Visitors Expected

November 16, 2001

I was feeling a bit nostalgic last night so I went back and was re-reading my entry about Windows on Another Time. At the end of the entry I stopped and looked at the face smiling out at me.

It seemed the appropriate thing to do, and I, never the impulsive one, quickly switched to Hotmail and typed a message to the one who has "star" in her name. I hit the little send button, and thought, uh oh, what have I done.

But then I thought about it and remembered when her sister had walked into the den the other night. After looking at the computer screen, took out a pen and wrote www.nsrider.com on her hand.

"Just for future reference" she said. "I've forgotten the address, but I could find it any time I really wanted to."

Uh huh.

She had discovered this diary several years ago but had promised not to come here and read. So when I watched her write the address on her hand, I kind of knew that it was about time for another visitor.

A pi-Puppid you ask. Well, Yes, them, but not exclusively. This is the weekend after all, and somehow it all seems to all flow together, the E-mail, the Puppids and stars and all.

Not wanting the Marsupial smuggler and her brother to get all the glory, I thought that perhaps one of my children has had a little less play here lately. I'ts a little early for snow and the ski team, and I have yet to write about the robots.

Soon she will be off to college, and the house will grow even more quiet as only the boy will be left at home.

Yes, it is that time of year again. School dances, homecoming, and visitors in the night sky.

I've written about them before, the pi-Puppids et al, and in part two of that entry, Ms. Smuggler calls in from campus.

Well, tonight (Saturday, November 17 - ok it's really going to be EARLY Sunday Morning on the 18th) the visitors come back. The prediction is for a storm, and not a shower, so if your sky is going to be clear, and you live in North America, drag yourself out of bed just before dawn and look up.

It is predicted that you will get to see upwards of 60 to 70 meteors burn up in the atmosphere per minute - between 3 and 4 thousand for an hour.

If you happen to live in Australia, the show is supposed to be even better, as the earth passes through the second band of cosmic dust while North America basks in the light of day.

And for my newest visitor, Bean, glad to have you. That's your sister's dress from last weekend's special event

Doesn't she look great?.

For specific info on when and where to look up, check out this NASA site.