Saturday, October 19, 2013

Full Hunter's Moon

There hasn't been much rain this month, unusual for Seattle in October.   But the downside of high pressure weather systems is fog-- so thick we can hardly see across the street in the morning. It turns driving around our dense "urban village" into a Halloween nightmare.

Late frantic parents are rushing kids to school, and people in dark coats run across the street to make their bus.  At stop signs, joggers in black suits dash off the curb without looking. Worst of all, invisible bicyclists suddenly materialize out of the fog on your right, and insist on their "road rights" just when you're about to make a turn into them.  This makes my two mile drive to the gym a good morning exercise in mindfulness.  

Sometimes the fog doesn't clear out (we're close to Puget Sound) until about sunset, then we get a short and spectacular west view of the Olympic mountains from across the street.


To the East, a majestic full moon rising above the old shed last night.




From the Farmer's Almanac:

This full Moon is often referred to as the Full Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, or Sanguine Moon. Many moons ago, Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it’s time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October, hunters could easily see fox and other animals that come out to glean from the fallen grains. Probably because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunter’s Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day. 

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