Lunacy

The moon has been an obvious topic of conversation over the past few days. Incredibly bright and large in the sky, it's also being blamed sotto voce for all manner of ill-temper or havoc here on earth.

Talking about the moon led to talking about the phases of the moon, and I found myself trying to explain that you can tell if the moon is waxing or waning depending on which side is small, accompanied by cryptic hand gestures in the air. Just when folks were worried that I'd become a lunatic, I found this site that clearly illustrates that when the moon is smaller on the left, it's waxing. When it's smaller on the right, it's waning.

Besides the internet, whenever I'd like a brief introduction to a topic in the natural world, the first place I go is the Children's Room. The books are easy to read, entertaining, factual, and best of all: full of pictures!