Generations of Star Gazing and Moon Watching

     My grandpa was Cherokee and he would have been the one who started the night watch for me.  He use to grow acres and acres of planting the freshest vegetables and the biggest watermelons.  He did everything by watching the moon, the night sky, and how the stars were showing, what the next day would bring.  From this generation, my dad has his own theory and beliefs about the night sky.  This is a generational thing for my family.  I have one son, Chris, who lives out in the country with my parents that has a huge, expensive telescope.  I have another son, Brian who has always stayed with me and he had a glow in the dark constellation book when he was very young, and a cheap telescope.
     When I was young, I can remember sitting outside with grandpa late in the evening, watching the sky out in the country.  The wolves would howl on a full moon, and there were plenty of owls back then that let you know they were nearby. My grandpa had many words of wisdom about planting and the moon.  My dad carried on the same traditions but with different aspects.  He mainly enjoyed just star gazing and picking out constellations with the boys.
     As Brian was growing up, with his little glow in the dark constellation book we would get a blanket and lay out in the back yard of the numerous towns we moved to and he would try to find as many as he could.  It was always a special family time for Brian and me.  It was peaceful and it was an everlasting depth to the heavens.  These times are amazing, so if you ever have children or have children it is a wonderful bonding time and talking time.
    If we would hear of something on the news that should be coming through the sky, even if it was a school night, that was our special night.  We would stay up until it was suppose to happen or we would go to sleep and set the clock to go outside to see it.  Sometimes we would see whatever they were talking about , most times we missed it.  One thing was always true that we never tired of it.  It was something special.  I would tell him stories about my grandpa.  We still have superstitions to this day about the full moon. It's like a song that says something about a bad moon on the rise.  A full moon was when everybody was out, when people acted crazy and did crazy things.  It was best to be home on those full moon nights and maybe lay out and just look at the moon.  We had another about the red moon.  It was even more dangerous, especially if it had a low hanging haze around us.  It was like the end of the world.
     As I usually do, I am not talking about the stars as much as the moons, but they were all so beautiful and full of everlasting life.  We would see shooting stars and that would excite my son to make a wish. He is grown now, but he will still be the first to spot a shooting star before any of the family.



           Throughough out our generations of star gazing was also a gathering of family and special times.  Both of my boys have their own theory and opinions about the stars and the heavens but they both have a deep appreciation for the beauty and the wonder.  At my parent's house out in the country, it is especially a spectacular night, along with not only an occasional wolf now, or an owl, but the noisy frogs and other critters of the night that seem to be enjoying the beauty and the sense of peace with a beautiful night sky.  It was so much fun when the boys were younger, but it is still really nice.
     Even if there is not a meteorite show or shooting stars, it does something for the soul to lay out or sit out under the stars and just look at such a heavenly sight.  I have to say again, if you have children or going to this is a wonderful experience and chances are they just might pass it down to their children.  It could turn into a generational happening for your family.