wishing on a star...

or several hundred shooting stars, to be precise

They begin to appear on the night of my birthday in July, just one or two shooting stars that those people whose gaze is ever down to earth, fail to notice, and reach their most brilliant display on the night of The Ragazza's on August 12th and we, as a family, like to spend hours lying on garden chairs and gazing at the heavens as our celestial summer fireworks blaze trails across the sky.

The Perseids were first noted around 2000 years ago and they've been returning every year without fail since.

Of course, when I say 'returning' I mean that each summer our planet's orbit takes us through the debris of the comet Swift-Tuttle, some of those flashing streaks of light are the 1000 year old particles of dust that the comet's tail shed as it flashed past on it's way round the universe.

But I prefer to think of the Perseids returning to celebrate the birth of my first child

19 years ago, on August 10th I had gone into labour.
Despite having read every book available on pregnancy and childbirth, even though I had attended every antenatal class in the county of Berkshire and was, by the 9th month, almost knowledgeable enough to be a midwife, and the fact that The Ragazza was over 2 weeks past her due date of July 26th, I still failed to recognise the signs and thought I had a stomach bug .

Which is why, while The Ex slept the peaceful sleep of a man who will never know the lonely insomnia of late pregnancy, I spent the night of August 10th wandering around the hot and humid garden building a series of 'nests' of cushions and duvets in which I rested for 10 minutes or so between contractions before moving on to make another nest in another spot.

And it was on that night, August 10th, 1988, that I first saw the Perseids.
Lying under the old cherry tree, surrounded by the cushions from my 'best sofa' and wrapped in a picnic blanket, I watched in awe as they traced silver and golds streaks across the sky above me. Some were the merest flash of light that could only be glimpsed, phantom-like from the corner of an eye, others left blazing trails that sparkled for seconds before vanishing in a plume of smoke and some exploded in fiery balls.

It was the most amazing night, not just because I was slept outdoors in makeshift gypsy camps around the garden, and not just because my body was busily preparing to deliver my long-awaited firstborn daughter, but because I felt as if the Perseids were exploding if starry spangles to announce the imminent birth of my child.

I have always felt close to the stars!

The next day, as dawn broke, we made our way to the maternity ward.
The Ragazza was finally delivered, forcibly, at 1am on August 12th
It was a very long but star-spangled labour

The Ragazzo arrives tomorrow to make out little threesome complete and we shall, once again, stay up all night to watch the shooting stars and celebrate The Ragazza's birthday.

Passing friends are welcome to come into the courtyard to partake of a glass of fizzy and a slice of the very large mille feuille birthday cake that we have ordered from the cafe in The Market Town and to watch the free firework display with us

And then, on August 13th we will party the night away with our friends, one day late due to the prior committments of people without whom a party here really wouldn't be a party.

So, if you want to see them then I suggest staying up until just before dawn and focusing on Cassiopeia , that's the big W shaped constellation, the Perseids appear to come from Perseus, named after the Greek hero who slayed the Medusa, and he lies just below Queen Cassiopeia in the night sky

Here's the Nasa website for more info

If you want to help the scientists then go to the International Meteor Organization for details of how to record your observations of the Perseids

and don't forget to make some wishes, we all have dreams that should come true