Post-Hunt Roundup

The Easter Egg Hunt was a huge success!  13 residents and 4 staff members showed up for the event. Mrs. Holidays and Mother in Law Holidays helped me guide and direct some of the residents. My brother in law's parents, visiting from out of town, helped with the residents as well. Finally, Sister in Law Holidays and Brother in Law Holidays supervised Baby Holidays as he watched the affair from inside the house. It was a very special experience.

I took a bunch of pics of the luminaries all lit up this evening, but unfortunately, most of them turned out too blurry. Here's a little something at least.

Pre-Hunt Pics

Pathway to Back Gate

Branches, decorations, and luminaries will line the path on Saturday

Luminaries Ready to Go

Water, food coloring, and a submersible tea light will go in each jar

100 Candles

Just bought some submersible, led battery-operated tea lights for the Easter Egg hunt luminaries. This is the second batch of tea lights I've purchased from 100 Candles. The first batch was a big hit in last year's Spirit Grove II: an enchanted forest. 100 Candles is a first-rate company.

Sun and Moon

Have to look long and hard at moonrise/moonset & sunrise/sunset times when planning this year's Easter Egg hunt. Would like a little bit of darkness, along with a visible moon, if possible.

Rising and setting times for the Moon

			Meridian Passing
Date	Moonrise	Moonset	Time	Altitude	Distance	Illuminated	Phase
					(mi)
Mar 1, 2013	- 10:56 PM	8:51 AM -	3:23 AM	37.6°	233,035	86.1%
Mar 2, 2013		9:31 AM	4:16 AM	33.7°	231,785	77.2%
Mar 3, 2013	12:03 AM	10:16 AM	5:12 AM	30.8°	230,867	66.7%
Mar 4, 2013	1:09 AM	11:08 AM	6:09 AM	29.1°	230,255	55.2%	Third Quarter at 4:53 PM
Mar 5, 2013	2:10 AM	12:06 PM	7:08 AM	28.7°	229,945	43.4%
Mar 6, 2013	3:06 AM	1:10 PM	8:06 AM	29.7°	229,961	31.9%
Mar 7, 2013	3:55 AM	2:17 PM	9:04 AM	32.0°	230,357	21.4%
Mar 8, 2013	4:38 AM	3:26 PM	9:59 AM	35.4°	231,198	12.6%
Mar 9, 2013	5:16 AM	4:34 PM	10:51 AM	39.6°	232,531	5.9%
Note: hours shift because clocks change forward 1 hour (See below table for details)
Mar 10, 2013	6:51 AM	6:41 PM	12:42 PM	44.3°	234,362	1.7%
Mar 11, 2013	7:23 AM	7:46 PM	1:31 PM	49.1°	236,640	0.2%	New Moon at 3:51 PM
Mar 12, 2013	7:55 AM	8:50 PM	2:18 PM	53.9°	239,253	1.1%
Mar 13, 2013	8:26 AM	9:53 PM	3:05 PM	58.3°	242,033	4.4%
Mar 14, 2013	8:59 AM	10:54 PM	3:53 PM	62.2°	244,775	9.6%
Mar 15, 2013	9:33 AM	11:52 PM	4:40 PM	65.3°	247,259	16.4%
Mar 16, 2013	10:11 AM	-	5:27 PM	67.6°	249,271	24.5%
Mar 17, 2013	- 10:52 AM	12:48 AM -	6:15 PM	69.0°	250,628	33.4%
Mar 18, 2013	- 11:37 AM	1:41 AM -	7:04 PM	69.5°	251,199	42.9%
Mar 19, 2013	- 12:26 PM	2:30 AM -	7:52 PM	68.9°	250,915	52.6%	First Quarter at 1:27 PM
Mar 20, 2013	- 1:19 PM	3:14 AM -	8:39 PM	67.5°	249,778	62.3%
Mar 21, 2013	- 2:15 PM	3:55 AM -	9:26 PM	65.1°	247,864	71.7%
Mar 22, 2013	- 3:13 PM	4:32 AM -	10:13 PM	61.9°	245,315	80.3%
Mar 23, 2013	- 4:13 PM	5:06 AM -	11:00 PM	58.1°	242,333	87.9%
Mar 24, 2013	- 5:16 PM	5:38 AM -	11:47 PM	53.7°	239,162	94.0%
Mar 25, 2013	- 6:20 PM	6:10 AM -
Mar 26, 2013	- 7:25 PM	6:41 AM -	12:35 AM	48.9°	236,063	98.1%
Mar 27, 2013	- 8:33 PM	7:14 AM -	1:24 AM	44.1°	233,285	99.9%	Full Moon at 5:28 AM
Mar 28, 2013	- 9:42 PM	7:50 AM -	2:15 AM	39.4°	231,033	99.0%
Mar 29, 2013	- 10:52 PM	8:29 AM -	3:09 AM	35.2°	229,444	95.4%
Mar 30, 2013		9:14 AM	4:05 AM	31.8°	228,570	89.0%
Mar 31, 2013	12:00 Midnight	10:05 AM	5:03 AM	29.7°	228,383	80.4%

Rising and setting times for the Sun

			Length of day		Solar noon
Date	Sunrise	Sunset	This day	Difference	Time	Altitude	Distance
							(million mi)
Mar 1, 2013	7:05 AM	6:24 PM	11h 19m 13s	+ 2m 35s	12:44 PM	42.7°	92.123
Mar 2, 2013	7:03 AM	6:25 PM	11h 21m 49s	+ 2m 35s	12:44 PM	43.1°	92.146
Mar 3, 2013	7:02 AM	6:26 PM	11h 24m 25s	+ 2m 36s	12:44 PM	43.5°	92.170
Mar 4, 2013	7:00 AM	6:27 PM	11h 27m 02s	+ 2m 36s	12:44 PM	43.9°	92.194
Mar 5, 2013	6:59 AM	6:29 PM	11h 29m 39s	+ 2m 36s	12:43 PM	44.3°	92.218
Mar 6, 2013	6:57 AM	6:30 PM	11h 32m 16s	+ 2m 37s	12:43 PM	44.7°	92.242
Mar 7, 2013	6:56 AM	6:31 PM	11h 34m 54s	+ 2m 37s	12:43 PM	45.0°	92.267
Mar 8, 2013	6:54 AM	6:32 PM	11h 37m 31s	+ 2m 37s	12:43 PM	45.4°	92.291
Mar 9, 2013	6:53 AM	6:33 PM	11h 40m 09s	+ 2m 37s	12:42 PM	45.8°	92.316
Note: hours shift because clocks change forward 1 hour (See below table for details)
Mar 10, 2013	7:51 AM	7:34 PM	11h 42m 48s	+ 2m 38s	1:42 PM	46.2°	92.341
Mar 11, 2013	7:49 AM	7:35 PM	11h 45m 26s	+ 2m 38s	1:42 PM	46.6°	92.365
Mar 12, 2013	7:48 AM	7:36 PM	11h 48m 04s	+ 2m 38s	1:42 PM	47.0°	92.390
Mar 13, 2013	7:46 AM	7:37 PM	11h 50m 43s	+ 2m 38s	1:41 PM	47.4°	92.415
Mar 14, 2013	7:45 AM	7:38 PM	11h 53m 22s	+ 2m 38s	1:41 PM	47.8°	92.440
Mar 15, 2013	7:43 AM	7:39 PM	11h 56m 00s	+ 2m 38s	1:41 PM	48.2°	92.465
Mar 16, 2013	7:42 AM	7:40 PM	11h 58m 39s	+ 2m 38s	1:41 PM	48.6°	92.490
Mar 17, 2013	7:40 AM	7:41 PM	12h 01m 18s	+ 2m 38s	1:40 PM	49.0°	92.515
Mar 18, 2013	7:38 AM	7:42 PM	12h 03m 57s	+ 2m 38s	1:40 PM	49.4°	92.540
Mar 19, 2013	7:37 AM	7:43 PM	12h 06m 36s	+ 2m 38s	1:40 PM	49.8°	92.565
Mar 20, 2013	7:35 AM	7:44 PM	12h 09m 15s	+ 2m 38s	1:39 PM	50.2°	92.591
Mar 21, 2013	7:33 AM	7:45 PM	12h 11m 54s	+ 2m 38s	1:39 PM	50.6°	92.616
Mar 22, 2013	7:32 AM	7:46 PM	12h 14m 32s	+ 2m 38s	1:39 PM	50.9°	92.642
Mar 23, 2013	7:30 AM	7:47 PM	12h 17m 11s	+ 2m 38s	1:38 PM	51.3°	92.668
Mar 24, 2013	7:29 AM	7:48 PM	12h 19m 49s	+ 2m 38s	1:38 PM	51.7°	92.694
Mar 25, 2013	7:27 AM	7:49 PM	12h 22m 28s	+ 2m 38s	1:38 PM	52.1°	92.720
Mar 26, 2013	7:25 AM	7:50 PM	12h 25m 06s	+ 2m 38s	1:38 PM	52.5°	92.746
Mar 27, 2013	7:24 AM	7:51 PM	12h 27m 44s	+ 2m 38s	1:37 PM	52.9°	92.773
Mar 28, 2013	7:22 AM	7:52 PM	12h 30m 22s	+ 2m 37s	1:37 PM	53.3°	92.800
Mar 29, 2013	7:20 AM	7:53 PM	12h 32m 59s	+ 2m 37s	1:37 PM	53.7°	92.826
Mar 30, 2013	7:19 AM	7:54 PM	12h 35m 37s	+ 2m 37s	1:36 PM	54.1°	92.853
Mar 31, 2013	7:17 AM	7:55 PM	12h 38m 14s	+ 2m 37s	1:36 PM	54.5°	92.881

Easter Eve in the Cove

The camera flash doesn't quite do the light justice, but the Cove looked pretty magical with the solar powered lights, blue luminaries, and Bethlehem arbor lights aglow. The last two shots were particularly interesting. This ethereal mist began to appear as Baby Holidays and I were surveying the Cove. Was the Easter Bunny about to make his deliveries? Not sure, but I snapped a couple of quick pics and took off.

Lighting the Way

Image Source.

Makes me excited to think about the luminaries I'll be putting out Easter Eve.

Easter Luminary Jars

Under the watchful eye of Grandmother Holidays, I spray painted 12 glass jars which will be hung as luminaries on Easter Eve and Easter Day. Blue, of course, is a classic Easter color, and I think it is only fitting that we stick with an all-blue theme since Mrs. Holidays and I are expecting a baby boy in about 11 days.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Wishing everyone a merry and safe St. Patrick's Day!  I'll be spray painting some Easter luminary jars later today. Will take a pic or two to share.

Easter Stash

197 plastic eggs and 7 glass jars. Will likely add a few more jars over the next 5 weeks.