As most of you know I am a Unitarian. I have gone to three Sunday services at various cities down the coast but Oct 22 I found myself at a different sort of service. I was on night watch from 0400 to 0800. A new moon meant that all the stars were visible. Alone in the cockpit, I see the Milky Way as a thin cloud that stretches from the east to the west and wonder at the countless stars that make up our galaxy. Somewhere up there, a bit of space dust hurtling through the universe since time began, flashes a brilliant white streak across the sky that lasts for about 1 second. I am reminded how brief my time here on Earth is, and how miniscule my being, in the vastness of what I see. Let your light shine.

The meteor shower lasts the night and I can see how the earth is turning as the constellations, stand firm as we rotate ever westward. It is a calm night and we are moving slowly under sail which allows me to hear the dolphins breathing as they prance around the boat. The first hint of light commences about an hour before sunrise and the new day slides into my almanac. All is well and I am so grateful for being alive, for being here and for moving forward. What a trip.