The pace of life gets slower and sweeter each year during the summer season. People seem to smile more, children’s laughter is in the air, and the pace of life seems easier to handle.
My favorite part of summer has always been the simple pleasures…
Fresh fruit and vegetables, beautiful flowers in the garden, relaxing at the pool or the beach, good books, warm sunshine on your face, longer days, music on the patio, and the best sunsets of the year.
July’s two full moons:
It’s July already… Can you believe it? Everyone is getting ready for their Fourth of July celebrations.
But wait… July 1 offers another one of life’s simple pleasures: The full moon.
And stop again and take note…
This month we have two full moons to enjoy for the first time since 2012. We start off with the first full moon on the 1st, and finish the month with the second full moon on July 31st. That second one is called a “blue moon,” and won’t occur again until January 2018. So cool!!
Naming those full moons:
I learned today that July’s full moon is always called “thunder moon” because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month, as well as “buck moon” because bucks start to grow antlers during July. Who knew that?
Tonight’s full moon rises over the Singer Island beach: To the right is a seaturtle nest which was discovered on June 19 and marked as “CC” for Caretta caretta, better known as loggerhead turtle eggs. (Photo by Patti Murphy Dohn)
Enjoying today’s simple pleasure:
After dinner, I headed across the street from our home on Singer Island to the beach to watch the full moon rise.
It’s pretty quiet here in South Florida now with all the winter snowbirds (the human ones) back home in the northern states and Canada. So I had a long stretch of beach to myself as I set up my tripod and camera to catch the rising of the full moon. There were low lying clouds so I had to wait a bit before the moon made itself visible.
I used the Star Chart app on my iPhone to make sure my camera was on track. My neighbors introduced me to this wonderful app last winter which shows all the stars by name and location, as well as the moon and planets. It calibrates your location just by holding your device up to the sky. Pretty amazing.
Video set up on the Singer Island beach to capture the rising of the first full moon of July 2015 (Photo by Patti Murphy Dohn)
The result of my hour on the beach tonight?
Four wonderful videos with the rising of the first full moon of July, 2015.
Enjoy this video of the surf crashing on the shore with the full moon rising overhead:
Good luck?
Some people say that wishing on a full moon is supposed to be good luck.
I prefer to say a prayer than make a wish…
Let God be in charge.
What a glorious time to offer up thanks and praise for the beauty of God’s creation than during a moment of incredible wonder, such as tonight’s full moon!
Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon of St. Francis of Assisi:
Most High, all powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing.
To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praise be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them
clear and precious and beautiful.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene,
and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom you light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us and governs us and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
Amen.