Leonids Meteor Shower ...SCAREY......Animals? and Shabbat Preparation

Preparation day link up #1

Leonids Meteor Shower as seen from Joshua Tree National Park in 2001. Image Credit: Wally Pacholka / AstroPics.com.

Shalom all,
well last night at the last minute my son and I took the two little dogs and went out and attempted to sleep in the RV so that after 2:00 am we could drive off away from the city lights and view the Leonid meteor shower. This was not a huge meteor shower this year but we love watching anyway. Leonids is visible every year at about this point in November. It happens as the earth passes through the dust left by the comet Temple-Tuttle, the meteors are actually pieces of this dust which show up to us as shooting stars. ( my simplistic explanation) this year was a year that they only expected 15-20 meteors an hour, where as some years you can have thousands. We drove out to a dirt road in the Arizona desert and put on our coats, and the doggies coats, set up our chairs.
Laying down would actually be ideal in viewing meteor showers but just wasn't something we were prepared for at last minute. I am not sure we saw even 15 an hour but we did see some beautiful ones that were bright and very close to the ground that my son said were absolutely worth staying up for, I agree. Leo itself is close to the ground at this time and the shower appears to be moving away from Leo. The highlight of the morning...at around 4:30 am as we sat there shivering I heard a very strange animal call, funny my first thought was ....that sounds like a rhino,..... really? a rhino in the Arizona desert...no I did not think that it was actually a rhino, that is just what the sound reminded me of (not even sure if I have a clue what a rhino sounds like). Anyway  we heard the sound again, loud and close and I told my son come on, run, and we ran inside the RV. Just as I got inside the RV I realized what the funny sound was...yes ladies and gentleman here is the scariest animal in the Arizona desert......A donkey. Yes that's right I ran scared like a baby because of the braying of a wild donkey. As my son says...Scary donkey! yeah go ahead and laugh at me I don't mind, it is actually really hilarious. Donkeys are so adorable, stubborn (hmm maybe that's why I like them) but adorable. Unfortunately we could not see them in the dark but they were out there, lurking, waiting to pounce the moment I let my guard down. From that point on we stayed inside the RV and were able to lay down on my bed and watch through the window. Sometime after 5:00 am we were done and we drove to the gas station and bought danish and hot drinks, pulled back into the driveway, plugged in so we could have heat (still have the propane issue) and went to sleep. I woke up at 9:00 am but I am thinking I am not fully ready for the day and will go take a nap before I start my Sabbath preparations, which will include today the grocery store, and some cleaning of the house which I will complete tomorrow. Our Sabbath meal will be simple this week, salmon, baked carnival squash, brown rice and challah, but this is actually a treat for us as we eat very little meat including fish. We will have bagels for breakfast. I will also prepare a salad for Sabbath day and we will eat that with fruit  and cheese along with challah in the afternoon. Simple foods that do not need tons of preparation make for a tired mommies easy Sabbath. You will find this is my theme, simplicity, it's not brain surgery it's worship.... of Him, setting aside our time to make it His time. This Shabbat I think rest is definitely needed so we will rest in Him and study His Torah.
But what a blessing to observe Hashem's awesome creation, we truly are so small in comparison to His great and awesome Heavens!

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
(Psa 8:3-4)

שלום ואהבה ישוע