The Blue Moon

We've all heard the phrase, once in a blue moon, but on New Year's Eve the Farmer and I experience a blue moon in a dramatic way.

At 9 p.m we stepped out of the warmth of our home into the crisp, cold night air. We'd made the decision to walk to the neighbor's for the Corn Drop. Technically there's only one house between our properties but because each is situated on at least two acres, it's a bit of a hike, especially on a cold night.

We stepped onto the driveway and the Farmer reached out and offered me his hand. We clung to each other as we navigated our way down the snow and ice covered drive. Our hope was that if one of us lost our footing, the other would be able to prevent a fall.

We turned left at the bottom of the drive and our eyes quickly adjusted to the light. It was a full moon, the blue moon which occurs once every two or three years. It's the second full moon to fall within a calendar month.

The snow crunched under our shoes and looking down I could see it was the sparkling diamond snow. It's said that the Eskimos have a hundred words for snow and it's easy to see why. On Christmas we received the fluffy-big-clump snow, followed by a rain of tiny-blades-of-ice snow which creates the diamond effect.

As we walked along our senses began to come alive and I was very happy that we'd decided to walk. Off in the distance coyotes called to each other, their plaintives cries carrying far distances across the frigid landscape. It was incredibly bright, the full moon was illuminating the landscape to the point where it literally glowed.

Off to the left sat an empty house. Months earlier Carla and her family moved back to Texas. The house sits empty and dark, waiting for a buyer. Someone would certainly snatch up the house if they saw it under the light of the blue moon. The evergreens that extend under the windows were covered with a thick layer of snow and this blanket of snow was literally glowing as if lit from within.

The effect was so dramatic that I looked around to see if there was another source, perhaps someone had a spotlight pointing in that direction. No, it was just the power of the blue moon.

Our footsteps crunched along the road and we marveled at the beauty of the night. Up ahead was the illuminated ear of corn, standing atop it's perch. Further on were the beautiful lights at another neighbor's home. They were also hosting a New Year's Eve party and shortly before midnight the guests would pour out of the house and join us for the Corn Drop.

Our walk back home at 1 a.m. would be no less dramatic. The moon had risen further in the heavens and covered everything in it's blue magic. As we passed our crabapple tree I noticed the light from the moon was casting dramatic shadows, deep blue/purple shapes drawn on the snow. I longed to have a camera to attempt to capture the shadows but in the next instant I was glad the camera was broken. Some things are best left to memory alone.

Briefly I thought about going online and researching the phenomenon further. Perhaps I could also determine the meaning of the coyote's plaintive calls.

Somethings are better left as a mystery. Our incessant desire for knowing the "why" of things and deconstructing every piece of our natural world dispels the wonder.

I'm simply happy to have been witness to a stunningly beautiful night, transformed by the magic of the blue moon.

Did you see it?