But Clouds Got In My Way

"So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way."
- Both Sides Now
Joni Mitchell

My Daughter reminded me that last night there would be a total lunar eclipse. Living in L.A., she would have the better view as the full moon would be high in the dark night sky.

Here in Pennsylvania, I would only see the eclipse until the sun rose at dawn. But I forgot to count in the clouds which almost eclipsed the eclipse.

We watched it together. Quietly comparing our views on our cell phones.

I had gotten out my birding scope and took a few pictures through it with my digital camera.

I was struck by how many people were up and moving around here in the Lehigh Valley. The trash collectors stopped at my curb and took away two bags. The newspaper carrier put the Morning Call on my porch. My neighbor walked out to his garage and then left for work.

And I wondered, did they know? Did they realize that the earth’s shadow, cast by the sun, was falling over the full moon.

In all fairness, at times you could not see much as the clouds hide the moon and as the sunlight washed it out. Birders talk about a "naked eye" bird. That means you do not need binoculars or a scope to see the bird. Well, this was not a "naked eye" eclipse. You had to look.

How many times don’t we look?

The phrase "clouds got in my way" came to mind. I smiled thinking of the classic Charlie Brown strips when Lucy comes in from right field with any number of variations on the old excuse, "the sun got in my eyes."

But where did that phrase come from? It was a song. Donovan? Judy Collins?
Ahh... Joni Mitchell.
Great song. I just read the lyrics. I think copyright thingees prohibit my posting those lyrics here.
But you can Google them. The song is "Both Sides Now".

Then let me know if you really know clouds, love, life.
At all....
Not to mention the moon, sun and sky.
Or the tender love of Mother and Child.
Peace.