Orion the Hunter
At El Mesteño, fortunately there is minimal light pollution, save for a couple of aerial lights that I can manualy turn off and on at will. On a clear night, with all the lights out, the sky is incredible. At times I’ve seen the Milky Way spread out across the sky much like a creamy, soft frosting evenly smoothed out on a fresh, homemade cake.
This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of entertaining some new guests out at the ranch. As the afternoon drew on, time flew by and it was suddenly dusk. As we continued to visit, darkness fell. The sky was clear. The moon was bright. IT WAS PERFECT! We went LIGHTS OUT for a few minutes. It was so cool!
As we looked up at the clear sky, it’s darkness was pierced by the moon’s almost-full rays. It suddenly occurred to me that I had an app on my phone that helped me identify astronomical features in the heavens. So, I opened it up and handed my phone to my youngest guest, Leah.
Leah was adept at using the app, and we all had a great time as she nagivated the night sky for us. We saw numerous features, including Orion the Hunter, in addition to the International Space Station below the horizion, as mapped out in the app. How cool was that! Technology is such a wonderful tool to learn about our universe!
I dedicate this page to you, Leah. May you always wish upon a star. May you always know that you are a superstar! Keep your eyes on the sky and your prize—the desires of your heart. No dream is too big or too impossible!