These hot summer days have brought back some childhood memories. When we were kids, my two brothers and I slept in an unfinished and uninsulated attic. There was maybe 12 inches of space for me to walk between my brothers’ two small beds to get to my bed which was under a small window. When it snowed in the winter, I would usually get a skiff of snow on my bed.
In the summer, however, this attic was like an oven. It wasn’t fit for man nor beast! Therefore, we spent most summer nights sleeping outside under the stars. I loved it! I loved to watch the Big Dipper circle around the North Star. I loved to gaze at the Milky Way. This was a great time and place to contemplate how big and how awesome the universe is. It was also a great time and place to talk to God.
The old house is still standing. The top picture was taken in 1958. My younger brother, Brett, and I are standing next to our 1950 Plymouth. You can see the small attic window that I slept under. I took the lower picture a few weeks ago. The entry and bathroom are now being used to house chickens. I climbed the ladder to the attic and was amazed at how small it is.
I no longer enjoy sleeping on the hard ground – but I still enjoy spending time under the stars. It is just as special and awesome today as it was when I was a kid.
Dark Sky Community… Most people who live in town or close to neighbors seldom get to see the true beauty of nighttime skies. The same is true in rural areas with outside lighting. There is too much artificial light pollution. For this reason, a few towns and municipalities are creating Dark Sky Communities.
In a Dark Sky Community, no artificial lighting can be shining up or out. It must be shining downward only. This makes a huge difference when looking at the stars. The adjoining towns of Silver Cliff and Westcliffe, which are near our mountain cabin, have become the first Dark Sky Communities in Colorado.