“At the end of the day faith is a funny thing. It turns up when you don’t really expect it. It’s like one day you realize that the fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle? Well, it may not be a castle. And it’s not so important happy ever after, just that it’s happy right now. See, once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away.”
~ Zane Grey

The word “weather” can have a meaning other than relating to the state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness. Merriam Webster’s definition is: To bear up against and come safely through a crisis. Allow me to explain my thoughts here.

Weekly I select a weather topic. Hmmm… Trick-or-treating weather? Fire weather? The harvest moon? No to all. Got it! Blue moon. Viewing time: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6:23 p.m.

The next step is a quotation to match the topic. The above instantly captivated me. It speaks of a precarious year – 2020 – as fairy tales resemble those of Brother Grimm, castles become places of quarantine and happiness is “right now,” in the moment, not necessarily in the “ever after.” I found for what I searched: blue moon. Plus (with a tear in my eye) I found much, much more.

Two days ago, a cherished man passed from this world: my father-in-law. Zane Grey’s words seem to speak of him… “Once in a while, once in a blue moon, people will surprise you, and once in a while people may even take your breath away.”

With mostly dry eyes, on to the true meaning of blue moon. It began with the explosion of Krakatoa – a volcano – in 1883. Ash rose into the atmosphere at times obscuring the sun. For over two years the skies were tinted unusual shades of colors; the moon took on a blue cast. Blue moons are so incredibly rare the term became synonymous with unlikely occurrence. Scientifically, it’s simply the second full moon within a single month. October 2020 has two full moons; the second of these, a blue moon, falls on Halloween night!

Now into next week warm temperatures and clear skies are forecast. Halloween 2020 is like none other but in the words of Van Morrison… “it’s a marvelous night for a Moondance.”