...and all's right with the world!
Every few years or so, something wonderful happens: all five naked-eye planets appear in the evening sky at the same time. You can walk outside after dinner, and without any kind of telescope, see Mercury, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. Now is one of those times. --from "A Gathering of Planets," Science@NASA website (see address below)
With great disappointment, I canceled the You-Niverse: Star Gazing and Spirit Renewal retreat scheduled for March 19-20 for lack of registrations. So many people told me they'd like to come, but...you know...busy schedules took precedence...people thought it would be too cold in March... .
I guess I didn't really know what the facilitator, Dr, Gillian Gabelmann, had to offer for sure when I invited her
to create and facilitate this retreat, but I thought a little looking to the heavens would be entertaining. Little did I know! If I'd only known... .
Gill )pronounced Jill) drove 2 1/2 hours from Great bend, carting her telescope
with her so she and I could do some star gazing on our own. Most of the day was overcast and the weather seemed to threaten rain by evening. We weren't sure we were going to see anything because of clouds after dark. With a hopeful heart, Gill set up the telescope in the yard east of the Main House. While I prepared supper, Gill wandered outside every now and them, checking the sky and weather conditions.
Shortly after seven o'clock. with the light almost gone in the west, Gill and I and a neighbor I invited to join us went out to see what we could see.
Before this experience the sky made no sense to me whatever. I felt fortunate to find the Big Dipper at night. Planets looked like stars. I have seen pictures of constellations in books. But, you know, besides not being able to see those collections of stars in the night sky, the pictures in the books never really looked like dogs or warriors or bulls,
We found Jupiter first, shining brightly in the eastern sky. Through the telescope I could see four of its approximately 16 moons! Wow! Awesome! Then Gill pointed the telescope at Saturn, almost directly overhead. I could see the rings! The planet really does have rings! Patiently waiting for clouds to move along, allowing the planets and stars to shine through, we saw Venus, brazenly showing off her bright light to the west, and in the mix of it all we found Mars, as well.
Then the fun really began! With Gills' guidance, I found the North Star, the Big and Little Dipper, Orion's belt, shoulder, feet and sword (I didn't retain all the names of the stars I saw and many I cannot spell anyway!). I know where to find Gemini, the twins, and I found Pleiades - this is like a "mini dipper." How exciting it was when this group of stars popped into sight as I looked through binoculars for it. Yes, I cold see the grouping through binoculars! I
can do this star gazing on my own! I felt like my three-year old granddaughter when she saw the bighorn" cows for the first time last week. She was jumping up and down, with her hands held high above her head, squealing with joy. I'm not sure I was quite that animated, but I know there were squeals heard 'round the telescope last night!
I'd like to take a moment to credit my granddaughter, Allison, for my increasing ability to see old things anew. Her presence in my life has offered so many, many opportunities for me to look at life again with a childlike sense of wonder.
The three of us talked about how ancient the study of the night sky is. We who live in our brightly lit, "civilized" cities, miss out on so much not being in touch with nature, the sky, the land, the sea, the prairie like the ancient ones were.
Neighbor Nancy and I peppered Gill with questions about the night sky, the planets and stars, about gravity and weightlessness. Gill came eight back at us with answer after answer - in words and descriptions we could understand! Gill's a great - and patient - teacher! The one and only time we stumped her - I don't even remember the question and I'm not sure I could really say we "stumped" her - but after the briefest of pauses she told us the answer was God! God did it! Whatever the question was - God did it! And it made total and delightful sense to us!
The one who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the Earth, the Lord is [that one's] name.
- Amos 5:8 (see also Job8:1-10)Sometime between March 24 and April 2, I encourage you to find a dark place, away from the city lights to look to the heavens and view the incredible light show God has to offer.
Enjoy the five while they're there, so easy to see in the evening sky. It won't happen again until 2008.
--from :"A Gathering of Planets." Science@NASA website (see link below)If you're interested in more information, check out the NASA website below for yourself:
Blessings and peace,
Billie
Ranch Stories
On ocassion I feel called to sit at the computer and share some of the sights, sounds and experiences of the retreat center, the ranch, the prairie, the wildllife, the people in my life. I hope you find these stories meaningful and interesting. Of course, there's nothing like experiencing the tallgrass prairie for yourself!
New Life 3/14/04
3/14/04I am surrounded by new life here at the retreat center. Last week I noticed daffodils poking their heads up through the ground. Today they are all grown up and just waiting in their fullness for the right moment to open their buds to the rich, buttery color of their flowers.
The surprise lilies are surprising me as they, too, poke their heads through the dirt. They are all over along the north side of the back porch. I didn't realize I'd planted so many.
The irises I've been watching all winter are multiplying under the ground. Next to the many I transplanted last fall, there are many more new shoots coming up for air and sunlight.
I am watching and waiting for the arrival of daisies and gladiolas, day lilies and ribbon-grass-from-Maine. There's some orange flower . . . a poppy, maybe that I also moved last fall - still hidden under the millions of oak tree leaves.
The snow and rains have been good to the prairie over the last few weeks. Green vegetation is spreading its life all around the area. Out by the chicken coop, the ground has transformed from winter brown to spring green in only 4 or 5 days. It will soon be time to bring out the mower and edger for the summer - but not yet. Not yet. Now is the time to enjoy the color, to enjoy the spreading new life.
Across the drive from the Main House the are longhorn cattle waiting - waiting to be sol at auction next week, yes, but also waiting a pregnant wait - literally. It's as if they are in the labor room of life, waiting for their calves to be born. Over the last three days I've seen one - no, two! Now 3 and 4! There's 5! Yes, now there are 6 new calves, the last with a still wet umbilical cord. How did I miss the birthing? I was only away from the large kitchen window, my waiting room and observation window for only fifteen to twenty minutes. This little one came quickly. Now I watch it frolic near it's momma. Full of life. Frisky.
After the winter cold, I'm eager to be out and about, frisky myself - well, as frisky as a woman 54, fat and physically unfit can be! :-) At least I know my heart's in good shape!
Blessings, Billie
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Tallgrass Spiritual Retreat Center:
Where Women Find Their Way
1780 Thurman Creek Road
Matfield Green, Kansas 66862
620.753.3465
Rev. Billie Blair, Director
Photo by Marshall Hutchinson
God is in the heavens... 3/20/04
3/20/04
Tallgrass Spiritual Retreat Center
Where Women Find Their Way
