The promise of a meteor shower

As I got back from my walk, I remembered that tonight was the night the Leonid meteor shower. I leaned back against my car and looked into the sky. I scanned the heavens not knowing what area to look. Suddenly in the south eastern sky, I saw a flash and a streak of light fall toward the horizon.

With that, and the promise of more, I hurried into the house, grabbed my Snuggie (my mother-in-law gave me one for my birthday)off the couch, turned off the porch lights and tried not to trip as I went down the steps to the yard.

I dragged an Adirondack chair across the lawn and settled in looking toward the south, but with a clear view of the east. The night was more alive with sound than meteors. Dogs barked and I tried to guess which direction they were coming from and who those barking dogs belonged to. The horses were blowing as they worked on the pile of hay I left for them to eat on this chilly night. Tree frogs in the autumn have a different call than in the summer, sort of a click, click, click but with the resonance of a wooden percussion instrument. I smelled Daisy's foul breath as she came over looking for a scritch on the ears. Time for a cleaning, I think to myself. Gatsby, the clumsier of the dogs, knocks into my knees as he comes looking for his pat on the head. Suddenly the two take off barking after some unseen prey. I wait to see if I hear the crashing through the brush that would mean deer were trying to settle in on the long grass out front. I don't hear it so I think it must be a rabbit or something small and quick.

It is quiet for a moment. I see another flash of light in the sky and a long streak of light falling toward the ground. Not bad, I think to myself, two sightings. I wrap the Snuggie around me tighter, and stretch out my arms to catch two furry dogs heads. They are planted under my hands enjoying a good scratch. In the distance I hear a coyote howl, then another joins in. Soon the whole pack is howling and yipping in a frenzy. They must have caught something for dinner. I continue to pet the dogs hoping they don't decide to join in. Soon it is quiet again. Dewey is running around the pasture. The cold must be making him frisky.

I keep scanning the sky for more meteors.

Nothing.

I am getting chilly and sleepy. The dogs trail along eagerly as go back in the house, like I am the meteor and they are my tail disappearing into the house.