gaines Bend shoreline waiting for the event. When is the last time you swam in Possum Kingdom Lake in the dark, no lights whatsoever? Then to watch the glow of the moon peek its head over the cliffs and cast orange light down on you like the sun, only not hot, but soothing and inviting. We scrambled into our kayaks and raced towards the moon as if it were some natural beacon that we just had to get to. Magnificent! This summer some of us paddled Hells Gate Cove during full moon, talk about a treat! Windless, wakeless... we pressed our kayaks right up into the side of Devils Island, smelled the musk of the wet limestone, heard the squawk of a heron nearby, and watched the amazing show rise from the east over the Gaines Bend cliff. We paddled over to the towering Hells Gate where they set off the July4th fireworks and just stared up in awe of the beauty of that rock formation, with the moonlight casting its glow on that gorgeous bluff. Where else in Texas..... ? Just do it! Get some paddle buds, launch in a no-wake zone about dusk, and head out away from the shore! Know ahead what time and where the moon will rise so you can plan your route and remember each vessel needs a white light that can be seen 360degrees. There is another full moon this month on Friday the 31st a BLUE MOON in fact, the second full moon in the month of August! What better way to begin the Labor Day holiday weekend -- to celebrate the end of summer -- than to do a full moon paddle on Possum Kingdom Lake. Go ahead, give it a whirl! That whirl will remain with you for a lifetime.