Ah, Spring in the Sacramento Valley. 50 degrees one day, 100 degrees the next. Winds that rip the pollen loose and rain that barely covers our needs. It has been an interesting spring this year. I am not looking forward to summer. The valley isn't pretty in the summer. Everything turns brown and crispy and no one goes outside for fear of being baked by the 100+ temperatures. Lots of wavy mirages created by the overabundance of asphalt though. Although by the end of summer the sunflower fields bloom and that's nice to see if you happen to drive past one. So much for that mythical perfect weather anyone outside of California thinks we have.
But I didn't come here today to complain about the weather. Nope, today I am thinking about the moon. Makes sense since there are two full moons this month. There is one today which I won't see tonight unless the clouds clear (we got drizzled on last night) and then there is a blue moon on the 31st.
I happened upon The Farmer's Almanac Astronomy page. They have an article about names for the full moons that are supposed to have come from the Native Americans, and since this I live in America, I thought it would be good to know these names as opposed to the celtic ones I so often see. We are currently in Full Flower Moon, because, that's right, there are lots of flowers (April showers bring May flowers), makes sense doesn't it.
On the same Astronomy page was a link to a site that allows you to find the moon phases for the past three hundred years. I was born during the New Moon in 1974, in fact, the New Moon was that day. I had wanted to know that, but wasn't sure, beyond finding an old calendar, how I would figure it out.
I've always been fascinated by the moon. We had a house when I was a teenager where the moon shone directly onto my bed and I could lay beneath its rays and I would feel a sense of peace. If the sky is clear tomorrow morning, I will be able to see it as I leave for work, but given how hot it has been already, I really hope it rains more.
Blessings,
Agate
