My neighbor called me about 6:45 and asked “Are you interested in northern lights?”  Silly question.  Then he sent this picture he took of my house!

I was out the door so fast!!!  This isn’t what I could see as I stepped out but it’s what my camera saw.  OMG!!!

I decided to get out of my tight neighborhood and headed for a dark stretch of road not far from town.  Again, I was surprised that all I could see was vague red fog with a tinge of green.  But I got out the cell phone and wow! You’ve gotta hold the camera REAL STILL to take a shot. Got the big dipper showing off in this third one!

I wonder now how many times I’ve missed the auroras because I didn’t know a camera was necessary.  In the late 90s I drove up to Alaska, and somewhere in the Northwest Territories, just before bed, the horizon began to glow green.  I’d been told that was an indicator of better lights to come.  And when they came I could see them plainly.  Though I had a camera tucked away somewhere, there were no cell phones yet, and the green curtains waved to me as clear and bright as could be. 

A year ago there was an aurora prediction so I drove out and parked at a local cemetery, a lovely dark, spooky place, hoping to be awed by pulsing colors.  The lights never came.  Thinking back, I saw pale lights in the distance, looking like city lights miles away, and now I realize it was auroras, but had never heard of using my camera.  Don’t know how I’ve missed that trick all these years.

Silly me, I didn’t think to take a video, to see if that waving and stretching was happening with these colors.  I’ll pay more attention now what I understand the game. 

It sounds like all of you, in all 50 states, saw some kind of northern lights.  Wasn’t that a treat?!? They showed off a bit on Wednesday but not with the same vigor.  With the next prediction we can all be ready for more dazzling memories.  Our cells are always handy these days 😊