Happy May [2021]!

Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous • Illumination: 75% • Moon Age: 19.73days • Moon Distance: 370,025.94 km

Month of Flowers is here!

Beautiful May!

This year, our Easter [Orthodox] is on May 1st, coinciding with Labour Day [May Day] [as it was back in 2016]

• This month’s colors: White-Yellow, Red & Green
• May Birthstones: Emerald [Sapphire, Agate, Chrysoprase, Beryl]
• Flowers associated with May: Lily of the Valley & Hawthorne [‘Crataegus’ a herb known for its benefits to the heart]
• Words of the month: Complete Life, Success in Love, Humility, Return of Happiness and Sweetness
• Astrological signs: Taurus & Gemini

Celestial calendar

May 6, 7Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower. The Eta Aquarids is an above average shower, capable of producing up to 60 meteors per hour at its peak. Most of the activity is seen in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Northern Hemisphere, the rate can reach about 30 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet Halley, which has been observed since ancient times. The shower runs annually from April 19 to May 28. It peaks this year on the night of May 6 and the morning of the May 7. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

May 11 New Moon at 19:01 UTC.

May 17Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation of 22 degrees from the Sun. Look for the planet low in the western sky just after sunset.

May 26Full Moon, Supermoon [second of three supermoons in 2021], at 11:14 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Flower Moon because this was the time of year when spring flowers appeared in abundance. Also known as the Corn Planting Moon and the Milk Moon. The Moon will be near its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

May 26Total Lunar Eclipse. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth’s dark shadow, or umbra. During this eclipse, the Moon will gradually get darker and then take on a rusty or blood red color. The eclipse will be visible throughout the Pacific Ocean and parts of eastern Asia, Japan, Australia, and western North America. [Us Europeans aren’t as fortunate!]

[info from seasky]

Listening to

Ave Maria

by Italian composer of the early Baroque era,

Marco da Gagliano

who was born today May 1st, 1582, in Florence

Fabio Lombardo, director

Happy May everyone!

44 replies »

  1. May is a very, very special month for me too. I hope yours is filled with all the beauty and warmth you’ve shared with us here. πολλές αγκαλιές Did the translator get it right? 🙂

    • Thank you, my dearest Mary Jo! The translator did it right and thank you so much for those hugs! They were reeived and more are sent back to you with my wishes for beautiful days ahead. 🤗😘

    • Beautiful memory. Believe it or not, I haven’t smelled one yet and however stupid, whenever I see a flower on my walks, I always try to get their scent.

  2. What a gorgeous welcome for this month of May, Marina! Love the colors and the music!
    Happy May, dear friend! 🌼🧡🌼🧡🌼💚🌻💚🌻💚🌻

  3. kaló Páscha!
    What beautiful yellow and green flowers. Perfect music. This is a version of Ave Maria that I didn’t know.

      • So far! (I’ll never understand how this works.)
        It was beautiful.
        So today, I can say! Christo Aaesti! I so miss the lamb my brother-in-law’s father would make in the backyard. Tease anyone he could by offering the eyeballs! The rest of the feast that came with them.
        🧡💛🌻🌷

        • Me neither!!! Hopefully next year we’ll be closer! 😉
          Ah, thank you! Alithos Anesti, as we say (Indeed He has risen).
          A ha ha haaaa.. the eyeballs. Easter has been horrific food wise to me, since childhood!
          Due to restrictions many people made their lambs in balconies or backyards in the city. 3 days now we are being treated with Sahara dust and 30°C, if you combine that with all the smoke from the barbecues and the non stop fireworks (some kind of outlet from our loooooong lockdown) you’ll get the pleasant atmosphere we had! 😱
          We usually have our lamb (excluding me…) in the oven! ❤🤗

          • It’s all good.
            Yes, I looked up the proper answer 😉
            You’ve been a vegetarian for a long time, no? Can’t be fun…
            And oh man! What a horrible image you have just given me!
            Bring on the spanakopita 😉

            • Hmm… where did my reply go?!!!
              I’ve never been a fan of meat, so about 20 years ago when I actually sat and painstakingly watched a full video about animal cruelty, it was easy deleting it from my menu. If it weren’t for my mom’s spanakopitas (with cheese) I’d be full vegan. Nowadays it’s easy, with all the delicious options given. I’ve been through some seriously plastic vegan cheese before finding a really nice one! 🤣

              • I dunno! Out into the ether!
                No, I thought you weren’t. And if you weren’t a fan, it would be that much easier to give it up. I fear, I am very much still a fan 😉
                I don’t get the whole vegan thing. I’m sorry, but cheese, wonderful cheese! And honey! And butter! But hey, the way I see it? To each their own. I respect that fully.

                • Probably!
                  As you say, to each their own and I respect that you respect that too! I really don’t like people trying to change someone elses ways and unfortunately many from both sides either make fun or are aggressive. We are responsible for our choices and only ours. Hey, I will still eat mom’s cheesy pizza from time to time! 😉 😘🤗😘

  4. I listened to the music while contemplating your second (beautiful) photograph full-screen.
    I didn’t know the petals were like little boats or almond-shaped bowls.
    Thank you for this moment.

    • Ah… thank you so much for your lovely comment and I love your “little boats or almond shaped bowls”… the do look like that!!!
      Thank YOU, my friend. 🙏

  5. We will get the penumbral eclipse, but not total, here in Toronto!
    🌺🕊🌼💖🌞🌱🌸💚🌻🌹💜💐🌺🕊🌼💖🌞🌱🌸💚🌻🌹💜💐

    • Well, that’s a lot more than …nothing!!!
      🧡🌻❤🤗💜😘🌟☀️🧡🌺🌸🍭💜❤💛🌺🧡⚘🤗🙂🌻💜🎶🍭🌟🌺🧡🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🌟🌟🌟🌻🤗

  6. Happy MAY!!!
    Stunningly gorgeous photos, Marina!
    Adore Ave Maria! Do you follow Charlotte Hoather?
    She sings Ave Maria, beautifully. There’s a link on her blog!
    🌺🕊🌼💖🌞🌱🌸💚🌻🌹💜💐🌺🕊🌼💖🌞🌱🌸💚🌻🌹💜💐
    🌺🕊🌼💖🌞🌱🌸💚🌻🌹💜💐🌺🕊🌼💖🌞🌱🌸💚🌻🌹💜💐

    • Awww thank you, Dahling!!!
      Yes, I do. She has a wonderful voice!!!!
      🌟🧡❤🌻❤🧡☀️🌟💛😊🌺🌹🌻❤😘🤗🌟☀️🧡😊🌸🍭🎶💜🤗❤🙂🌻

  7. Wow! What a beautiful way to bring in May! I hope I can see the eclipse. The total eclipse will be at 5:18 am, 40 minutes before the moon sets. It will be low in the sky and it will be getting light at that time. I’ll see what happens. We also celebrate out 39th wedding anniversary on the 29th.

  8. Beautiful flowers, beautiful music! Happy May and Happy Pascha on Resurrection Sunday. So many hugs are sent! 🙂

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