Quest

An expedition into the wilderness of thoughts and ideas inspired by nature and the travels of Backcountry Ben

Blood on the Trees

Sunday night’s Blood Moon dripped color onto the trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not many people seemed to have noticed — probably because they were absorbed by all the social media accounts of the previous night's Super Moon — but, on Monday morning, after the previous night’s total eclipse of the Harvest Moon, the tops and edges of several trees had turned red or orange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had been watching for fall color, not because we really wanted to see signs of autumn, but because we wanted to be able to photographically illustrate a story on fall foliage for an upcoming edition of the weekly newspapers we prepare. We were becoming concerned that there would be no foliage to photograph, as the long warm spell had kept everything in bloom and the trees were as green as ever. Only the grass was showing signs of distress, turning brown because there had been very little rainfall during the past few weeks.

Then came the eclipse, turning the moon red and, apparently, causing blood to fall onto the trees below.

All right, we'll concede that the Blood Moon did not really drip onto the trees. The chill that had made overnight viewing of the moon less than ideal was the real reason the trees have started taking on their fall coloration. That means that, by Columbus Day (or, if you prefer, Indigenous People's Day), the tourists will have a chance to see New Hampshire’s foliage at its peak.

Sometimes, though, looking at the science is not as exciting as viewing the myth.

Certainly, there are times to be realistic about the facts, such as when discussing climate change or the effectiveness of government expenditures on health or education. But, when writing poetry or fiction, the mythical connection often is much more useful. Contrasting or pulling together disparate elements can evoke emotions, and exaggerating connections can render those emotions more profound.

The mind makes natural connections that are not always valid, but which can be powerful, nonetheless. Tapping into those false connections is a great way to unleash creativity, in thought or action. Some of the most important inventions came about by taking a dream or a vision and figuring out how to convert that into something palpable, something cost-effective, and something useful.

Thomas Edison claimed to get by on four hours’ sleep, and it may be that the lack of rest triggered something in his brain to lead him to the remarkable inventions we know him for. A tired brain is much more likely to latch onto preposterous connections, and a few hours of sleep can turn silly ideas into useful ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we observe the earth’s shadow falling on the moon, making the natural satellite appear red, becoming a Blood Moon, and then we can imagine that blood dripping from the moon’s surface and falling to earth, turning the leaves red. A look around the yard, or a glance from the car while passing groves of trees, reveals the dye here and there.

Agree or disagree, there’s no question that autumn has arrived and that the foliage season will soon be upon us.

September 29, 2015