A beautiful sight the last couple of evenings provided by Mother Nature, the Harvest Moon is actually just a regular full moon, but due to the fact that it rises just before sunset, many times it has an almost pumpkin-like glow.
It got it's nickname because it's brightness allows farmers to reap their crops well into the night during this all-important harvesting time of year. Not so big a deal now that we have John Deere tractors with headlights, but I'm sure our forefathers appreciated the extra light.
But a full moon means more than being able to see your soybean and corn rows. Every cop, firefighter, and nurse will tell you that people just get crazy during a full moon.
I mean "cray-cray" crazy.
Night shift nurses get anxious when they are faced with a full moon on their drive into work. Firefighters may take an afternoon nap, anticipating being up all night. Psychiatric wards beef up their staffing. And police officers probably make sure they have an extra pair of handcuffs...
There is no scientific reason for this phenomenon. Some say the brightness of the moon disturbs people's sleep cycles, which at times induces delirium. Others say the brightness of the moon allows not only farmers to stay out late at night, but other "darker" characters are able to be more mobile as well.
I got a text during football practice around 7:30 PM from our charge nurse- "Can't wait to fill you in on the absolute craziness that erupted after 6 PM today. You just can't make this shit up". I looked up and saw the Harvest Moon, smiled, and snapped a picture. I sent the picture back to the dayshift charge nurse and told her I would say a little prayer for the night shift.
Today's picture represents myths, legends, and superstitions. Not that a full moon is any of those. That shit is real. I know- I've lived it!
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