There was a super blood moon last night. The moon appeared red because the earth passed between it and the sun causing the light that was reaching the moon and reflecting back to the earth to have passed through the earth’s atmosphere bending the light waves and making the moon appear red. In addition to the color caused by the eclipse, the event occurred at a time when the moon is passing close to the earth in its orbit, making it appear to be larger from the perspective of viewers on this planet.

However, I didn’t see the super blood moon. It was cloudy and rainy here all night long. The forecast is for rain showers to continue at least through noon today and for the cloud cover to remain all day long.

It rained in the morning yesterday, too. When it was time to plant the children’s garden after worship the rain forced us indoors. The children planted seeds in pots that will be transplanted to the garden after they sprout and there is a classroom with windows that is directly opposite the children’s garden, so the children could see where their plants were going to be growing. they could see the strawberry bed and the herb garden, but it wasn’t quite the same as if we had been able to have them planting directly in the garden beds.

Around here you learn to make alternative plans in case of rain. And you learn that two items of clothing are important: a good rain jacket and waterproof shoes. Dry feet can make a world of difference in soggy climates.

Years ago, when we were living in South Dakota, we attended a gathering of indigenous people sponsored by the first people’s fund. I remember being fascinated by the northwest coast Salish people and the hats, woven of cedar bark that they wore. Their distinctive shape, coming to a point at the top with a broad brim made the folks from the Pacific Northwest easy to identify. Now that we have moved to the land they call Lummi, the traditional land of the Lhaq’temish, I know immediately why those hats have been worn by people in this region for thousands of years. They shed the rain very well and keep the wearers’ heads dry.

There are folks whose lives are disrupted by seasonal affective disorder. For them, cloudy days followed by more cloudy days can dampen their spirits. I don’t seem to be particularly sensitive to that condition. I seem to have made the switch in climates without suffering falling spirits. I do, however, miss seeing the moon and stars.

It isn’t that we don’t have times when the sky is clear. We do. There are often sunny times on rainy days. And we have days and nights when it is not raining and when the clouds part. I have been able to sit on my deck and watch the stars and the moon. It doesn’t rain all the time here. It just rains more often. The average rainfall is slightly more than double the average where we lived in South Dakota.

There are times when I wish I could see the night sky better. I miss the feeling of being out on our deck in South Dakota and looking up at the clear sky. I suppose that I am forgetting how much colder it was there, but I’ve never been bothered by the cold very much.

Another thing I miss from our South Dakota days are the deer in our yard. We have deer around here and we see them from time to time, but they don’t come into our yard. We live in a neighborhood where the houses are closer together and the yards are smaller and the deer tend to stay in more open spaces.

What we do have here that is different from our South Dakota home is birds. I used to love to watch the great blue herons at the lake. I would take their pictures and enjoy seeing a pair from time to time. A couple of days ago we counted 15 great blue herons as we walked along the shore. There is a rookery near here with a concentration of nests and the herons find plenty to eat as the tides go in and out of the bay. And it isn’t just herons. We get to see many different types of ducks and geese and swans. There are a host of smaller shore birds, and of course the gulls and crows provide nearly constant entertainment. Watching gulls fly on a windy day is a lesson in aerodynamics.

Last evening, under cloudy skies, but between rain showers, we watched a hummingbird on the purple wisteria in our back yard. The tiny bird was going back and forth among the cascading purple flowers. Although the plant is toxic to humans, the tiny birds are adapted to the chemicals in the wisteria. We are treated to glimpses of them much more frequently than was the case in our South Dakota home.

Part of moving from one region of the country to another is learning about the differences in plants and animals with whom we share this planet. Different things grow here, where the temperature doesn’t get as cold, or as hot as it does where we used to live. I’m learning about temperature, too. A bright sunny day here is generally at least 10 degrees cooler than a similar day in South Dakota. People may not have parkas for winter weather around here, but they have sweaters and jackets close at hand year round. I didn’t expect to notice the chill in the air as much as I do. Perhaps, however, that is a sign of the simple fact that I am aging. I notice children out in short sleeves and short pants when I’m bundled up in a jacket.

So here we are in a new place with new neighbors and new things to learn about the world. It is the season to plant gardens and watch them grow. It is a season with much to learn. Fortunately all we have to do to see new things is to go outside.