Blue moon ...

Tonight's full moon is a blue moon, which by todays most popular definition means "anytime two full moons fall within a calendar month, the second one is called a blue moon".  

 As it turns out, two full moons in a calendar month happens every two and a half years, the length of time it takes the clockwork of the moon to repeat against our solar calendar. Originally the formula for a 'blue moon' was much more complicated and I suspect the interval of time may have been shortened somewhat with this new definition, but this interval sufices for most human speculative purposes.  Once in a blue moon now means something to me .... like a 'fortnight' or 'six weeks' ... 

maybe ignorance was bliss ...

So having recorded the sunset and the rising of the moon, I will wait for a couple of hours till it clears the angle of atmosphore and try again, although I found out that my photos from last night will be "more full" than tonights photos.

On september 28th the moon will be close to the earth in its orbit, causing it to loom large in the sky ... and it will coincide with a total eclipse. That will be worth the chilly visit to the front lawn with the tripod and there will be no swallows to disturb in September.  

I am just learning to 'shoot the moon" .... This is the best pic I could get of the moon tonight in its splendor in our dark sky.  ... using a canon Rebel T2i and 70-300 telephoto lens ... and a tripod of course. Its cold out tonight and it is really bright out there!  We have to be careful exiting the house at night as there are new broods over every door and a bird startled at night is in great danger of injury. 

Losing one of the parents would put the whole family in danger as raising swallows requires both parents at every juncture. The front door hatch are just getting their little heads up and over the edge of the nest ... lol

while this years siblings are practically grownups!

the nest at the back door seemed to have a lot of eggs for a second batch, and there are a lot of heads in there ...

They are so small and fuzzy its hard to focus the camera ... we think there are four.

This is the second brood for this pair and now for three years in a row.  There is no detering them from seeking this heat source and they know we will give in eventually, so they persist and over the years they have won the right to nest where ever they think they might be sucessful.  

I will sign off with this butterfly ... a few of these guys around ... and a pic of a high altitude fly by ...

 can anyone identify this bird?