Re: OT Meteor shower tonight

Once upon a time, Sue said:

I usually go outside for these things and am always disappointed. I
awoke about 2:30 am (you older folks and pregnant ladies know why) so,
although is was about 1 1/2 hours from optimal viewing time, I
staggered outside. Stood there for about 5 minutes. Nothing. Again.
Damn. Especially damn since I then had a bitch of a time going back
to sleep. <yawn> I did see a meteor shower when I was a kid when we
were up the mountains camping (the "sleep under the stars variety",
not the motor home variety). I think that's why I keep trying every
year - because it was so spectacular.

Sue let me tell you of my childhood memory. I hope I won't bore you
:-p

It was the eraly 80's was around 10 years old. My parents have a house
on an island, which is connected to the mainland with a bridge, and
the island itself forms an "U" towards the mainland. The house is
barely 50 meters from the sea, facing the mainland. It has a huge
balcony, running over two full lenghts, forming an "L" around it.
When I was a kid, in the summertime, it was completely normal for me,
and sometimes for my parents and guests, to sleep on the balcony.
Simply because in August, but especially in July, the night
temperatures do not drop much below the daytime ones, and the
proximity to the sea brings with it a huge humidity level.
Anyway, it was me and my late aunt's son who were "sleeping" that
night in the balcony. It was late at night. Although the place still
has a great starry night, pretty much from free from light pollution,
it is now not so perfect as it was back then.
There were literally *millions* of stars. All blinking and shining and
winking at us with different intensities and colours. As much as I
remember the beautiful sight, I much better remember the feeling of
pure joy from just looking at that majesty. The calm sea was actually
reflecting the stars, for the Moon's path is to the south, on the
other side of the house.
Then we saw the first one. "Look!", one of us said, "a falling star!
How cool is that!". The sentence was not finished when another one
scarred the sky. Then another one. And they just kept coming. We were
wild from excitement, running around the L shaped balcony, chasing the
stars around the skies and around the house. We counted 70 something
in less than an hour. I clearly remember that, although I forgot the
exact number.
At one point, we grew tired of it, and went to sleep, but still
peeking at the sky with one eye, until dreams covered us and put us to
sleep. It was one of the most beautiful nights of my life, not only
visually, but the sheer joy of living and experiencing life was at the
very top. We literally were standing under the waterfall of life.

One of these days; I will take my WW and lead her outside at night,
somewhere where we can be alone with the sky.
I want to rewind the tape.
And connect ...

--
Tihomir ÷¤÷ I think, therefore I do not smoke
Remove my shirt to E-mail me
IRC chat: #nosmokers at irc.starlink.org
irc://irc.starlink.org/nosmokers

.... Ask not for whom the bell tolls; let the machine get it
.

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