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After beautiful March, May could be anti-climatic
Pat Lenhoff
Updated: June 4, 2012 10:28AM
It may seem anti-climatic to announce that the merry and oh-so-beautiful month of May is about here, thanks to our unusually summer-like March weather. Matter of fact, April has been a kind of downer, even though temps have probably been what you’d consider ‘normal’, because March set us up to think that summer was just around the corner. Of course, it wasn’t only we humans that were fooled by the Ides of March. Just take a look at the flowering trees and spring bulbs, already on the wane in their bloom schedule, rather than ready to burst, as is usual for May.
So, this May will be a bit unusual in its’ seasonal wardrobe, but it still signals that summer is not far away, and that is a welcome thought for most of us. In a couple of blinks of an eye, Mothers Day and Memorial Day will be mere memories, the school doors will burst open, happy students filling the sidewalks with animated chatter that can only mean, as Alice Cooper so bluntly put it, school’s out for summer.
Nights will become warm and balmy, full of stars and a bright moon, and fireflies will soon add some magic to those summer evenings. Speaking of the moon, I saw several recent blurbs in the newspaper, discussing the moon’s cycles and the wide-reaching effects of those cycles, and it was a real eye-opener to me.
Did you know that one theory about the Titanic’s sinking involved an unusual after-effect of the moon’s influence on tides in the ocean? Apparently, the theory postulates that it caused icebergs to shift farther south than normal that year, into the traditional shipping lanes of the Atlantic, thereby putting many vessels in danger in April 1912. So, I suppose one could advance the argument that the moon may have caused the unsinkable ship to, well, sink. Talk about the power of Mother Nature’s weapons!
On a more pleasant note, most of us are enchanted by the view of a bright full moon each month. But did you know that every month’s full moon has been named, by everyone from the Native American tribes all the way back to medieval cultures? This Saturday’s full moon is named Flower, Planting, and Milk. Last month’s April moon was appropriately named Pink, Grass, and Egg. Contrast that with the Dec. 28 moon,whose given name is Cold and Long Night. Brr, makes you want to grab an afghan and light the fire.
But that’s the point, I suppose. Over the centuries, the moon has played a significant role in our civilization, and a direct role in nature’s function, and its various monthly names reflect that. It’s definitely not just a pretty face. Mystics over the ages have long revered the moon, gazing at the very same glowing white orb we admire now. Think about that when you’re enjoying the moonlight this Saturday night.
Send email to Pat Lenhoff at: viewfromvh@yahoo.com .
