Hot Day and Starry Night

The last couple of days were spent on a family camping trip that we've done before to a small Kansas town. Three campers and one tent provided housing for the four families that were able to come. The weather was HOT, and the large swimming pool was great! This photo shows one of our grandsons jumping/diving from the board. Several other grandchildren are in the photo too.

The grandkids had a great time playing together. They swam, fished, rode bikes, played in the river, caught minnows, cut foot on rock, etc. The bikes are shown in this next photo, and were probably at ease until the kids finished eating, again.

In this part of Kansas, the stars at night are enormously bright. The grandkids stayed awake until it was possible to see one of the cell-phone satellites that have three rotating antennas that reflect the sun's light to the surface of the earth. Before the Iridium flare arrived, we saw several other satellites. However, it was the Iridium Flare with a magnitude of -5 that impressed the grandkids (and Grandma and Grandad!).

One of our children had printed the schedule of the Iridium flares for the latitude/longitude of the park where we camped. So we knew just where to look. Just before the flare occurred we also saw a shooting star pass over the same area of the sky. Double the excitement!

We returned early to KC to attend Mass this morning. Didn't want to take a chance on an unknown Mass at the local Catholic church. Thank you, Lord, for a good family vacation.