None. Not one.

'Course, I forgot all about the Leonids peaking this evening until 21:45, a good hour after the best show was supposed to go streaking through our atmosphere. And when I went outside...

Clouds. Covering at least 75-80 percent of the sky.

Craaap.

Stuck around in the back yard for a few minutes, and then decided to head out. The refinery sometimes puts out enough steam to give the town our own special cloud bank.

By ten o'clock I was parked at the kiosk four miles north of town. The town and refinery a thin sliver of lights to the south, and otherwise I was in darkness.

And under clouds.

Craaap.

By ten-oh-five I was being checked out by a deputy sheriff.

Yes, really.

He was polite enough, asking what I was doing out here alone, in the middle of nowhere. And didn't ask for any identity papers, or anything.

I recognized him, but not being in uniform, or the outfit's truck, I'm pretty sure he didn't recognize me.

Hence the pause for a minute or two after he pulled away, but before re-entering the highway. Presumably running a 28 on my plate.

Guess we don't have any outstanding parking tickets or warrants, because he went on his way to the river, where the high school kids like to host their keggers and bonfires.

Ten minutes later, he was passing again, headed back to town.

By ten-twenty, the sky was half bare of clouds, the Milky Way a gentle smear across the dark gap.

My hopes were up. I wanted just one Leonid falling star to make my night.

I didn't get it.

Not even one.

But hey, not all is disappointment. On an idle whim, I slipped in to check out the Old Faithful webcam this afternoon. After weeks of ignoring the site. And just happened to catch Plume geyser in the middle of an eruption

Cool.