Strangers In The Night

The evenings, in summertime, are a time of respite from the sweltering heat, from the penetrating rays of the sun, from the busyness of the workday, and from the noise of commerce.  As it gets around 10 o'clock at night, most people are home.  There is stillness and quiet.  All is at peace, or so it seems.  I like to go out and walk and look at the stars, listen to podcasts (Right now THIS ONE) and think.  

I was walking and looked up into the northwestern sky, admiring the masterpiece of the stars in an infinite universe and my eye caught this (apologize for the low quality photography):

A few months ago I wouldn't have known what that was.  Now I know, it is - A Starlink Satellite Train.  SpaceX's Starlink is a satellite train that will provide broadband internet access for people across the globe.  That's something else.  Out in rural America, you can look up and see something manmade way up in space.  It sort of reminds me of the movie, "October Sky" about October 4th, 1957 when the Russians launched Sputnik 1 and many Americans looked in the sky to see the 23 inch sphere pass over the earth.  Whether it is Sputnik 1 or Starlink, there's something a little unsettling about something created by human hands in the heavens.  Fortunately, the Starlink train only lasted for a few minutes and then the stars twinkled once more without competition.

Oh, the sights that you can see at night if you look.  I remember the wise men in the Bible following a star in the sky that led them to the Christ Child.  On Thursday night at around 9 PM we were coming back from the Bayou Beekeeping Meeting and as we turned into our driveway, a flurry of wings became visible in my windshield.  Whatever it was, it flew directly up into the branches of the live oak tree that shades our driveway.  I had a feeling I knew what it was.  We were just talking about "wise" men putting satellites in space and the Wise Men following the Star to the Christ Child and now we see the "wise" old owl.  I opened the door and got out my phone and put it on flash.  The owl was returning my attention with a penetrating stare of his own.  Tricia was concerned that he would swoop down and come into the vehicle with us.  He turned his head on a swivel like they do as if to say, "Nope, I'm going to stay right up here."

I remember spending the first night in our home here in 2001.  We didn't have furniture in the house yet, and we all slept on the floor.  I remember hearing an owl hooting right outside our window.  It might have been in the same tree that we spotted this one in 23 years later.  The owl is welcome on our property.  Hopefully, he'll take care of some of the rats out by the barn.  Hopefully, he'll leave our chickens alone.  That reminds me.  I'm going to go close up the hen house.  I don't want "things that go bump in the night" to be our wise old friend bumping into one of our laying hens.

Look up, be watchful, for your redemption draweth nigh...

Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The Lord is his name:  Amos 5:8 KJV