[Squishy] Leonids

[Aaron Ximm]

West coast peak: 2:35 am.

We drove out to Mt. Diablo and hiked up into a field.  A ring of
luminscent haze from the horizon, extending half way up the sky, obscured
much: bad moon (which nonetheless rising yesterday over the Bay
amid glowing orange and pink sunset clouds was something to be grateful
for).

Saw many, some ooers and ahhhers -- glittering, breaking, cracking,
sparkling green and orange, floating trails that lasted tens of seconds --
but 'twas nothing compared to last year from the same locale.  But baying
and yapping coyotes, the occasional bat, the silhouetted trees on knobby
hills all around were a most welcome alternative to another night in the
city.

The temperature dropped after 3 am so we packed up and hiked out: show
mostly over, but for a few blazing down through the windshield as we wove
through sleeping silent Danville.

 a fine birthday morning ;)
    aaron

  ghede@well.com
  http://www.quietamerican.org