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Written by Nigel
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Wednesday, 17 September 2008 |
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There has been a distinct touch of frost in the air for the last couple of days and that can only mean one thing, for another year summer has ended. The autumn equinox is upon us and the harvest moon shines brightly overhead. This morning before sunrise, the blending of the light was quite surreal, the cold silver of the moon against the warm pink of the eastern sky. It painted the landscape in muted half tones
 With the cooperation of the weather a harvest moon has graced clear skies over the last couple of nights with a golden crimson glow that’s low, large and heavily linked to legend and lore. In Norse mythology, the harvest is said to be the most powerful of the moons, granting blessings for a strong harvest and plenty by the shape-shifting prankster god Loki. I love Harvest Moon time - mainly because there's so much folklore and legend attached to it. Here in the countryside, we associate it with tractors in the field, working late into the night gathering the harvest by the light of our nearest astronomical neighbour. It's a romantic and fanciful thought - especially since modern tractors just combine the stuff down with headlights approximately bright enough to land a Boeing 747. However, it's still a lot of fun to think about old cultures like the Norse folks who believed the Moon granted them Loki's blessing for plenty. I've heard it called the Elk Call Moon and the Singing Moon, too… a time for rest after harvest, sit around, sing some songs and smoke a peace pipe. Or, you can celebrate with the Celtics, they called it the Wine Moon. No matter what your choice may be, the whole object is to be mellow.
|  My neighbours here have just about finished clearing the fields. The grain harvest is over for another year and by all reports it’s not been too bad. "Not too bad", in farmer’s parlance probably means "quite good". Though I have never heard a farmer admit to having a good year. Here at Alledal it is a time of endings and beginnings. The bees have been treated for varroa and closed for the winter. I’m hoping to bottle the honey in the next couple of days. The baby Myskankor [Muscovy ducks] are growing a pace and it seems we may have something quite special there. A couple of the duckings appear to have barred\laced feathers appearing. As lose their down and grow true feathers no doubt we will be able to tell with more certainty. If it is true then it’s quite a rare genetic recessive and one I will be anxious to ‘fix’ into our little flock. I need to do a lot more reading and take advice from some of the knowledgeable people on various fora on the best way to do this. It will be a long term project but one that I think could bear some beautiful results. We had some new additions yesterday as one of our ducks has hatch some late season ducklings; the number is at present unknown as I don’t want to disturb her too much. I can only snatch quick peeks as she comes of the nest to take a quick drink.
I have a couple of clutches of yellow Duck eggs incubating too, again it’s late in the season but fertility seems to be good 10\10 in one batch and 8\9 in the second. It’s early days yet and we have had our problems with incubation at some points of this year, but fingers crossed for a good hatch rate. Maybe Loki’s blessing will extend to the ducks too. The Yellow Duck – as I mentioned in my last blog entry – needs all the help it get | 
I hope some of you may have enjoyed the astronomical spectical that is the Harvest Moon too.
[Ahh ahh ahh ahh] When the wind turns
[Ahh ahh ahh ahh] And blows the leaves from the trees
[Ahh ahh ahh ahh] Harvest moon
I see the days grow shorter
I feel the nights grow cold Harvest moon
Young people feelin' restless
Old people feelin' old Harvest moon
I sense the darkness clearer
I feel a presence here Harvest moon
A change in the weather
I love this time of year Harvest moon
Blue Oyster Cult
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 17 September 2008 )
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