Out There?
©2009 by LeeZard
Hang on to your antennae; LeeZard is going UFO. I wasn’t going to write about this but then I saw a story in the Seattle Times, “Crop circles lure visitors to Wilbur, Wash.” (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009651729_cropcircle13m.html) and I had to hit the keyboard.
I don’t want to get into the crop circle debate but it brought to mind something LeeZard observed last week in the sky over Lake Kathleen in unincorporated King County, WA. Wende (TWBGF!) lives on a beautiful 1.25-acre property along the shores of Lake Kathleen and, as we often do on clear summer nights, we were sitting on the deck enjoying our after-dinner lattes and cigars. When I’m away from urban light pollution, I like to gaze at the night sky and look for shooting stars or man-made satellites. Sometimes, I just stare and wonder what/who is out there? For LeeZard, it is a calming and humbling experience.
I was lying stretched out on the wicker couch with my head in Wende’s lap (aaaahhhhh) when I noticed something odd. “Wende,” I said, “check this out.”
Above us and to the west there was a point of light – that’s the only way to describe it – moving south-to-north and it struck me as odd in a couple of ways. Firstly, it appeared to be moving at a great rate of speed and, it was at a very, very high altitude. Wende, who is well-versed on all things aviation, observed, “it’s probably a military flight.”
“Hmmm,” said I, “with my limited expertise, that’s still awfully high up for military.” And, for the moment, that was that.
(NOTE: The photo to the right is NOT an accurate representation of what I saw but, it is close. The point of light I saw was not quite as bright)
A few moments later, though, it was back, this time retracing its flight from north-to-south. I again called it to Wende’s attention and we both watched until it disappeared in the distance. “I’m no expert,” I said, ‘but that’s no military flight pattern I’ve heard of.”
TWBGF nodded in agreement and went into the house for something. But, LeeZard was now entranced. I stayed outside and continued to lay on the couch staring upward. About ten minutes later it reappeared behind me and to the east but again flying north-to-south. Sure enough, a few moments later, it retraced its route south-to-north. YOIKS!
Now, every star in the sky was beginning to move (in my mind’s eye) as I waited for what I was certain would be another viewing. I blinked a few times to clear my brain and waited – and waited. “Wende!” I shouted. “Come out here, NOW!!”
For a third time, the point of light appeared overhead, flying its original path to the west, north-to-south and, a bit later, south-to-north. Then it disappeared, apparently for the last time; I waited another half-hour with no more sightings.
This morning, as I was writing this, I called Wende and asked her how she would characterize what we saw. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I just don’t know. I want to say it was erratic bit it wasn’t; it was flying a deliberate pattern. It was too high for a plane. It was just….this high flying….light.”
I didn’t even consider calling any “official” agency to report what we saw; we all know how that ends up. But, I still wonder. What was it? Who/what is out there?
Hang on to your antennae; LeeZard is going UFO. I wasn’t going to write about this but then I saw a story in the Seattle Times, “Crop circles lure visitors to Wilbur, Wash.” (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009651729_cropcircle13m.html) and I had to hit the keyboard.I don’t want to get into the crop circle debate but it brought to mind something LeeZard observed last week in the sky over Lake Kathleen in unincorporated King County, WA. Wende (TWBGF!) lives on a beautiful 1.25-acre property along the shores of Lake Kathleen and, as we often do on clear summer nights, we were sitting on the deck enjoying our after-dinner lattes and cigars. When I’m away from urban light pollution, I like to gaze at the night sky and look for shooting stars or man-made satellites. Sometimes, I just stare and wonder what/who is out there? For LeeZard, it is a calming and humbling experience.
I was lying stretched out on the wicker couch with my head in Wende’s lap (aaaahhhhh) when I noticed something odd. “Wende,” I said, “check this out.”
Above us and to the west there was a point of light – that’s the only way to describe it – moving south-to-north and it struck me as odd in a couple of ways. Firstly, it appeared to be moving at a great rate of speed and, it was at a very, very high altitude. Wende, who is well-versed on all things aviation, observed, “it’s probably a military flight.”
“Hmmm,” said I, “with my limited expertise, that’s still awfully high up for military.” And, for the moment, that was that.
(NOTE: The photo to the right is NOT an accurate representation of what I saw but, it is close. The point of light I saw was not quite as bright)
A few moments later, though, it was back, this time retracing its flight from north-to-south. I again called it to Wende’s attention and we both watched until it disappeared in the distance. “I’m no expert,” I said, ‘but that’s no military flight pattern I’ve heard of.”
TWBGF nodded in agreement and went into the house for something. But, LeeZard was now entranced. I stayed outside and continued to lay on the couch staring upward. About ten minutes later it reappeared behind me and to the east but again flying north-to-south. Sure enough, a few moments later, it retraced its route south-to-north. YOIKS!
Now, every star in the sky was beginning to move (in my mind’s eye) as I waited for what I was certain would be another viewing. I blinked a few times to clear my brain and waited – and waited. “Wende!” I shouted. “Come out here, NOW!!”
For a third time, the point of light appeared overhead, flying its original path to the west, north-to-south and, a bit later, south-to-north. Then it disappeared, apparently for the last time; I waited another half-hour with no more sightings.
This morning, as I was writing this, I called Wende and asked her how she would characterize what we saw. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “I just don’t know. I want to say it was erratic bit it wasn’t; it was flying a deliberate pattern. It was too high for a plane. It was just….this high flying….light.”
I didn’t even consider calling any “official” agency to report what we saw; we all know how that ends up. But, I still wonder. What was it? Who/what is out there?
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