September Tomes Perseid Meteor Shower

Parson Tom’s Tomes

In August the Persied Meteor Shower visits the earth and usually hits about the 12^th of the month, which is also the birthday of my wife, Pat. The Meteors are the debris from the Comet, Swift- Tuttle, which last visited in 1992 and will visit again in 2126, as opposed to orbiting Jupiter every 11 years. The debris is hurling through space and is warmed up by our sun which melts the ice and then when it enters the earth atmosphere the small rocks burn up in the atmosphere as they fall in the gravity. For years Pat and I celebrate her birthday by looking for the meteors- on good years 50 to 60 an hour fall. Last year on the Blue Ridge Parkway with the clear darken sky it was perfect. This year Pat, Yoda and I walked down to the Chicahauk crossing on the beach but because of the ambient light from the Hilton Gardens and spotty clouds we saw only about 20 between 3:00 and 4:00 AM. We are in awe that we are hurtling through space on this large piece of frozen rock and fire we call the earth and have a rendezvous each year with other parts of the Galaxy. How we are all connected in the mind of God!

not our picture

Pat wrote a poem this year which I want to share with you.

Waiting for Stars to Fall.

My annual birthday Shower in the sky

Swift-Tuttle of days gone by

Passing through on the way to Infinity

leaving behind lighted trails

Traced in the blue/black sky.

Sitting by the end of the world

on a bench overlooking the sea

Waves crashing mid-ocean

ker--thunking on the beach below

Wind kissing my face

ever so sweet

with ocean mist and spray

Loved ones beside me on either side

                Warm skin – warm fur!

Celebrating 76 years

of life on earth.

Waiting for stars to fall

in the fullness of this night

Time – but a drop in this bucket of

                water and sky and earth and wind-

But blessed by the

spectacle of stars falling.

August 12/13 2013

Shalom