When Is the Harvest Moon 2025? by Reggi Allder

 

   The Harvest Moon is not always in the same month. It’s the full moon that occurs nearest to the autumn equinox (September 22 or 23).

This means that the Harvest Moon can occur in September or October, depending on how the lunar cycle aligns with the Gregorian calendar. Gregorian calendars are based on the progression through the seasons as the Earth revolves around the Sun. 

      The Harvest Moon refers to the full, bright moon that occurs closest to the start of autumn. The name dates from the time before electricity.

According to the Farmer’s Almanac in 2025, the bright Harvest Moon is on Monday, October 6, full illumination at 11:47 P.M. The full moon will last for three days, including the prior night of October 5 and the following night of October 7. If the Harvest Moon is not in September, the full moon is called a Corn Moon. If the Harvest Moon is not in October, the full moon is often known as a Hunter’s Moon.

     When farmers depended on the moon’s light to harvest their crops, they worked late into the night. With the bright light from the full moons, the longer days helped them to harvest the crops before the colder months arrived.

   Cowboys were not specifically affected by the moon except to say they worked dawn to dusk, so in that sense, they had to work longer hours during the Harvest Moon.

  Why mention these full moon dates in late August? If you know, you might plan to be somewhere you can see the bright illumination unaffected by city lights.

Her Country Heart by Reggi Allder Sierra Creek Series Book 1 of 4 books. Amy Long needs a forever home. Downsized, she lost her apartment in the city and returned to the small town of Sierra Creek to find a fresh start. In the California foothills, she plans to run her grandmother’s organic apple farm and harvest the apples. 

Does Amy belong? Cowboy Wyatt Cameron doesn’t think so. She’s in the way of his plans and as executor of her grandmother’s estate, he has the power to send her packing.

What can she offer to change his mind?

5 stars reviews “If you love cowboys, small towns, second chances, and real-to-life characters, the Country Heart Sierra Creek books are for you!” “Perfect when you need a feel-good read.” “A seriously great book!!” “Great characters, I couldn’t stop reading to find out what happened next!” ★ 

Excerpt: 

Her Country Heart by Reggi Allder

Wyatt’s black pickup truck was parked at the curb in front of the building when she came out of the courthouse.

“I’ll drive you to Granny’s farm.”

Don’t you mean your farm? She bit back the caustic reply. A thief, the thought of sitting next to him in the truck turned her stomach. But with no cab or bus in town, a five-mile walk to Granny’s house dragging a giant suitcase in one-hundred-degree heat wasn’t appealing either. She squelched the need to tell him what he could do with his ride. With a hiss under her breath, she got in his truck and slammed the door shut.

“Amy, did you say something?”

“No.”

He looked unconvinced but started the engine without saying anything more.

A few minutes later, the Ford turned off the two-lane highway onto Star Route Three.

She waited for Granny’s property to come into view at the end of the road. Had it been two years since she’d come home? It seemed like yesterday. How could everything look the same when her world had totally changed?

In anticipation, she sat forward. The apple orchards appeared first, the trees green-leafed and flushed with fruit almost ready to be harvested. No matter how many new brands of apples came on the market, the red delicious apple defined the fruit for her.

The white two-story traditional American farmhouse with its pointed gables and wraparound porch, so popular in the Sierra Foothills, glistened in the late afternoon. Her chest tightened at the sight.

Soon, the sun would be setting. So many times, she and Granny had sat on the porch peeling apples for applesauce as they watched the late afternoon sky turn orange.

Wyatt drove the truck into the driveway and turned off the engine. Anxious to get into the house, she reached into her pocket and felt for the key Granny had given her many years earlier.

“If you will get my suitcase out of the truck, I won’t keep you. I’m sure you’d like to get home.”

Wyatt’s eyebrows rose as he turned to face her. “I thought you understood—I live here.”

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Polar Vortex. Have You Ever Gone to Bed Wearing Your Coat Because it was So Cold? by Reggi Allder

 

   To say it has been cold this winter, is an understatement.

   Arctic outflow is a weather event that occurs when cold air from the Arctic flows into other communities. This can lead to strong winds and dangerously low temperatures.

   According to the National Weather Service, the polar vortex is a large area of low-pressure and cold air surrounding the Earth’s poles. It exists near the poles but weakens in summer and strengthens in winter. The term "vortex" refers to the counter-clockwise flow of air that helps keep the colder air near the Poles. During winter in the northern hemisphere, the polar vortex will expand, sending cold air southward with the jet stream. This occurs somewhat regularly during wintertime and is often associated with large occurrences of Arctic air in Canada and the United States. 

   Those not used to this kind of weather may not be ready or have the needed supplies to manage in this type of a disaster. As a writer of contemporary westerns, I think back to the Midwest and Western states and wonder how people in one-room log cabins survived in that weather, not to mention the domestic animals struggling in the freezing wind and snow. 

    Sometimes under life-threatening circumstances, the cowboys in the Old West did what they could to prevent the loss of cattle, and other livestock, and still take care of themselves. 

 

     However. I bet cowboys, back then, would have appreciated a big bowl of soup. 

For all who would like to have a veggie and chicken soup recipe with interesting vegetables, read below.

Vegetable Soup with Chicken or not.

Vegetable soup with chicken and fresh vegetables. Enjoy any day you want fresh veggie soup.

Prep Time: about 10 minutes

Cook Time: about 20 minutes or until vegetables are ready

Total Time: about 30 minutes

Servings: about 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken or vegan broth
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter, dairy, or vegan
• 3 medium carrots thinly sliced
• 2 celery stocks, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or garlic powder to your taste
• 8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed, halved
• 1 cup Baby Bok Choy, diced
• 12 ounces cooked chicken, diced or not if you prefer
• Chicken may be left out and a vegetable broth may be used for a vegan soup.

Instructions

1.              Heat oil or butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, and onions to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned, and onions begin to become translucent.

2.              Add green beans, diced Baby Bok Choy, and chicken broth, or vegan broth. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until veggies are soft.

3.              If you are using chicken, add chicken to the pot, and stir. Remove from heat and serve.

     Many of my books have food as part of the plot. A caterer and a woman who owns a organic apple farm are heroines in a suspense book. Dangerous Money and  a Western contemporary, the start of the small town romance series, book one of four. Her Country Heart, Sierra Creek Series  

Excerpt: Dangerous Money Book Three of 4 in the Dangerous Series by Reggi Allder.

In the midnight gloom of a residential street in Carmel, California, business owner Kathryn Carlyle watched the city’s dim lights from the back seat of a speeding police car. She gasped for air as dread tightened her throat. This can’t be happening to me.

The catering van driven to billionaire software developer Conner Harrison’s birthday party had been impounded by the police as evidence. She rubbed her throbbing temples to release the pain accumulated there.

Two blocks from her beachfront condo, she snatched a breath of air. “Please stop. I have to get out.”

The middle-aged officer guided the patrol car to the curb. “We’re not finished with you. Go, but don’t leave town.”

He’d probably been waiting all night to use that cliché. Don’t leave town. She almost laughed, except nothing funny had happened tonight.

She exited the car and inhaled the sea breeze as it rustled her hair. It was a welcome change from the stifling atmosphere that contaminated the police station where she’d spent the last few hours. How long before the officer came back to arrest her?

Relieved to return to her safe neighborhood, she took a deeper breath, kicked off her black leather pumps, and sat on a driftwood log overlooking the serene bay.

She swallowed as nausea swirled in her stomach. The fact that she hadn't eaten since breakfast didn’t help. Because she was always nervous before an event, she’d planned to eat after Mr. Harrison’s party. Now he hovered near death. The thought of eating brought bile to the back of her throat. Why did the authorities think she’d poisoned a man she’d only met once?

A nightmare had snared her and was holding her in its grip. When Mr. Harrison died, the charge against her would be murder in the first degree.

As the realization crept through her, she tensed. Two deep breaths calmed her but didn’t stop the headache from forming over her right eye.

True, she’d had the opportunity to poison him, but no motive. She only met him because he’d asked her to cater his birthday party. With his death, there was nothing to gain and a lot to lose; her reputation, her business, her life.

In the morning, the police would sort out the truth of her innocence. Still, adrenaline caused her heart to race. She rubbed her temples and tried not to think anymore.

A gust of wind circled her. She shivered and folded her arms in front of her. Damn. Her suit jacket was still in the patrol car.

Kathryn stood, brushed the sand from the back of her skirt, and picked up her high heels and shoulder bag. Time to go home. Sleep was doubtful, but at least she’d put up her sore feet.

Leaves crunched somewhere in the shadows of the nearby trees, she squinted into the darkness but didn’t see anyone. Even so, fear gripped her.

She forced her swollen feet back into her pumps and walked quickly up the dimly lit street. The click of her heels echoed in the quiet night air. The desire to flee from an unknown danger increased the speed of her footsteps.

The street was empty, except for a black truck parked at the curb. The pickup’s engine revved. The cab light was on and cast an eerie glow on the driver’s face. He smiled at her.

As she thought about waving to let him know the headlights were off, the vehicle drove straight at her. It jumped the curb, sideswiped her, and sent her flying.

With a thud, she landed on the muddy front lawn of a neighboring condominium. The sound of the engine faded as the vehicle disappeared.

She lay motionless on the ground. Cold mud oozed into the fabric of her skirt. A twinge jabbed her and terror banged against her rib cage.

Overriding the sense of shock was her need to go home where she’d be safe. She grabbed the strap of her purse and attempted to stand. Pain shot through her hip and down her leg. She fell back into the mud.

A man dressed in black came out of the darkness and stood over her. Before she could cry out, he bent down and covered her mouth with his huge hand.

 “Don’t scream. You’ll wake the whole damn neighborhood." Buy link Dangerous Money 

 “…This book has it all. Fast-paced, plot-driven conflicts and characters that you can’t tear yourself away from lift it from an ordinary story to a darn good read.”—Mimi Barbour New York Times Best-selling author.

 

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