Thanksliving is Thanksgiving!
You've seen this photo before if you've been on my F/L for a while. It's a "composite" I did (I think in 2009) of some of my most memorable sunsets. MOST of them are "winter" sunsets, and I guess I must have a gazillion such photos in my Flickr Photostream, because I LOVE the color of the sky in the winter - - - so clear, cold, breezy, a veritable myriad of color just begging me to "come out and play" with my camera! And I do . . . way too much more than I should, probably.
I have always loved the night sky and particularly so in the winter months. I wait anxiously for the appearance of my "friend" - the constellation Orion (the Hunter) - and am always delighted when it becomes visible in the sky overhead, usually about 10 PM by the time December rolls around.
When I was a little girl, I was a member of the Atlanta Junior Astronomy Club, and one of the "perks" of membership was the ability to "borrow" a telescope for a week at a time. I always waited for winter months to take my turns, mostly because of Orion, but partly because I always kind of hoped I would see the "Bethlehem Star" somehow.
I can remember so many cold nights with the temperature around 30 and dropping . . . all wrapped up in sweaters and gloves and a scarf and hat, sitting under a blanket and watching the stars and moon. I knew the sky - like I knew the back of my hand, actually - and I loved the activity.
Sometimes on Friday nights, we would be privileged to meet at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, where there was a fabulous telescope (for that day) and we could see really well. It was warm and that was nice once in a while, but I really preferred the crisp cold nights and being OUTSIDE!!!
I can also remember years later when we were living out in the country north of Atlanta (one of our first ministerial appointments) and the Northern Lights were actually visible for several nights in a row. It was dark enough in THOSE years to see the Milky Way clearly on winter nights. That area has grown, now, so big and busy that the street lights and security lights all but blot out the sky!!
I remember a December night not all THAT long ago when Terry and Idragged my best friend, Wendy, up to the top of the highest peak in Georgia (a mere "hill" to a lot of you who know, as I do now after all our trips on the Blue Ridge Parkway, what a MOUNTAIN is) to watch for meteors in the annual Geminid shower. We really TRIED to sit out on that mountain,but we were SO cold. We never did see a meteor, but I heard later that it wasn't the show they had predicted.
This year, I'm anticipating the Leonids on November 17th and the Geminids on December 13th. I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy watching winter sunsets and the night sky until I started thinking about how very thankful I am for beautiful sunsets.
So, yes, if you've been wondering, the mystery ends here. Today's gratitude is for the grandeur of the sky under which I live, especially in the colder winter months when EVERYTHING seems to be more vivid and more special to me.
I can also remember years later when we were living out in the country north of Atlanta (one of our first ministerial appointments) and the Northern Lights were actually visible for several nights in a row. It was dark enough in THOSE years to see the Milky Way clearly on winter nights. That area has grown, now, so big and busy that the street lights and security lights all but blot out the sky!!
I remember a December night not all THAT long ago when Terry and Idragged my best friend, Wendy, up to the top of the highest peak in Georgia (a mere "hill" to a lot of you who know, as I do now after all our trips on the Blue Ridge Parkway, what a MOUNTAIN is) to watch for meteors in the annual Geminid shower. We really TRIED to sit out on that mountain,but we were SO cold. We never did see a meteor, but I heard later that it wasn't the show they had predicted.
This year, I'm anticipating the Leonids on November 17th and the Geminids on December 13th. I had almost forgotten how much I enjoy watching winter sunsets and the night sky until I started thinking about how very thankful I am for beautiful sunsets.
So, yes, if you've been wondering, the mystery ends here. Today's gratitude is for the grandeur of the sky under which I live, especially in the colder winter months when EVERYTHING seems to be more vivid and more special to me.
Hope you've had a great weekend . . .
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star . . ."
What wonderful childhood memories! Sitting wrapped up in the cold, watching the stars!
ReplyDeleteNorthern Lights in Georgia!!! When was that?
You may enjoy an entry I wrote a couple of years ago, called Under the Golden Streets
:) I would never have predicted that I would choose such a thing for which to be "thankful", but it just came to me when I sat down to "think". I really really LOVED those nights in the cold . . . oh, and I forgot the "hot chocolate" that always awaited my frozen little person when I *finally* gave up and came in . . . with those cute little marshmallows . . . mother never forgot!
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmm . . . Northern Lights in Georgia . . . let's see - - - it would have had to be winter of either 1979 or 1980 . . . we moved to Alpharetta in June of '79 and moved to Franklin County (the first time - we're back there now) in June of 1981 . . . it was amazing. They weren't spectacular like Susan sees them in Alaska, but it was impressive nonetheless.
I would love to read your post . . . thanks for pointing it out to me. I'm headed there now!
Thanks for checking in with me tonight . . . :)