Blood Moon

Perfect event for the Astronomy Merit Badge along with the Astronomy Belt Loop.

In the early hours of April 15th we experience the first of 4 blood moons that are lined up starting today, April 15th, 2014 and ending September 29th, 2015 (lunar tetrad). 

What is a Blood Moon?... It is a total lunar eclipse where the rays from the sun are reflecting off of the earth's atmosphere.  Causing a red hue to be cast over the moon.  

Missed the April 14th-15th Blood Moon?  The next one will be this fall, October 8th, 2014.

One thing that is very interesting about these four Blood Moons is the dates of their occurrence.  The first one that just occurred today shares the same date as the start of passover.  The remaining 3 Blood Moons also share some important Jewish dates / holidays. 10/8/2014 (Sukkot), 4/4/2015 (Passover), 9/29/15 (Sukkot).  Coincidence... or unfolding of prophecy...?  I will let you come to your own conclusions.  Needless to say... I know what I will be doing on the night of October 8th, 2014. Get your telescopes and binoculars ready!

Next Blood Moon after 9/29/2015 will be around 2032-2033

04-15-2014 #RunScoutmasterRun

04-12-2014 #RunScoutmasterRun

Some Fishing

Characters: City Dude and any number of cowboys. Cowboys wear chaps and neckerchiefs

Props: Coil of Rope, branding iron (made from clothes hanger), corral fence (Fence can be painted on big pieces of cardboard and propped against step stools)

Setting: Back in time a ways at a corral. Cowboys are sitting on or leaning on fence. City Dude enters looking at everything with great interest.

City Dude:  This is my first trip to this marvelous west of yours. I do find everything so unusual. I'm so interested in everything. Do you suppose you fellows could explain a few things to me?

1st Cowboy: What did you want to know?

City Dude: What do you keep inside this fence?

2nd Cowboy: Sometimes we keep steers and sometimes broncos.

City Dude: (pointing to the branding iron) What do you do with this metal contraption?

3rd Cowboy: That's for brandin' 'em so everybody'll know who they belong to.

City Dude: Why do you wear those funny pants?

4th Cowboy: Those aren't our pants! They're chaps! We wear them over our pants when we're ridin' the range to keep the rough bushes and cactus from scratchin' us up.

City Dude: Why do you wear your handkerchief around you necks?

5th Cowboy: That's what we call a neckerchief. In a dust storm or when we're movin' the herds, we put it up over our nose and mouth to help keep the dust out. (demonstrates)

City Dude: What do you use that coil of rope for?

1st Cowboy: That's what we use to catch steers and broncos.

City Dude: That's all very interesting. I was just wondering about one more thing.  What kind of bait do you use? (Cowboys look at each other shaking their heads and roll with laughter.)

Alice The Camel Song

Alice the camel has three Humps
Alice the Camel has three humps
Alice the Camel has three humps
So go alice, Go
Boom,Boom,Boom

Alice the camel has two humps
Alice the camel has two humps
Alice the camel has two humps
So go Alice, Go
Boom, Boom, Boom

Alice the camel has one hump
Alice the camel has one hump
Alice the camel has one hump
So go alice, Go
Boom,Boom,Boom

Alice the camel has no humps
Alice the camel has no humps
Alice the camel has no humps
'Cause Alice is a horse!

Mini-Environments

#ThrowbackThursday
From the ninth edition of the Boy Scout Handbook (1980)

"The environments in which you have roamed as a Scout have been as vast as your eyes could measure. But there are small environments that are also worth your study."

Aquarium:
An aquarium, as the word tells you (aqua is Latin for water). is a watery mini-environment. for this you need a fish tank or bowl with a layer of clean sand on the bottom. Fill the tank with pond water. Anchor a couple of local aquatic plants in the sand. Then introduce a few water snails and a couple of minnows or other small fish.
     If you can't get pond water, use tap water and let it stand a few days to lose its chlorine.  And if you can't collect your own plants and fish, get them from a pet shop.

Fifth Run of #RunScoutmasterRun

https://www.athlete.com/stats/run/44096/run-5-runscoutmasterrun