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THE HARVEST MOON

Story ID:1061
Written by:Frederick William Wickert
Story type:Musings, Essays and Such
Location:Gilboa New York USA
Year:2006
Person:Harvest Moon
THE HARVEST MOON
THE HARVEST MOON
THE HARVEST MOON
THE HARVEST MOON
THE HARVEST MOON
THE HARVEST MOON
By Fred Wickert



Each year in the month of October in the Catskill Mountains, there comes a full moon. This is known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon has been celebrated for eons throughout the country in poem and in song. It is a special time of year.

The skies become clearer. The air becomes crisper as the frost threatens to settle upon the ground. The sounds of the rustling corn in the breeze is more noticeable and the sounds of the creatures in the night more plentiful.

Man and nature alike are busy in anticipation of the coming winter. The animals are scurrying to fatten themselves and to find a warm protective den for the winter months. The squirrels are building new nests. Birds are looking for tree cavities in which to create good shelter against the winters cold and winds. Birds and animals alike are storing winter food supplies and the Beaver are repairing their houses and stocking supplies for when the ice freezes over the ponds.

Man is harvesting his corn in the fields. He is harvesting his apples and pears and pressing cider. He is picking the last of the berries for the season and the women are making them into preserves –jams and jellies to be enjoyed through the long winter months. Cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, squashes green and gold are brought in. The last of the potato’s are being dug and carrots too. After frost has killed the vines the pumpkins too are being harvested and stored.

It is the time of the Harvest Moon. It has cast its’ spell and there is a sense of urgency upon the land to be ready for winter. After the harvest is complete, if there is time, the fall plowing will be done. It opens the land to the snows, the poor mans fertilizer. It readies the soil for earlier warming and drying in the spring for earlier planting. The time of the Harvest Moon is a busy time, but a happy and enjoyable time too.

The following pictures are of the sunset at Harvest Moon in Gilboa, New York in 2006.

The photos were taken at the end of Road Seven at the location of the ending of the story A HAUNTED AWAKENING, posted in OurEcho on 6/22/2006, by the same author.


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