Wow...........Double Wow!! This evening,around 9:30 p.m., I was rounding
the transition ramp to the 405 Freeway, and came upon an incredible
vision. Incredible, because I had never seen the night sky so clear in
the middle of the city. Heading north and looking out toward the Western
sky to my left, was one of the most beautiful Crescent moons I had ever
seen. It was a perfect slice of glistening silver in a sky so cloudless
and pure, that the shadowed part of the face was observed as clearly
defined as a full moon. The gleam of that sliver of moon was perfectly
framed by a large bright white star to the top left, and an equally shiny
but smaller star, punctuating the bottom left arc of the Crescent.

As I was heading North on the freeway, I kept staring at this vision and being
aware that my driver concentration was being compromised, and the sound
of my wheels running over the lane bumps brought me back and forth to my
driver responsibility. I just couldn't help it . What happened to all
that dirty 'orange' L.A.crap that hangs out day and night in the air
like a blurry, dirty dishwater haze? With that kind of atmosphere it's
rare out here to see many clear nights unless you go all the way out to
Palmdale( which is just what stargazers and eclipse watchers do.) The
only other reason for the heavenly clarity is a strong breeze from the
ocean that carries itself, sometimes, on an inland mission. That is
exactly what happened this evening and the likes of which may not show
up til the next century.

I called Luigi, as soon as I got home. He was
attending a conference in Monterey.

"Did you see the moon tonight?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes. It is so much more beautiful up here."

"But it was outstanding down here too. A wind came up and blew the haze away and the sky is perfect!"

"It is so incredible up here as well. I went into Carmel. It is so
beautiful, and very European. I've never seen a town like this yet, in
this country."

"Did you go on the 17 Mile Drive?"

" Awesome. Have you seen those Cypress trees? They were almost extinct when Cabrillo first landed up here. The people that followed liked the trees so much that they were planted all around this area, and are all the way down to Big Sur now."

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it up there with you."

"Yes, you should have come along. When we do come up here again, I'll show you that famous Cypress tree we saw in that movie "Vertigo". Remember that videotape you bought? There's a fence there now, so you can't walk up to the tree any more."

" I should've come with you."

Famous last words. As I sit here alone with my lunar crazed brain, I sign off for the night.

"Au clair de La Lune, mon ami Pierrot.

Prete-moi ta plume, pour ecrire un mot."

Peach