monday's mulling: american football and the harvest moon

Along with our 45th wedding anniversary, this was another reason for our European holiday. The Cleveland Browns, my family's favorite football team, and the Minnesota Vikings played an American football game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. Our daughter joined us for the London portion of our vacation. 

A big glitch before the game...the app crashed. Apparently this was a brand new app and had not been tested properly. Tickets in Apple Wallet did not scan. We got in a long, long, LONG queue to show our ticket confirmation and to get paper tickets but that was an absolute disaster. People were cutting in line, yelling, and fights broke out. Todd went to one of the gates to see if we could get in by showing our confirmation email and was told he needed a bar code or QR code to enter the stadium. After the opening ceremony performances, the singing of the national anthems, and fireworks were over, we got a message that we were able to get into the stadium by going through security and showing the staff our confirmation. Todd had expressed that idea a couple hours before as we were waiting. 

Once we settled into our seats, the Browns scored and the crowd went crazy. As the game progressed we realized that there were more Europeans there than Americans in the stands. Two French lads sat by me and they chanted and cheered the whole game. Four Irishmen sat behind us and told Todd that they come to the US to watch college and NFL football games. Such a fun atmosphere only to watch our team lose in the last 30 seconds. It's going to be a long season...again.

We got back to London around 8:00 pm (20:00) and as we walked to our hotel a beautiful full moon peaked from behind a building. This is the Harvest Moon and it's a supermoon as well. City lights and an iPhone telephone are not the combination to get a good photo. I hope wherever you are, you look to the sky and will be able to see this heavenly sight. So for now, I share this poem with you.

 

The Harvest Moon

The flame-red moon, the harvest moon,

Rolls along the hills, gently bouncing,

A vast balloon,

Till it takes off, and sinks upward

To lie on the bottom of the sky, like a gold doubloon.

The harvest moon has come,

Booming softly through heaven, like a bassoon.

And the earth replies all night, like a deep drum.

So people can't sleep,

So they go out where elms and oak trees keep

A kneeling vigil, in a religious hush.

The harvest moon has come!

And all the moonlit cows and all the sheep

Stare up at her petrified, while she swells

Filling heaven, as if red hot, and sailing

Closer and closer like the end of the world.

Till the gold fields of stiff wheat

Cry `We are ripe, reap us!' and the rivers

Sweat from the melting hills.

~ Ted Hughes