Ken Lassman has been keeping this almanac for over a decade, He invites you to share your observations and photos in the comments section. You can find his book Wild Douglas County at The Raven Bookstore and The Community Mercantile in Lawrence.
Frost on the Inside of Lodge Moon – January
January is a Roman reference to the god Janus, the god of gates. This god has two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back, as we do at the beginning of a new year. While this sets the tone for this season, the vivid image of frost on the inside of the lodge is equally appropriate, particularly if you notice frost on the inside of your car or house windows on a cold morning. The Osage also called this month Moon that Stands Alone, which speaks for itself if you decide to take a brisk walk in the countryside this time of year.
This is the month when you can see bald eagles flying in the Kaw Valley as well as deer and other wildlife more easily due to the lack of leaves. Listen to the rustle of wind through the drought-shortened tallgrass prairie grasses, and look for rodent trails in the thatch, which become tunnels when it snows. A dry year means that water has become a wildlife concentrator, with more species taking visibility risks to grab a drink in drought-lowered ponds, creeks and rivers that are made even more inaccessible by the presence of ice. Putting out water next to the bird feeders is more important this winter than most for this reason.
Enjoy the deep blues of the sky this time of year, whether it is duplicated in the subtle blues found in freshly fallen snow or not. While admiring the sky and looking for eagles and migratory waterfowl, keep an eye out for sun dogs and other daytime optical treats caused by the presence of ice crystals in the sky that refract and reflect the sun (and moon) light into circles, spots and other geometric forms. After dark, bundle up and enjoy the striking winter star constellations that can take your breath away especially if you know where to look with a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Kaw Valley Almanac 
I love this info-thank you! What is the difference on the moon chart between a full moon and 100% illumination? Thanks, Marsha Buhler
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Great question! It made me look at the ephemeris, which includes a minute-by-minute description of the moon’s illumination. I use the Carte du Ciel/Sky Chart open source software for my data, and recommend its wonderful night sky software program that is also included in their free download. At any rate, the moment of Full Moon occurs when the moon is exactly opposite the sun in the sky (and if the alignment is perfect, we get a total lunar eclipse), which was at 9:51am, daylight savings time on Halloween. Of course that moment occurred while the moon was invisible from Kansas as it hadn’t yet risen. The typical way the Full Moon is described, however, is not just for that millisecond that it is exactly 180 degrees opposite from the sun, rather it is expanded because for all practical purposes, someone cannot see shadows beginning to form on the edge of the Full moon for a while, even through a telescope, because it is very subtle. The ephemeris says that it takes approximately 19 hours past that exact point of Full Moon before it shifts from 100% illumination to 99% illumination. This means that the moon looked 100% illuminated as late as 3:48am on Sunday, Nov. 1, so they marked that day 100% illuminated even though the exact moment of Full moon was on Halloween. There! Probably way more information than you expected and if you have any more questions, feel free to ask away! Ken Lassman
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