February 1, 2025
Just Saying…
Blue Moons and Red Food Color
By Q.C. Jones
“Blue Moon of Kentucky keep on shining…” was the signature line of a song written by Bill Monroe, aka the Father of Blue Grass Music back in 1945. The song went on to national prominence as a top country hit in 1947. Elvis Presley later “rocked up” the song on his first real single in July 1954. In 1991, Beatle Paul McCarthy revisited the song. All in all, dozens of singers, both country and rock, have recorded the song and helped place Bill Monroe into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A couple more words on this music journey, Bill Monroe’s moniker, The Father of Blue Grass Music, has nothing to do with that local community we all like to drive through on our way to Muscatine. Even though he started his career on an AM radio station in Shenandoah, Iowa back in 1936, I am sure Monroe’s trips home to Kentucky routed him through the main part of the QCA rather than Blue Grass.
While contemplating all this – Blue Moon, Blue Grass, and all the rest, I came to realize most don’t know the meaning of the blue moons, grass, or even states of mind. Let’s address these in reverse order.
We’ve all heard of feeling blue, as in I’ve got the blues or I’m singing the blues. Social scientists tell us that blue, which is the color of the sky and the ocean, is known as tranquil color. This is directly opposed to red or yellow which are energetic colors. Further, since Roman times, ship crews who had lost their captain painted a portion of the ship blue and fly blue flags to represent a period of mourning and to signal the event to others.
While this story of blue (the feeling) isn’t very satisfying to the mind’s eye, the story of blue grass is even worse. First there is no such thing as blue grass – even in Kentucky where the grass is as green as a new strip of astro-turf. Instead, the name comes from the tassels produced by long uncut portions of the native Kentucky grass known as Poa pratensis. For those of you who, like your pal QC, scored dismally in high school Latin, Poa Pratensis translates into meadow grass. The tassels if left to grow to their natural height produce a bluish pollen.
There is a very good chance that your front yard contains at least some “Kentucky blue grass” but you will never see the tassels which only occur if the grass is left uncut and grows to its natural height of 24 inches. As a public service message brought to you by the staff and management of 50+ Life Styles, you should know the following.
“In Davenport, Iowa, property owners are required to keep grass and weeds trimmed to a height of 9 inches or less. If the vegetation exceeds this height and is not classified as native planting, the city may mow the property without prior notification, as per City Ordinance 8.14. The minimum charge for mowing is $150.”
The other cities of the QCA have similar rules. So, in other words, you will never see even the slightest blue haze of blue grass in the QCA. And this brings us to the final point of our lesson on blue.
What in all tarnation is a Blue Moon? Well first, a blue moon, like its grassy cousin, is not blue and not withstanding some kind of catastrophic global event they will never appear blue. Erase that thought from your mind.
According to modern astronomers, a blue moon is the second full moon to occur during a month. Because of lunar-based calendar, this is a relatively rare phenomenon. Blue moons only appear once every two or three years. That is where we get the phrase “once every blue moon.” The last blue moon appeared in the night sky on August 19, 2024. Mark your calendar for the next one on May 31, 2026 with the next following on December 31, 2028.
Many ancient cultures assigned symbolic meaning to a blue moon. They saw it as a time for reflection, transformation, and unique opportunities.
By now you are wondering, why talk about blue moons in February? First, this month is the only month which never has a Blue Moon. Nothing, nada, zero in the lunar category. Instead, we ended up with a couple of Presidential Birthdays and a bright red Valentine’s Day. Nothing blue here.
We will be wallowing in red roses, red greeting cards, and our kids will be overdosing on Red-3 food coloring (which was banned by the FDA on January 15th of this year). And for you conscientious grandparents selecting the “all natural” and “organic” food coloring for your kiddos consider this: The natural food coloring called Carmine is made from cochineal insect bodies.
All across the Quad-Cities, and throughout our land, little Johnny and his pals will be kissing their grandmas with bug infested lips.
What a lovely thought for the season.
Just saying, QC Jones.
