Bloody moon

A glowing red eye stared down at us from the heavens as if there were a wolf hiding among the stars. Friends Trudie & Leo had come to join us for last night's total lunar eclipse. We had front row seats at the edge of the hay field, our chairs lined up for the best view. At the beginning of the evening, when the moon was still full, it shone down at us like a light from a baseball stadium. The basket of snacks, glasses, and bottle of wine was in clear view. A pile of blankets balanced on the fence.

The odd gossamer strand of cloud was strung across the sky, barely obscuring the moon, and was then brushed away so the sky was clear. The bright light of the moon obscured the stars, at least until the Earth's shadow had fully cast itself upon it. Then the stars twinkled against the velvet depths of the sky. Often someone would exclaim at the beauty and perfection of the night.

Sometimes we'd joke about the speed (not) at which an eclipse happens… is the right corner getting darker? no, not yet. now? no. now? no... now? yes!

We were missing a campfire to warm ourselves with, and to keep the critters that emerge from the shadows away (there were actually no critters and the dogs were safely inside in case of skunks). Occasionally silence would descend and we'd tip our heads back to take in the enormity of space, each of us lost in our own private thoughts.

Once the moon was fully turned to red, and we'd had time to enjoy the effect on the night sky, clouds rolled in, putting an end to our fantastic night.

Saturday night was another fun night. We had my birthday dinner at Mom & Dads, with Graham, Erik, Juliette, Kenda and Kari filling up the table. Mom made a fantastic roast beef with yorkshire pudding, on of my favorite meals. It could only have been better if Kirsten (et al) and Olaf (et al) were celebrating with us.