Blue Moon and Then Some

Blue Moon and Then Some 120831

We had seen the advertisements for the Blue Moon party on August 31 at Sliders. WOW, a Blue Moon!  I had not seen a Blue Moon since I was a kid. The 31st was a Friday night so we decided that we didn't want to go to Sliders and fight the crowds just to get a small glimpse of the Blue Moon. Instead we thought about going to eat early at Fancy Sushi then getting home to our oceanfront condo in time to see the moon rise.

But, RS wanted to go for a walk on the beach in the late afternoon. So, off we went for a beach walk. The sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon as the gentle sea breezes carried us along. Finally, we turned to walk home. The sun had not set but was clear in its intent to slide below the horizon. It was an especially clear twilight and we could see all the way to the north and south ends of the island.

As we walked back from the beach towards our condo, there was the sea turtle nest that we had been seeing all summer. Someone had dug a little of the sand out making an easy path to the sea. A young woman, Angela, and her daughter, Anna, from southern Indiana were there and we talked with them a bit about sea turtles and when the hatching would occur. The sun was growing tired and sunset was imminent.

As we got back to the condo RS said let's skip Fancy Sushi and eat on the balcony so we can watch the moonrise. What a good idea! We dug around the refrigerator and found some hummus and Kalamata olives, plus an unopened blue cheese. I got a bottle of Trader Joe's finest red wine and we adjourned to the porch.

We were just in time. The sun was setting and very shortly after that the moon made its appearance. Since it was so clear I could see it like a phantom at first. Slowly it grew more visible. I held out my arm full length and measured the distance of the moon from the horizon ... one-half thumb's width. This was quite exciting. My first Blue Moon in decades. RS pulled out her camera and snapped some pictures, while I sang the words "Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone ..." 



The Moon Half a Thumb High


RS told me stop singing so we wouldn't bother the neighbors, then exclaimed how her lens would not let her get a good shot. She tried everything finally settling for placing the camera on the railing for steadiness and snapping away.

I think RS will get a telephoto lens ... these shots don't capture the feeling too well.

While she was snapping away, I was sipping away on the Trader Joe's wine and relishing the flavors of olive hummus, saltine crackers, Kalamata olives and blue cheese. I could see RS's figure outlined against the moonlit waters ... but that's another story.

Anyway, it got me into a reflective state of mind. So, I opened a discussion of how Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach kind of makes you more aware, maybe more in tune, with the natural world. I can tell you I am no organic eater, or much more than an armchair environmentalist, but it is true. Living in the city means going from parking garage to parking garage in an air-conditioned car. In the city, if I saw one star, I was surprised. But, here in Fernandina I was looking at a Blue Moon and liking it. Of course, a little more Trader Joe's mellowed my thinking even more.

Then, right in front of the reflection of the Blue Moon on the water, five or six people were standing on the beach. GET OUT OF THE PICTURE I thought about yelling, but, that's not really my character, so I just complained to RS.

After a while she said that the people seemed to be looking at the turtle nest. Then, she said let's take a look. Well, it was pretty dark, but I agreed and down we went to the beach.

By the time we got there, the people were gone. but, as we arrived, Angela and Anna walked up. Maybe the turtles were ready to hatch. Well, this is already a long story. We spent about two hours watching nothing happen. We did have a conversation about Amelia and how nice it is to live here along with the pluses and minuses of owning and renting a condo. Finally, we gave up on the turtles and kissed the Blue Moon good night ... it was fun and I have a little more of an understanding of the charms of Amelia Island.
 
-CR
Photos by RS

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The next morning I got up early, drank my orange juice and wrote about the Blue Moon. After a while RS called from the bedroom, "Did the turtles hatch?" I walked back to see her lying in bed, her eyes barely open. "I checked every hour til 4 am," she told me. You don't know RS yet, but staying up all night is not an unusual thing for her. She rarely pays attention to time. So, I had to walk down to the beach and check on the turtle nest.

The Blue Moon was long gone. I guess a Blue Moon on the last day of the month probably ends at midnight anyway. The sun now shown brightly revealing ... no change in the nest.

I expect we will be spending tonight again watching for hatchlings.