Is a Blue Moon really blue?

A Blue Moon is defined in the Farmer’s Almanac as the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. This is the original definition and by using it there can be no more than one blue moon in any year. In some years as in 2017 there will be no blue moon.

That can be a little difficult to grasp but to add to the confusion there is an alternate definition of Blue Moon that came from a misinterpretation of the original definition. With the newer definition of Blue Moon it said to be the second full moon in a month.

When using the two different definitions to calculate Blue Moon dates, we come up with very different answers. Although with both definitions it is still a rare occurrence so the saying that something that doesn’t happen very often is said to happen “Once in a Blue Moon” holds true for whichever definition you care to use. For example, using the original definition, blue moons occur on:
May 18,2019
August 22, 2021
Aug 19, 2024

And using the more modern definition, blue moons occur on:
January 31, 2018
March 31, 2018
October 31, 2020
August 31, 2023

So no, a Blue Moon isn’t actually blue. The name may have started because in the past people named full moons according to seasons, such as Moon before Yule, Moon after Yule, Easter Moon or Egg Moon so when a year with a 13th full moon came around it would throw off the seasonal naming. So the odd full moon would be called a Blue Moon. The other explanation is thought to be due to the fact that the Christian calendar uses full moons to determine certain religious dates such as Easter. So when there is a 13th moon calling it something else, like a Blue Moon, could have helped keep things straight when referring to religious dates.

Blue moons may look like any other moon but no matter what you call it a full moon is rather spectacular in it’s own way. If you can get out of the bright lights of the city on a cloudless night, a full moon will light up the landscape like it’s the middle of the afternoon. And watch out, it just may change your outlook for the better!

Below are full moon dates for 2017:
January 12, February 11,
March 12, April 11, May 10, June 9, July 9, August 7,
September 6, October 5,
November 4, December 3

References

http://www.moongiant.com/Blue_Moon_Calendar.php

http://www.space.com/15455-blue-moon.html

 

Chocolate and Wine = Health Foods?

By Melissa Arseneau

Chocolate contains HEALTHY chemicals! Thats right, fear not, your obscene love for chocolate has added health benefits! (It’s OK, tell your friends). In the case of healthy; it’s dark chocolate.

The Latin name for the cacao tree is Theobroma cacao. It comes straight from the Greek words for god (theo) and food (brosi), meaning “food of the gods”.

Phenylethylamine releases “pleasure” endorphins, which make us feel great all over. Kind of like how we feel when we are in love. Although chocolate should not to be mistaken for a “love substitute”, it is probably the best mass produced alternative.

Tryptophan, (also found in turkey), boosts the endorphins levels in the human brain and increases serotonin production. That just leads to elevated euphoria.

Theobromine is the most potent chemical compound in chocolate. It is an alkaloid, which have an important physiological effects on humans and other animals. Well-known alkaloids include morphine, strychnine, cocaine, ephedrine, and nicotine. In humans it is only a mild stimulant. But, be carefull not to go overboard; you’ll get a little twitchy.

Flavonoids are a great source of antioxidants, which are substances that prevent or delay some types of cell damage, and increase the flexibility of veins and arteries. About 2 oz of dark chocolate a day is said to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk for heart attack, and stroke by as much as one third.

Can you think of the other “naughty” consumption that is good for the old ticker? WINE! So, go out and pick up an assortment of chocolate, some berries, and some wine for you and your sweetie for a romantic, guilt free, night of taste testing.

What? Chocolate and wine together?
Pairing Suggestions:

Dark Chocolate
Typically doesn’t like to share ‘palate space’ with other bitter, non-sweet things, it’s the Diva of chocolates really.

Extra Dark (70%)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Barolo, Malbec

Medium Dark (60%)
Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Chianti, Rhone

Smooth Dark (54%)
Champagne, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Vintage Port

White Chocolate

Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Chianti, Rhone, Rosé Port, Orange Muscat, Moscato d’Asti, Vintage Port, Lambrusco (Dolce or Amabile), Brachetto d’Acqui

Milk Chocolate

Montilla-Moriles, Creamy Sherry, Rasteau, Vintage Port, Sherry, Dessert
Wines, Rose, Burgundy

Who is the Cuivre River in Missouri named for?

In 1764 what is now Cuivre River State Park was a part of the Louisiana territory and was inhabited by French settlers. In that year Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau established a fur trading post that would later become the city of St. Louis. In that time many French fur traders and explorers came into the area to scout out the land for France. One famous French naturalist, who is known for being the first scientist to describe the mastodons of North America, sent two students into the Louisiana territory to collect plant and animal specimens. The two students found themselves north of St. Louis exploring a river that the French settlers in the area called the “Riviere aux Boeufs” which translates as the “Buffalo River”. The locals named it that because of the numerous buffalo that roamed its banks but when the students drew up their maps they decided it would be much better to name the river after their mentor Georges Cuvier. The name stuck but the spelling changed to from Cuvier to Cuivre, pronounced “cwi-ver”, sometime later.