Full Moon Alert

 I know, I know, where ya been? Life kind of got in the way. I been busy... I just had to tell you that there are hummingbirds all over my yard, I'm loving it! Full (Blue) Moon rose last night in an explosion of light, so fine, about fifteen minutes behind sunset. Of course down here in the bottomland hardwoods, we could see the glow but no show for an hour or so. 8-8-24 I called Wild Bill, Bird Man Bill Fontenot, and told him that I was worried about not seeing any Monarch butterflies, I have seen one, as in 1, this year...He say, he's not too worried, with all them folks planting so much milkweed, that should help. besides It is too early for you to see them here. October, November are the Monarch Migration months. So I took a deep breath and thought back to my Huge Monarch Moments.  In the early seventies, late fall, driving the Causeway north from The Big Easy into Covington/Folsom area and realizing what all those butterflies were Monarchs, flying south over the big lake,...

  Way back in my work phases, in the beginning, phase one,  I had this great employee, Jeff, a high schooler, enthusiastic, strong like a mule and good hearted. Jeff had a buddy Kenny who worked for me as well. They had an Uncle, Uncle Bruce, who was actually Kenny's uncle Bruce but we all called him that, well he had a camp on Lake Dauterive, a great fishing lake east of Loreauville, ringed by a  dense forest on one side of the camp and miles of sugar cane fields on the other. Uncle Bruce was what I call a character, a raconteur. Uncle Bruce's woods were where a the young squirrel hunters were brought to cut their teeth, so to speak. There was deer hunting and fishing as well and great meals and great times.  One day while at my job as Park Superintendent in City Park, that would be phase three of my career track, my secretary, Miss Joyce (she actually ran the show, didn't need me!) opened my office door to say that uncle Bruce was outside wanting to see me. Bruce t...

4-22-24: I know, I know, I have been slacking. My excuse is that life got in my way and I'm sticking to that one until a better comes along. Happy Earth Day y'all! 4-6-24 When is Arbor Day? Nationally it is this Friday, April 26. FM happens Tuesday at sunset, about 740, according to my app. Here we go, in Louisiana we do it different which is not a surprise for a state that is more like a third world country in most folks eyes. Our Arbor Day is third Friday of January, usually a cold rainy day. This is perfect for Louisiana since our soil never freezes and root growth is always happening while the top is dormant because of the cool weather. Perfect storm for establishment. Read: Less watering all summer! This year our Arbor Day was April 6 for all sorts of reasons. Our public library is built in a Historic stand of fine old live oak trees. In the last two years one was struck and killed by lightning. The wheels of government move slow as you know. Eventually the dead tree was r...

Full Moon rises tonight about 551 after sun sets about 515, i.e. 12-27-23 A quote stolen from my Yoga tea bag last night. "Gratitude is not about what is received; it's about how you receive what is there." Hey y'all, how about a gift from Margaret? What a gal! Thank you Margaret! Site logo image Reflections on the Teche Poetry Friday: Healing Poetry margaretsmn Dec 9 Have you ever had that student? The one who sits in the back of the class, holds herself in tight, rarely, if ever, raises her hand to share a poem with the class. The closet poet. That's not me because I believe in writing with my students and sharing my vulnerable poet self so they feel safe sharing theirs. And most of the time, it helps. I'll share, then the shy ones will look at me with their longing eyes asking "Is it OK?" They know that poetry is a little piece of themselves. It's bleeding on paper as someone famous said. I wasn't going to post for Poetry Friday. Life ...

 This Full moon, no matter what I call it, rises grandly 11-27-23 at 618 which happens just after sunset.  Hope Jahren, is a hero of mine and author of Lab Girl and The Story of More and a world class research scientist, an accomplished paleobiologist, a passionate teacher, a great writer, and a grand human being. She gives me HOPE.  "But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction." Hesiod (c. 700 b.c.) from The Story of More by Hope Jahren. 11-5-23 RWB Murmuration in my backyard, over my home. Red Wing Blackbirds not starlings, spectacular non the less. Seems mighty early in the year to me. 11-6-23 RWB Murmuration again, nice y'all. AND I had the children of my volunteer teaching assignment, ENVS 151, Plant Science Lab, class meet me at the St John the Evangelist Cathedral Live Oak on St John St. today. This is a very special classroom, a very special tree. I invited a very special g...

  Full Moon rises tonight at 620 as the sun sets at 623, pretty close to synchronous. It has been humid and very dry and dusty so I'm expecting good color. We will see.  Life has been interesting of late. Our family has lost 5 significant friends and members in the last week or 10 days. whew, that is a lot of tears. P and I were in Grand Coteau for the wake of a life long friend and P's distant cousin, Karleen Barry, wife and mother of 8 and such a funny lady. It was a warm and fuzzy affair. I guess this is a big part of life. A good bud, Judith, who knows that I like to dabble in poetry sent me this fun Barbara Crooker poem last summer. Quite the FMA appropriate poem: How the Trees on Summer Nights Turn into a Dark River how you can never reach it, no matter how hard you try, walking as fast as you can, but getting nowhere, arms and legs pumping, sweat drizzling in rivulets; each year, a little slower, more creaks and aches, less breath. Ah, but these soft nights, air l...

 The full moon rises Thursday September 28 at 645,  just before sunset at 656. Yeowser, should be a grand magnified color show, hang on to your hats y'all. The moon last night came up and was quite splendid, just a shadow on one edge from perfect, then it shined its headlight in my eyes all night as I attempted sleep. Look y'all, Margaret has been at it again: Is it the play of light on the surface or air bubbles moving over glass-calm water I watch still, quiet bayou breathe, like me, slow and deliberate taking in life- giving oxygen. We are trying to survive, bayou and I, trying to make this day meaningful all the while knowing breath is all that matters. Margaret Simon, draft 8-30-23 P and I ran into town to grab a fancy meal to celebrate our 55th, oh my! On way back, dark, missed the full moon risen. when we arrived home someone sent a congrats text, "congrats on 55 on this full moon night". Shoots! we were in our PJs already but hey, we grab...

"I am looking at trees  they may be one of the things I will miss  most from the earth" W. S. Merwin "Trees"   Yes they are gone, MIKIs left my patch of lower upper St Martin last week right after our "cool snap"... You do know they don't like cold weather...Eddie still has them where he sits on the edge of the great swamp but they are moving in the direction of the escarpment and riparian forests...I call it "staging" for migration to warmer places for winter. This Full Moon rises Blue and magnificent today August 30 at 742, about 10 minutes after the sun sets. should be a grand colorful magnified affair. Speaking of grand, our 55th wedding anniversary is tomorrow, Thursday. Now that day will be well celebrated as well. I'm just grateful she didn't kick me to the curb a long time ago. 8-16-23 Cool front! Well sort of anyway. Like I always say... if you pay attention there will always be that cool night in August to give us a brief br...

 This one is a Super Moon or so  my My Moon Phase app says. The Full Grand Master Mosquito Hawk Moon rises at about 830 after a memorable sunset at 8. P and I hope to meet up with Eddie B at his perch out on the edge of the great Sacred Swamp, Atchafalaya, for both events. Our hope is to have a glass of tart red in our hands so we can salute you our friends. We sort of invited ourselves. Quote from my Yoga Tea bag, "Find strength in knowing that you can make a difference in the world." 7-2-23 Full Longest Day Moon was not a disappointment here on the Gulf Rim, but boy is it dry.  I have finished Lab Girl, Y'all! Another great read! I've begun Hope Jahren's "The Story of More".  I was on campus Monday, we were talking and one of the Dr's walked up with a young visitor from Norway, Charles. Charles, finished HS headed to U to study Chemistry, was doing research in Dr's lab. Really bright person, turns out to be Hope Jahren's son, small world y...

 6-3-23 Full Screaming Locust Moon Alert put to bed and she rose grandly! 5-24-23 Jetted of to DC to check on Daughter-in-law who has been ill. 5-30-23 last day on the job Wednesday, been listening for the sound of Cicada Killer Wasps at work, lots of burrows waiting for victims to bury. Today I heard one, the protracted scream as the wasp grsbbed one srung it and flew it to grouind, drug it the rest of the way to the ground burrow, tucked it into the nest, laid an egg on it, leaving it alive until the hungry larvae hatched and fed. Ha! 6-1-23 first day of retirement. My little brother John, Dr. John, as I, (Elder) and Jeff, (Baby) call him. was awarded The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana's Coastal Stewardship Award for 2023. Pretty cool to be recognized by your peers for working hard and in the background and doing good work. We are so proud of him. I have always admired how he looked for the low-tech, simple, sensible economically simple solutions to our land loss issues. ...

5-5-23 Full Mosquito Hawk Tornado Moon occured as planned, it rose, it set and some of you were thrilled by it. As you know, I missed it, shoots! 5-11-23 I taught the last class of this chapter in my life. 5-12-23 MIKI over my rectangle of Lower Upper St Martin. 5-14-23 Margaret posted the following for Mothers Day: Last year on Mother's Day, we gathered for my father's funeral, all together, happy to have each other to hold. I am a mother who is blessed to have two living mothers, my own and my mother-in-law, who said years ago when someone called me her daughter, "I'll claim her." A long line of belonging begins with mothers to me to my three daughters to their children. We are miracles dancing beside each other. My brother texted me a video this week of my mother with her assisted living friends in a circle singing "Amazing Grace." I responded, "When I am old, I want to sing hymns." My mother-in-law (affectionately called "Minga") ...

5-8-23 Shoots! How did this happen, AGAIN? Thursday/Friday exploded on me, I totally lost control of my life and work, it was end of final week, whew! Oh, I also lost 40 student's names and grades from the Moodle grade book, gulp. luckily it was operator error and I didn't delete them, whew,  I just hid them from me...and found them again. So... the FMHTM rose and set without my letting the three or four of you listening know about this great event, again. I'm so sorry. I'll work on my flaws and try not to let it happen again, sigh. This is what the FMA would have said: 5-4-23 Greetings to (all three of you) my readership! May the fourth be with you! Middle of final exam week here in my world and I may still pull this off. I taught my last class last Thursday 4-27-23, a dizzying event for me but I'm now over it. Yulp, the old guy is retiring as of 5-31-23. It looks like the full moon will happen here tomorrow, Friday 5-5-23, just minutes before the sun sets. I'm...