I woke up early this morning, at about 2:30, as I find myself doing more frequently these days. I knew that the Perseid Meteor Shower would be peaking soon so I headed out to see if there were any shooting stars.

The frogs were croaking down in the pond. Based on variables like pitch, volume, direction and timing, I guess there were probably about half a dozen adding their commentary on the night. In the distance there were sounds of a skirmish. It sounded like a large cat of some sort had just captured it's dinner. I knew our dog was inside, but I wasn't sure where our cat was. He's an old cat who has survived many scrapes, and although he's getting old, I didn't think he was the likely appetizer.

I walked down the stairs from the deck to get as wide a view of the sky as I could. The Milky Way was faintly visible, and I noted the smaller stars gathered around the familiar "W" of Cassiopeia. I intended to look them up in a star chart later to get a sense of what magnitude of stars could be seen. Looking at some online star charts and trying to remember what I saw in the middle of the night, I'm guessing that I could see things as dim as between magnitude four and five, maybe even a little fainter.

I saw what appeared to be many quick brief dim streaks, I'm guessing they must have been magnitude 5, and were fairly random in direction. I think most likely, it was just my eyes adapting. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything notable. I saw the blinking of a plane cross the sky, and various stars that at first glance appeared to be satellites moving slowly across the sky, but as I looked more closely appeared to be stationary.

As I settled in, waiting to see a shooting star, Jiminy Cricket singing, "When you wish upon a star" came to mind.

When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

My dreams were vague at that hour of the morning. Something about being more creative. I can't say they took clearer shape as I stared at the sky, hoping. But perhaps that is some of it; those long hours, actually, just minutes but they seem so long, as you wait for a shooting star, when you try to find things to think about while waiting.

As you think about your dreams, your secret desires, as you consider the pros and cons, what it would take to make the dreams come true, and the implications it would have, you are perhaps moving closer to making the dreams come true.

I saw a shooting star, whizzing by Cassiopeia. Just one, but it was enough to assure me that my dreams can come true. I thought of waking up Kim. I told her I would wake her up, if there were good shooting stars. But, it had taken a while to see the first one. If the next one came quickly, I would get her up. Otherwise, I would let her sleep.

In the distance, was another noise. It seemed like an owl, only bigger. As I waited for a second shooting star, I thought of Fiona's guitar playing yesterday. I found her a site with easy guitar chords to some of her current favorite popular songs.

It's got mountains
It's got river's
It's got sights to give you shivers
But it sure would be prettier with you

Perhaps that is another part of the magic of sitting up late at night watching shooting stars. It would have been prettier with Kim, but the shooting stars were still to few.

I stayed up to see a second shooting star, and then a third, and finally a fourth. It was spread out over close to an hour. Enough shooting stars to help some dreams come true, but now I'm tired.

Perhaps I'll wake up tonight or tomorrow night and see more, or perhaps it will just wait until the next meteor shower.

When you wish upon a star…