I
remember a calm autumn evening, many, many evenings ago, when we all leapt into
the car and took off. We were off to my Grandparents’ farm for a visit. It was
the kind of trip we all relish, with jokes, laughter and lots of fun.
We’d
had to wait until everybody was done with work and school, so it was already
getting dark when we left. It was a clear night, so as the time passed, the sky
grew, first, alive with the sparkling splendor of a radiant sunset before it
settled into dimness and steadily more velvety blue. Finally, we were under a
blanket of perfect black, studded by the twinkling, sparkling stars.
Far
over a hushed barley field, thick with bobbing stocks not yet taken in for the
season, I saw the moon rise, large and round and intensely bright. Then, as a
little more time passed, the moon abandoned its usual glowing white appearance,
and slowly took on vivid and beautiful orange color.
What
was it? What was happening?
A
harvest moon, I was told. It happens sometimes in the autumn around the time
the crops are due. There was even some speculation that the color comes from
the golden fields of wheat reflecting off the moon’s face, but that immediately
seemed unlikely, given the moon’s great distance.
We
travelled on, and as we did, the moon began her trip across the sky - - a trip
that may have appeared enhanced as we turned corners and changed angles.
At
last, we approached our destination, the long strips of smooth pavement giving
way to rustic gravel roads, lined with forests and farmyards. And as I caught
my last glimpses of that beautiful moon before we approached our own farmyard
of choice, I remember one breathtaking image in particular.
The
stunningly orange moon hung high over the silhouette of an aging wooden barn
staring silently out over a pond, the silvery moonlight dancing playfully on
the gently rippling surface.
Mother
Nature sure paints a gorgeous picture, doesn’t she? That image has remained
engraved in my memory in all the years that have passed, even though I only saw
it for fleeting moment as we drove past. I even tried, once, to draw it, but my
poor drawing skills made that a task beyond my means. So now that particular
drawing exists only in my mind’s eye.
But,
this past week, lots of other folks have had the rare opportunity to fill their
own minds’ eyes with their own breathtaking images. Our earth bore witness to a
very rare event indeed. It was a “harvest” moon at a time when the moon is the
closest it ever comes to earth, which it only does on an interval of decades.
And as if that wasn’t enough to keep your neck craned, it also happened to be a
night for a total lunar eclipse. This is when the moon, somehow, slips into the
shadow of the Earth and, for a moment, it simply disappears.
Tragically,
it was a bit cloudy around these parts, that night, so I missed the whole show!
They say it was spectacular, and I’ve seen some pretty amazing pictures online
already. One shows the moon, appearing large enough to fill most of the
horizon, rising behind a stone tower in the UK. It’s a brilliant picture,
although they say some of it is simply an optical effect. The moon is never –
had better never be – that close to the Earth!
So,
I felt a little sad and disappointed that I missed the spectacle. No big,
orange moon, no disappearing lunar face, and, to top it off, I’m not even close
enough to the sea to see those monumental tides they said the moon was going to
cause. Both higher and lower than it’s been in decades.
But
the next day, as always, I got up early, got ready and hurried off to begin the
day’s activities. I left early enough that the day that it was still quite dark
out and, as the door closed behind me and the cool, morning air touched my
face, I looked up at those sparkling stars, once again. The clouds had cleared
a bit! How nice!
I
rounded a corner and a bright glint caught the corner of my eye. I looked,
instinctively up, and there it was. The moon. Now returned to its usual white
color and in no danger of disappearing into a shadow, but still so huge, and
clear and bright, every plane vividly outlined and razor clear, not one
millimeter withheld from view.
I
smiled. This special moon simply couldn’t bring herself to slip away without
stopping for at least a quick hello.
Photo by
| edward982 |
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