It was nearly midnight. I closed my mystery novel and pulled myself out of my red over-stuffed armchair to let the dogs out one last time before bed.
The night breeze was delicious. The day’s awful heat and humidty were gone, thank goodness. While working out in the pastures, it had felt as if I’d been breathing through a hot sponge. The chores, however, had to be done – my BueLingo herd needed fresh grass and filled water troughs. Three hours into it, I felt my face grow red beneath my wide-brimed straw hat. The temp had climbed to near 90, and the sun pressed unrelenting. I retreated to a shady deck chair and big glasses of cold water.
The hot afternoon slipped into a warm evening.
The dogs scurried into the dark. I walked away from the house lights and found myself under an umbrella of stars. The longer I looked, the more pin points of light popped into view. It was dizzying. The Milky Way draped to the southwest, and the Big Dipper was behind my right shoulder. Where was the Perseus constellation? I never remembered from year to year. I’d have to look that up tomorrow.
The dogs churned around my ankles, bringing me back to earth. Just as I turned to go in, I caught a shooting star flair east to west over the roof. A wondrous birthday gift.
Thank you God.
Aug. 12-13. 2018 meteor shower
