More than one person said they thought UFOs were descending on Columbus Thursday night when they saw the Chinese lanterns wafting their way north along Highway 45.
Shortly before 6, as a prelude to what I hope will be the first of many Christmas tree bonfires, those waiting on the old 82 bridge were allowed to light and launch about two dozen fire-powered paper lanterns.
It was a breezy evening, breezy enough that once aloft, the glowing orbs (other than the three or four that got hung up in trees) were quickly borne away. We earthlings down below watched their ascent with wonder and delight.
A quick Internet search yields a listing for “Sky Lanterns.” A 12-pack runs about $30. The lanterns are made with fire-retardant, biodegradable “material” and are three feet tall and about a foot and a half in diameter. Basically, these are “small, translucent hot-air balloons,” the seller claims. A “fantastic wedding sparkler alternative.”
Thanks to Wesley Platt for providing the lanterns — Wesley had used them at a New Year’s Eve celebration and a birthday party for his mother (my Aunt Joanne). Technically, they are Chinese wishing lanterns, Wesley told me.
The bonfire was deemed a success by those I spoke with. Most seemed pleasantly surprised by the turn-out in the sub-freezing air. Councilman and DJ Bill Gavin played some tunes; maybe next year Bill can go with an all-fire playlist, e.g. Jerry Lee’s “Great Balls of Fire,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Marshall Tucker Band’s “Fire on the Mountain.”
Thanks to Nancy Carpenter of the CVB, who provided hot chocolate and coffee, and the Mayor’s Youth Council who helped serve the warm drinks and whose presence helped boost the enthusiasm level several notches.
We left a bit after 7 and went to get something to eat. Afterwards, around 8:30, Beth dropped me off at the bridge. Everyone had gone except a couple of young men, who were standing around the still burning fire solving the world’s problems. I joined them at a respectful distance, feeling the primal sense of well-being that comes with standing next to a blazing fire on a cold night.
The following evening about 60 hardy souls — 30 of them MSMS students — showed up at Harry Sherman’s Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center to hear David Teske of French Camp’s Rainwater Observatory talk about the heavens.
Astronomer Teske claims to be an amateur and asked the crowd if anyone could define the word — it comes from the Latin “amare,” meaning “to love.” He gave us all sky maps (available free at skymaps.com) and then offered the following:
— The Rainwater Observatory is the largest in the Southeast and offers a program free to the public on the second Friday of every month.
— Astronomy is the oldest science.
— There are 88 constellations in the heavens. Most were named by the Greeks for mythological characters. The stars were a way of keeping track of stories.
— The red star that is the left shoulder of Orion, the most easily recognizable constellation, is Betelgeuse. The name is Arabic, “the hand of Orion,” and was the inspiration for the title of the 1988 film Beetlejuice.
— The belt of Orion points to Sirius, the Dog Star, the brightest star in the Earth’s night sky.
— Not to worry, the sun will last 5 billion more years.
— The craters in the moon’s surface are the result of collisions with asteroids, from microscopic to 200 miles in diameter.
After Teske’s presentation we wandered outside and squinted through telescopes. After looking at a nebula that makes up part of Orion’s sword, I went back inside and checked out the snakes in the nature display, read a little bit about the Choctaw Chief Pushmataha and warmed my hands by the fire. This entire facility is first-rate, a wonderful resource for the area.
As I was leaving, I told Harry and PBEC Director Dave Haffly good night. Harry asked if I’d seen the new trail maps. I had one in my bag.
Making my way out among students waiting for their turn at the telescope, it occurred to me we were doing something man has been doing since he’s been walking upright — gazing upward at the night sky, uncomprehending, yet full of wonder.
Birney Imes III is the immediate past publisher of The Dispatch.
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