Perseids solo

For the first time in years, we're at home on the farm for the best day of the annual Perseid meteor shower. Usually we try to be at the cabin on the Olympic Peninsula, where the skies are black, and the stars are bright. We sit out for hours on the shores of the lake, usually at our friend's cabin. Bernie, Dave, and I have spent many hours over the past couple of decades, watching for meteors and satellites, tracking the planets during the different seasons, and enjoying every minute of it. With a big fire to warm our backs, we turn our chairs to face the lake and the sky, sip on red wine, and find it hard to quit and go to bed.

This year, though, we needed to be at home over the weekend. So not wanting to miss out completely, I decided to set my internal alarm clock for midnight, climb into sweats and a sweatshirt, and go sit in the orchard where there's a great view toward the east. And wait and see what (if anything) happens.

With a promise to wake Davey if there was a show to be seen, I did as planned. I crept out of the house at midnight, with my driving glasses in hand, just in case.

It was warm outside, completely clear and bright, and I loved being outdoors on such a beautiful night. I'm pretty sure that was the international space station I watched track across the sky.

But there were no meteors or satellites. Nada. Not a one.

Was I out too early? Probably. I'll wait until 1:00 am tomorrow.

Check back then.