Blessed are the Intrepid, Day 1:
Three Wishes

At some point, as I sat in the vacant astronomy field across the street, the traffic in the parking lot of the public stargazing field of Cherry Spring State Park died down. There was darkness above, yes, but it was blanketed by a murky sheet of heavy overcast. Underneath it was the most active night of the Perseid Meteor Shower I had hoped to photograph, the reason behind my 5 hour drive. I was bummed that the weather didn’t align with my plans. But sulking about matters beyond my control, things like the weather, is a pretty pointless way to spend my emotional energy. I decided to shoot more cloud time lapses… since I was there and set up in that astronomy field. I also had a foolish hope that the clouds would part for a moment, a hope I wouldn’t learn was rewarded long before the hours in the beach chair in the dark.

I’m going to go back in time now, before I got to the curving roads of State Road 44 in Potter County, Pennsylvania. Let’s go back to Luzerne, Pennsylvania, where I had the first food of my epic road trip, Nucleus Raw Food.

I wanted a raw lunch because I had been eating so gluttonously since my summer started, rewarding myself for dealing with a terribly trying summer school assignment. The Chick-a-dilla (the taco with cashew “chicken”) and Nucleus Burger (a raw veggie patty with their special sauce) would sustain me for the long haul, since food options were very limited outside the park.

The winding road north to the park reached pretty high altitudes, making it difficult to hear my music because of the ear pops. But there were pretty views to admire. The Allegheny Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains. Doncha know?

There was this row of abandoned miniature houses I wanted to explore. But it had signs all over it it. And this part of PA is gun-happy.

When I arrived, total overcast. I was sure this would be the only star I’d see…

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And the stars on my dress.

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I got over it and started to set up camp. I had the best campsite at Cherry Spring… or should I say the most private, secluded from the other sites and covered in tall trees. That’s what “the best” means in regard to a campsite. Campsite #1. “Literally.”

Yadda, yadda, yadda. I got out of my dress and got to setting up my site. It was minimal compared to the other campers. I planned to be in the field the entirety of the Night so…

Then some exploration in the hours to kill before twilight.

Then! At sunset, the clouds parted! I was so happy to see some sky and right as the sun was going down. Hope returns.

More yadda’s, I set myself up facing North to look at Perseus… probably a bit too early but the clouds shifting got me very excited. I was first in the public viewing area but got very frustrated with cars pulling in with their headlights blazing. Newbies. I packed everything up and walked across the street where there would be less light interruption.

I haven’t mentioned the moon yet, but whoa lordy! What a bright moon she was. She was pretty high voltage. So high voltage that I only took a few shots of the sky as I waited for darkest night. This was foolish as this time would be the only clear sky I’d get. And it was in the 5 or 6 shots, which were really just settings tests, where I captured the only meteor activity of the night. Two pictures, three clear shooting stars. But I had no idea I had seen them… well, I guess because I didn’t. That is how amazing your camera’s settings are. They can detect so much light, light you don’t notice with your eye. Shooting star #1:

Shooting star #2 & 3. I wish I had taken more pictures! But now I know for next time. And that is life: “Now I know for next time.” Not reincarnation per se, but just from every experiences gleans a little wisdom. And repeat. Or don’t and just sit there.

To follow is some of the tomfoolery I embarked upon alone in the astronomy field for hours. Some time lapses of the clouds and playing with my headlamp. Oh and the thunder in the video was from looking out onto Jamaica Bay, Manhattan in the distance from last week. Ok, I guess I have a thing for clouds too… which makes me hard to disappoint.

Take me to your leader.

When I jumped in front of the long exposure with my headlamp.

With a few more astronomy fields to visit on my trip, I do hope for clear skies and less moon light. Though… that ol’ Sturgeon is coming.