"I saw the International Space Station!"

There's nothing more incredible than to get up in the middle of the night for the sole purpose of star gazing on a clear night. But, to be able to watch as some sees the stars as if for the first time is absolutely magical. A few weeks ago, as I checked the weathernetwork for the weekend forecast, I found that that night was supposed to be clear. It was a good opportunity to go photograph the milkyway. When I let my wife, Naomi, know she jumped at the chance to come with me because she had never seen the milkyway before, apart from pictures. We left the house at midnight, Naomi equipped with a small telescope and a few star charts she had found in a magazine and me with my camera, and we headed for the Thousand Islands National Park in Mallorytown, Ontario. When we got there the skies were as predicted clear with no moon and no wind. It was a peaceful setting with the birds singing in the distance as we walked around the park looking for a place to set up and take in the view as our eyes adjusted to the dark and the stars came to life. "I saw the international space station! and Jupiter! and Mars!" A quote by Naomi when we got home and she tried to contain the excitement she felt by experiencing something so beautiful.