© LJR 2026
STAR PARTY AT JAMESON LAKE
The days are hot at this secluded lake
Water the deep green of velvety moss
It sits beneath chocolate layer cake cliffs
Hidden in a coulee formed by lava and floods
An oasis for waterfowl and water-lovers alike
Uphill from the lake sits a gravel parking lot
Where our temporary village waits for day’s end
We huddle in shade cast by campers, canopies, and tents
Watching osprey circling in the thermal updrafts
Listening to local coyotes bid farewell to the day
Hoping all the while for clear, dark skies overhead
Not more thunderstorms, lightning, or wildfire smoke
At long last, the wait, and the heat, are over
The sun departs, dropping behind the cliffs
Revealing bright Venus shining in the west
Slowly Arcturus, Ursa Major, and the Summer Triangle emerge
And throughout our gathering a sprinkle of red lights appear
Signaling astronomers busy with their charts and scopes
While I am content to settle back in my lounger
Reacquainting myself with my favorite constellations
Using binoculars to spot Andromeda or maybe M13
Or perhaps just eye-feasting on the innumerable stars
Or that pathway of light we all know as the Milky Way.
*****
