In the tender hours of April 4th, before the sun’s wrinkled forehead glimmered in the east, some of the kids and I tiptoed out the front door and into the yard to witness the third blood moon of the lunar eclipse tetrad.
I suspect one of the reasons I glommed onto this little tradition is because of the epic name. I knew the kids would be down with getting up to stand in the yard, bleary and cold, when I told them what it was called. I can’t inspire them with “Time to mop the entryway!” or “Let’s pair these 361 socks!”
They speak the language of drama, adventure, and let’s-pretend: “Do you want me to wake you up at 3:15am tomorrow morning to see the moon turn as red as blood?” Well, yes, and pass the pajamas!
NOTE TO SELF: Change the name of “mopping” to “entangling the hound’s hair in the dewy lavender-scented Wand of the Swiffer-Elf.”
One of the nice things about this go-round with the Tetrad was the timing. I rolled out of bed around 5am and shook little shoulders awake. It was more pleasant than the other two Tetrads, as I could justify turning on the coffee maker and calling it a good morning. The attendees of the third edition were Aidan, Sam, Tommy, Joel, Beatrix, and Archie. Ryley, Teddy, and Ollie missed out, as did Mr. Lifenut.
We slapped together coats and footwear. Some of them pulled snowboots over bare feet. I wore my slippers and a hoodie. We trekked to the front yard, which provided the best viewing angle and saw the moon was already nearly covered in shadow. I commanded them to whisper and even then, an upstairs light popped on at our next door neighbor’s house and I hoped they understood. We were a much quieter bunch than last time, as nobody had coughing fits or farted or exploded into the kind of laughter that only happens after an ill-timed fart.
They passed around the binoculars without fighting or shushing each other. I had to hand it to them. They are becoming pros at this Tetrad blood moon thing. Hopefully, we will be able to catch the fourth and final at the end of September 2015.
Here’s a link to what happened during the last eclipse: Sheer Lunacy
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Speaking of Geeking Out! The Denver Museum of Nature and Science has a new exhibit called Mythic Creatures. It’s packed with all things fanciful. People from around the world delight in the fantastical and improbable. Dragons, mermaids, unicorns, Big Foot, sea monsters—all are on display with scientific explanations, story telling, and even evidence?! We had a blast. Here are some photos:
This is what it looked like to me!
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