This morning about four, I got up to let a dog out. Returning to the bedroom, I paused by a window to look at the sky -- crystal clear and bright with stars. And immediately a shooting star drew its pencil streak of light at the edge of my vision. And then another. And another. At last I remembered -- it's time for the
Perseid meteor shower !
It used to be a thing we planned for, every August 11, but the past few years we've had overcast skies or full moons -- plus our NPR station no longer plays the
Stardate program -- and the
Perseids had just slipped my mind. What joy to find that I was awake and the stars were shooting, just outside the
bedroom window!
I pulled on a robe and stepped outside to the deck. Three, four, five, meteorites. About one a minute. It was absolutely magical -- but right chilly and I was getting a crick in my neck. I stayed till I'd counted nine -- a good magical number -- and went back to bed.
How I wish I could have gotten pictures of a shooting star but it's beyond my capabilities -- you'll just have to imagine -- the dark coolness of the night and the eerie silence as another jet of light etches a brief path across the vault of heaven.
Tonight our sky is overcast -- no chance of more meteorite viewing. Thank goodness for the dog who got me out of bed!
Tomorrow I'm heading to the middle of the state to take part in a
mini-mystery tour. I doubt I'll be posting while I'm away but I should be back Saturday night with stories to tell.
