To All the Wishes Made

So I am sure many of you have heard about the spectacular meteor shower that the Northern Hemisphere is treated with at this time of year. This is known as the Perseid meteor shower, and it occurs every year in the warm late summer month of August.

Now, I am not even going to pretend that I understand or know a lot about astronomy and the Wonders of the Universe, in fact it hurts my brain to ponder the universe for too long. Needless to say, I am not one to miss such a breathtaking show, and this year we were blessed with a clear sky here in rural Dumfries and Galloway. After getting home from agility training on Wednesday evening on the 12th of August, I took advantage of a warm(ish) clear night and sat out on our front steps at 11 pm. Snuggled up in my cosy dressing gown, flip flops on, and one of my dogs, Red, for company, I sat, gazed up....and waited.

The sky was strikingly clear, and the stars seemed to hang closer to the Earth, I felt as if I was enveloped by the vast starlit sky. I was already spellbound by the night sky, even though I had not yet caught sight of a meteor. A slight chill began to wrap around me, but I was not deterred. I reveled in the stillness, the quietness, the fresh air. It was dark, and almost eerily quiet, but I felt as safe and as content as can be.

Red's ears perked up. He heard some movement among the edge of our front garden. Rustling, and snuffling noses could be heard in the stillness. A little hedgehog had decided to join us in our stargazing. I went to investigate to make sure the little fella was ok. He was happily foraging around the rather untidy areas of our garden (all for wildlife!). We had let weeds grow rather messily, and have logs lying around drying. Perfect for our gorgeous prickly residents. I named the hedgehog Star.

Satisfied that Star was in good spirits, Red and I resumed our seating arrangements. The silence was now broken by the rustling of Star, and then the call of a tawny owl, which sounded as if it came from Blackwood estate just across the river. This was turning out to be a magical night. I was elated. I continued to raise my head to the sky and low and behold, a meteor traced across the sky. My eyes went wide in wonder, child-like. And yes, I made a wish, for in my innocence I still like to call them shooting stars. My wish drifted and rose up in to the Universe. Red missed this meteor as he was still rather preoccupied with our hedgehog friend. He did however see one fall from he sky in front of our eyes as it dipped behind the hills at Blackwood estate. He gazed up, intrigued and perhaps a little confused. Another wish was made.

We were then blessed with a stunning show of stars crossing the sky in all directions. By the time it reached midnight, my toes were getting rather numb. I know, I should have put socks on but I did not want to miss such a natural display. With sleep beginning to make my eyes heavy and my toes threatening to fall off, I decided it was time to make our way back inside. For that hour of stargazing I counted fifteen meteors. I am sure I missed many too, but I was over the moon with seeing so many. A lot of wishes were made that night, and I am sure many other wishes have been sent up to the stars over the past few days during this breathtaking shower of shooting stars.

Here is to All of Our Wishes Coming True.