A Head In The Clouds

(Published in the Janesville Messenger, 8-30-2015)

"The sky is an infinite movie to me. I never get tired of looking at what's happening up there.”

-k. d. lang

When this year's Perseid meteor shower was at its peak, my son Rob and I drove to the countryside, away from the lights of the city. Atop a blanket thrown onto his car, we lay on our backs, scanning the heavens. It reminded me of going to a drive-in theater in the days of my youth, but no outdoor screen ever compared to the vast canvas we were viewing. The Milky Way we were enjoying didn't come from the snack bar.

Unlike your typical B-movie fare, there wasn't a lot of action. The only thing resembling drama was when the odd motorist's headlights found us and wondered why two guys were parked on the shoulder looking at the sky. But our patience was rewarded with three bright meteors and a bonus glimpse of the International Space Station when we were alerted via text message that it was coming into view. Another memory came with it, from about 40 years ago, of a night when my father and I watched the skies over our farm to see Skylab orbiting overhead.

The Perseids aside, this summer has been an amazing one to look at the skies, through fair weather or foul. We've seen double rainbows, incredible lightning shows, and hazy sunsets dimmed by Canadian wildfires. When my wife and I take our regular evening walks, the setting sun always seems to create a new shade of pink, purple or orange shining brightly as we look down the railroad tracks to see the western horizon. And the cloud formations we saw during a stormy evening trip to central Illinois were like something out of a Hubble Telescope photo.

Some Wisconsinites have even been fortunate enough to see the Aurora Borealis this year. I have only seen the Aurora once, but like a major historical event, I will never forget where I was when it happened. Unfortunately, it was in the days before smartphones so I couldn't capture the moment, but the mental picture I took remains clear and unpixelated.

My renewed appreciation for the cosmos may have been spurred several years ago when my son and I camped with the Boy Scouts in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. In the middle of our first night, I ventured out of our tent to answer nature's call. The number of stars in that crystal clear sky, far from any hint of light pollution, absolutely floored me. It was easy to believe Carl Sagan's assertion that there were billions and billions. After a few moments of standing and staring in amazement, it finally occurred to me that I had better get about my business before a bear or cougar spoiled my stargazing.

That same trip also treated me to the most wondrous sunrise I ever witnessed. Our guide had us get up early and hike to the top of a mesa, where eight of us silently watched the day begin as the miles and miles of New Mexico before us emerged from darkness. I am not ashamed to admit that the beauty of it made me weep.

Funny how in a world filled with just about any amazing thing you can think of, sometimes the simplest pleasures are the most satisfying. We look at our computer screens, we look at our televisions, we look down at our phones. Too often, we forget to look up and see the wonders above us.