According to several different web sites and news sources, a “Super blood Moon” has lit up the skies and dazzled observers around the world. It involves two rare celestial events coinciding. The moon appears to be bigger than usual because it is, in fact, closer to the earth than is often the case. The orbit of the moon is elliptical and so there are times when it is closer and other times when it is farther away. The orangey-red color is the result of an eclipse, which much of the world viewed as partial, yet the color appears as the shadow of the earth is cast upon the moon. This type of eclipse happens when the earth, moon, and sun are very closely aligned, with the earth in the middle, which leaves the moon in its shadow. The total eclipse was seen across the Pacific, from North and South America to Australia, with other locations on the globe seeing a partial lunar eclipse.

I did not see the super blood moon. It has been partially cloudy around here almost every night and so I missed the heavenly treat this time. I have been aware of the variations in the appearance of the moon for much of my life and have seen super moons and a few blood moons, though I don’t remember the use of those terms from years ago. We just called a moon that appeared closer and larger a harvest moon and the variations in color were just part of looking at the moon. Other factors such as dust or smoke in the air can affect the color of the moon and it generally appears to be more yellow-orange when it is near the horizon and more white when it is higher in the sky. I just take the word of reporters and scientists that some of these occurrences are rare. It doesn’t seem that the phenomena of super moons or blood moons is all that unusual if you pay attention.

Nonetheless, the moon is at its closest to the earth that it will be for the rest of this year at least and that is, I guess, worth noting. Out here, as opposed to where we used to live in the middle of the continent, there is another effect. The closeness of the moon means that the coast is experiencing the lowest tides of the year. The Salish Sea is showing off all kinds of sea life in tidal pools and mudflats during the extra low tides. We are far enough away from the coast that I haven’t been paying much attention to the tides, but close enough that there are tidal charts available in the hardware stores and other places frequented by those interested in fishing and seeking clams and crabs and other ocean food.

The local NPR station has announced times and places where experts from the Seattle Aquarium and students and professors from local universities are available to guide tours of tidal areas for those interested in learning more about sea life. It warned listeners to be careful and aware of the tides and to be sure to leave all marine life where they find it and not disrupt sea stars or other creatures.

So far, I’ve done little but observe the tides from a pretty good distance. I’m learning about other phenomena associated with living near the coast. Among the weather warnings available from the National Weather Service are small craft advisories. These are special statements, issued along with storm watches and warnings that warn sailors of high waves and other dangerous weather patterns on the water. There have been small craft advisories over the past few days, warning of high winds and high waves on the water.

Yesterday was pretty blustery. It was garbage and recycling day in our neighborhood and I made a couple of forays into our yard to pick up trash that had blown into the yard from overturned trash and recycling containers. Leaves were blowing off of trees and the high wind, combined with a few sprinkles of rain made it look like it was a bit worse than the actual experience of being outside. We took a long walk in one of the Whatcom County parks yesterday and were quite comfortable despite a bit of wind and a few raindrops.

Being a paddler and not being familiar with ocean conditions, I’ve been paying attention to the weather reports, but my paddling is mostly confined to small lakes with an occasional adventure near the shore on especially calm days. The waves are enough to discourage me from taking any risks, so I’m not tempted to go out onto the ocean on days when there are small craft warnings and I don’t need the weather report to keep me safe. I know that I’m not an experienced sailor and I’m pretty sure that those with experience would note me timidness when it comes to waves.

So I’ve been missing out on most of the effects of the super blood moon. I didn’t see it. I haven’t ventured down to look at the low tides, and my life is going on without any inconveniences of which I am aware despite what some reporters are labeling a very rare event. Since we finished the fourth of our 2020 trips moving our household in November, we have stayed inside of a two-county area here in the northwest corner of Washington. Since the territory is new to us, we’ve found plenty of places to explore and plenty of sights that are new to us. We’ve enjoyed some of the bounty of the sea in the form of seafood dinners and the availability of fresh seafood in the markets and grocery stores, but we had not yet learned much about fishing and harvesting food for ourselves from the ocean.

We are simply less directly connected and less aware of the effects of the cycles of the moon and the tides as were those who lived in previous generations. Our experiences of nature are mediated by the luxuries of being able to purchase food from stores and have all kinds of foods that are shipped in from great distances. Still, I enjoy paying attention to the cycles of nature and learning about this place where we are making our home.