Some years back, my friends Florence and Dan would throw large potluck barbecue parties yearly in honor of the Perseid meteor showers. In fact, that was where I met George. We would all sit outside, talking, sharing food and enjoying a libation, waiting for dark and the evening light show. As I recall, there was a prize for the one who saw the first streak of tail flashing across the sky. We also kept an eye out for the blinking lights of a particular satellite crossing south to north. "I see it! There it is!" "No, dear, those are the warning lights of an airplane." "Oh." Beginning tonight, this is the best week to see the meteor showers, well worth watching.
And what are my chances of seeing this phenomenon? Slim to none, I'd say, as I will be well into my first nap of the evening. As night falls, so do my eyelids. Times change, and so have I.
It has been, as my West Virginia neighbor would say, "hotting up." The spray bottle has been keeping me going, and a glass of ice water is never far away and refilled many times. I'm glad Michael has shed his thick winter coat, but I know he also suffers. I've started giving him a cube of ice to lick out of hand, and yesterday filled his water bowl with ice. I think it's helping. We wait until nearly dark to go for the last walk of the day, and sometimes we're lucky enough to catch a breeze.
I highly recommend stepping outside tonight to watch Nature showing off. Unlike the comet Hale-Bopp, which, after its appearance in 1997, will not be seen again in our lifetime, the Perseid shower can be enjoyed all week, and will be back next August. You'll like it.
Stay safe. Be well.
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