Waiting for the (Pink) Moon

After sunset here in Catalina State Park---a magnificent spot just 16 miles north of Tucson---we spent almost two hours watching the sun set and the stars slowly emerge, and the light on the mountains was luminous.

The moon was slow to make its way from behind the mountains, but its emergence was spectacular and well worth the wait.

Tonight's full moon is known as a "Pink Moon". This name comes from the herb moss pink (or wild ground phlox), which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. Other names for this month's full moon are Full Sprouting Grass Moon, The Egg Moon, and among coastal Indian tribes, the Full Fish Moon, because this is the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

"Pink Moon" is also the name of a gorgeous song by the British singer Nick Drake......(Click here to hear the song.....)