PERSEID METEORS 2010 - A PERSONAL VIEW

After two years of milk toast meteor displays, star gazers were more than primed for a good show in 2010.  The Valley of Fire had fizzled out in 2009 so we headed the opposite direction to Sandy Valley located over the hills just southeast of Jean, Nevada.  It was a gamble but coming from the gambling mecca of the west, Las Vegas, this was one bet we were willing to make.

It was a moonless sky, a great backdrop for meteor streakers, but not so great for driving.  Accompanied by friend and cohort in the 2009 blow out, Terese, we turned of the I-15 from Jean onto a two lane road headed toward the Sandy Valley turn off.  Even under high beams the road was only visible a short distance ahead, rabbits and other night critters skittered across the road sometimes held statuesque in a frozen stare as they beamed back at the headlights. Out of the pitch a small sign pointed toward Sandy Valley and onto a gravel road that sidewinded ever upward into the hills.  Engulfed on each side by Mesquite bushes that cast hobo like shadows onto the road, we moved slowly until we arrived at a fork in the road... no directional sign!   We had come too far to turn back and turning around would be a feat.  Neither route looked promising.  We opted to the right.  Soon our gravel trail turned into a blend of sand and soft dirt.  The car lost traction and nothing but dark contours lay ahead.  Now it was a matter of backtracking, only in the dark, every opening looked like the turn off back to our original fork faux pas.  As I assured my trusting friend all was well, I sent up a little prayer and hoped she could not hear my heart's drumming.  Fortunately she was an excellent navigator and recognized landmarks that quickly returned us to our correct course.  We journeyed on, rounding every bend with baited anticipation only to find yet another curve ahead.  Up, up, up we climbed until a halo appeared over the hill.  As we reached the summit, there below spread out like a golden fleece was Sandy Valley.  The lights of the town sparkled against the dark earth competing with a spread of stars overhead that seemed close enough to reach up and touch.











We found a dirt turn off at the top of the hill and found obscurity behind some high mounds of dirt.  There we set up blankets on the hood of the car, snacks in the middle and pillows...the angle was perfect for lying back to take in views from any direction.  The air temp ideal.  We started chatting as girls do when suddenly a bright meteor cut in front of us as if saying, "heads up girls, the show is about to begin!"  From that moment on our eyes were glued to the sky counting down all the meteors… some were so brilliant that the otherwise great ones seemed to pale by comparison.  Pleas for 'just one more really good one' rose to the heavens.  And when one appeared.  The refrain was the same...'just one more..."  

As dawn broke we headed down the hill, a much faster retreat by daylight.  Thoroughly satisfied with the star studded presentation, we were met with an equally dazzling start to the new day as the sun crested the eastern sky silhouetting the mountains ahead.  

There is only one way to accurately describe it all...

The heavens declare the glory of God,
the skies proclaims the work of His hands
day after day they pour forth speech
night after night they display knowledge

There is no language or speech
where their voice is not heard
Their voice goes out into all the earth
their words to the end of the world.

In the heavens He pitches a tent for the sun
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavillion
like a champion rejoicing to run its course
nothing is hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:1-6