Cosmic Connections!
I heard there was going to be a spectacular meteor shower. I telephoned Bill, my friend who ran one of the news bureaus in Los Angeles - API or UPI, or one of those; and asked if he knew the best place to view the meteors. He told me that many Astronomers would be on top of Mt. Fraser. I telephoned many, many friends. I could NOT believe their excuses. One friend was doing the laundry, another was washing her hair, another had menstrual cramps...many more, all really lame excuses. Anyway - I decided, no matter what, I was going, even if it meant going alone!
I packed food and a thermos of coffee and threw my sleeping bag into the trunk of my green Chevy Camero.
My friend, Bill, had given me directions to get there. I left late at night since the meteor shower was not supposed to begin until after Midnight. I got off the freeway, filled up with gas and also had my coffee thermos filled.
I started driving up the mountain. It was total blackness. There were no lights, no houses, no cars coming up or coming down the twisting mountain road. Fear was starting to well inside of me. What if there are bears? What if no one is up at the top like Bill told me there would be? Well, I wanted to see the comets more than I feared the Bears or being alone!
All my life - I have traveled alone...at this time, jussta before I began traveling around the world for 14 years, I did not realize this was my Destiny - to travel alone.
This night, I kept driving up the winding mountain road. Suddenly, my car that had been on a steep incline, was abruptly level. My high-beam headlights shining over the flat parking lot filled with cars, trucks, campers and many people standing by their tripods with their telescopes atop them.
Many people started yelling, "Turn off your lights! Turn off your headlights!" So I did and quickly stopped my car waiting for my eyes to adjust so I would not run over anyone!
I found a place to park in the huge blacktop parking lot at the top of the mountain. I put on my down jacket; and as I walked around the parking lot, I was totally amazed! There were many very large telescopes, along with all sizes of telescopes and so many people! I was not alone after all - and the bears would not get me. Thank heaven, I faced my fear.
I was invited by many to look through their telescopes at the glorious heavenly night sky. There were a few meteors at first, then there were more and more. The night grew colder as necks craned, bent upward at the sparkling stars and meteor trails.
I visited many clusters of astronomers - both amateur, but mostly professional which turned out were from all over the world. What a fabulous unexpected treat this was for me! Many amateurs were actually 'mapping' stars. They showed me their years of log books and data - it was mind boggling. I had no idea amateurs helped professional astronomers like this.
Standing did not work, it was too cold...it was freezing on this mountaintop! I was invited by a large group to join them in a huddle. We all placed our sleeping bags on the ground and huddled together under tons of blankets. Only our eyes peeking out from beneath our wool caps and above the blankets. The heat of all of our bodies huddled together kept us all warm and cozy - total strangers sharing an amazing adventure.
The meteor shower was incredible - beyond words. Hundreds and hundreds of meteors whooshing by - we could HEAR them! I felt as though I could reach out and touch them, they appeared so close. Two or three hours passed in minutes, we were all riveted to the night sky and the cosmic show. I did not fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning as the meteor shower began to subside. I was huddled between a group of college students.
"Hello? Hello?" A young, handsome chiseled face was next to mine as he whispered, "Would you like to see Venus in the morning sky?" I blinked, instantly awake. "Yes, oh yes!" I crawled over several sleeping bodies and stood. He escorted me over to his telescope - handed me a cup of hot, steaming, black coffee and whispered, "look...look how beautiful she is!"
I will never forget Venus in the morning sky. So majestic and awe inspiring. I felt like a grain of sand after the night of watching hundreds, if not thousands of comets blazing through the night - wondering where in the Universe they were racing to so fast. The tiniest grain of sand in this awesome Universe only confirmed an awesome God.
I returned home later that day, after hugging and bidding goodbye to those who shared this amazing journey of the night with me. I couldn't describe the depth of the experience, the joy and the bliss - the amazing people whom I had met to my friends who had so many excuses for not joining me. I told a couple of friends - and especially Bill, who had told me where to find this treasure.
I like to think that Bill and I helped one another. I helped him know he was going to die - and he helped me to find one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
You know...that was the ONLY meteor shower of that magnitude visible in Southern California, with clear visibility that will happen in my lifetime...probably several lifetimes. I am so blessed!
This web site, all pages, text, art images, & photographs are the copyrighted property of Jussta
© Jussta
2000-2008
All Rights Reserved by Jussta