Satellite......

Hello all. When I first arrived here, I marveled at the night sky and how many stars and shooting stars you could see. My Ukrainian P.S.D. (personal security detail) bodyguard mentioned that he had seen a satelite. I remembered back in the States, that I had heard on the radio, a story about viewing the International Space Station. I looked up the site and found the nearest city. NASAs website tells you exactly when and where to look for the space station according to where you live.

When I did it at home, we all went out on the back deck and watched and exactly at the given time and exactly in that direction.....POP. there it came!! We watched it cross the evening sky above us and we all marveled at the technology that was above us and also the mathematics and technology that allowed us to view it at the correct time.

Anyway, I told my Ukrainian friend about this so when he started his early morning shift, I left him a note to wake me at 5:30a.m. because the viewing from baghdad was supposed to occur exactly at 5:58a.m. . We went out around quarter till 6 and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The MILKY WAY!!!!! I mean aside from the satelite thing, I could see what seemed to be every star in the Universe!! I was astounded. I have always wanted to see a night sky like that because I've heard so many others talk about how amazing it was. Now I"M one of those people!

So my friend and I counted down the minutes till the viewing.....pointing out different stars and talking in the dark.. It's moments like this that I came here for. Talking to a guy from halfway across the world in the middle of a desert in a wartorn country about a combined effort satelite that we were about to see. Life is incredible. At 5:58a.m. we both scanned the night sky and then ***** said "Oh!!!!! LOOK!" and there it was, just like before. We stood in silence and watched it go over...... Life is Good..