8 Summer 2017 Applegater
THE STARRY SIDE
Philosophically speaking
BY GREELEY WELLS
My love for the night sky, which came
to me as a child through a grandmother
figure (a story I’ve told before in this
column), is deeply ingrained in me.
Now that I’ve taken up video work, I’m
capturing movies of the moon, clouds,
trees, sometimes a star or planet, sunsets,
and other sky-related images. I’m up at all
hours noticing things; I often suddenly
run outside in the middle of the night
with the camera and tripod in order not
to miss some colorful dance the moon is
doing. These images are finding their way
into my films (see greeleyandfriends.com).
It’s what the unaided eye sees that
fascinates and intrigues me and that I try to
capture in my video images. When I look
at the night sky, I realize that I am looking
at what the whole human race has been
looking at during its entire existence. It’s
hard to explain how connected I feel with
that sense of history and with my fellow
man and woman across time, place, and
culture. I can’t be out in the night without
looking up and feeling that connection.
Looking at the sky, I am sharing the
lifetime of humanity. That warm feeling
of fellowship and commonality with
humanity gives me great joy and peace. I’m
so grateful for that beautiful spread of solar
and cosmic things over our heads at night.
This season
Summer is upon us. As early as April, by
the time I go to bed the Summer Triangle is
Illustration from stellarium.org.
already coming up in the east. It will soon
be the primary celestial object of summer,
merged and mingling with the beautiful
spread of the Milky Way. In the east, the
last rising part of the Summer Triangle is
the bright star, Altar. (I’ve put some lines
on the illustration to help you see what I’m
describing here.)
Stars on either side of Altar make an
almost three-in-a-row, Orion’s beltish
Sign up for Pacifica Summer Day Camps
Give your kids a summer to remember!
Community experts are teaching their
skills and specialties to our youth! Join us
for a wide range of exciting day camps at
Pacifica, 14615 Water Gap Road (2.3 miles
from Highway 238, near Williams).
Each camp runs Monday through
Thursday from 9 am to 2 pm. See dates
below. The cost is $150. Scholarships are
available, as well as discounts for siblings
and for multiple camp sign ups.
Yoga Camp: Playful Practice, June
26 - 29 (ages 6 - 12). Kids, summer, and
yoga: a great combination! Through a
combination of yoga poses, games, themed
craft projects and relaxation time, kids
will be able to strengthen their bodies,
minds, and spirits. Taught by two local
yoga instructors, this camp is sure to
create lasting memories, new friendships,
and a foundation for health and well-
being. Teachers: Clair Highfield RYT, Allee
Gus RYT250.
Classic Camp: A Variety of Fun,
July 10 - 13 (ages 6 - 10). Summer days
filled with arts and crafts, songs, outdoor
games, nature activities, and more! If you
love to create, play, sing, and explore,
this is the perfect camp for you. Join us!
Teachers: Patty Goodin, Leah Markman.
Summer Fun: Sewing Camp, July
17 - 20 (ages 8 - 14). Join us for four days
of fun learning how to sew. Students will
work on basic hand and machine-sewing
skills. There will a number of fun activities
that will help build on these skills, time to
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look. This constellation is Aquila, the eagle.
Just outside the large Summer Triangle is
a smaller triangle composed of Aquila the
eagle, Delphinus the dolphin, and the little
arrow called Sagitta.
T he re are s o ma n y w o n de r fu l
constellations out there—about 80 in
total. This season, one of my favorites is the
dolphin, Delphinus. My love for Delphinus
comes from how “real” it looks and feels.
play outside in the sun, and focus on fun
crafts inside. Teachers: Serene Dussell,
Heidi Carlson.
Theater Camp: Dramatic Adventures,
July 24 - 27 (ages 8 - 18). Young actors
of all skill levels are welcome. Join local
experts in discovering the wonderful
world of the stage! The focus will be on
improvisation, theatre games, and group-
building activities that help support
building self-confidence and collaboration
skills! Shane has over 20 years of experience
working in theatre as a performer, director,
and producer. Teachers: Shane Skinner,
Madeline DeCourcey.
Rock Band Camp: Jammin’, July
31 - August 3 (ages 8 - 14). Students will
learn the mechanics of song writing, live
stage performance, and production, and
write at least one original piece to perform
at the end of camp! Teacher Brian Risling
is a professional educator and musician
with extensive stage experience; Frankie
Hernandez is a professional musician.
Students will view Pacifica’s recording
studio, originally built by Steve Miller, and
record a track there with Grammy-award-
winning engineer Dennis Dragon.
Art Camp: Passion for Paint, August
7 - 10 (ages 8 - 18). Explore yourself and
the world around you through the medium
of paint. Learn the art principles of color,
contrast, mark making, layering, and
incorporating “self,” while being inspired
by nature’s beauty. Set your imagination
free as you play with paint, creating
original drawings, paintings, and creations
Even though it
is only five stars,
it is clearly—to
Greeley Wells
me at least—a
d o l p h i n
jumping over a wave on the surface of the
ocean. Even though I don’t see the ocean,
my mind fills it in. Maybe it’s part of the
Milky Way? Anyway, it’s a constellation
that I always look for and enjoy. I hope
you find in it the same little treat, a little
nighttime gift.
Of note
That brightest of all “stars” in the south
is the planet Jupiter, beyond the arch of
the Big Dipper’s handle. Venus is now a
morning star, a real treat for early risers,
especially when a crescent moon is in the
east, too. Early risers may also be lucky
enough to catch a glimpse of little Mercury
low in the pre-dawn sky.
The modest Delta Aquarid meteor
shower gets as big as it gets on July 28. Your
best chance of seeing it is pre-dawn. The
wonderful, strong, and predictable Perseids
are visible many nights around their peak
on August 12. They are a must-see.
Here’s to clear, dark night skies and
bright stars for you.
Greeley Wells • greeley@greeley.me
(I love hearing from you!)
Note: Don’t miss the total eclipse on Monday,
August 21. For more information, see my
“Starry Side” in the Fall 2016 Applegater.
to take home. Teachers: Mary Collins,
Shauna Sorce.
Creativity Camp: Makin’ Magic,
August 14 - 17 (ages 6 - 14). Bring your
playful spirit for a fun week of creating
from scratch. We will use a variety of
materials, including recycled items, to
make original creations. The possibilities
are endless as we use our imagination, the
inspiration of nature, and the support of
each other to produce daily creations to
keep for ourselves or share with others.
Teachers: Patty Goodin, Mary Collins.
Camp Botanica: Plant Fairies of
Pacifica, August 21 – 24 (ages 5 - 9). Join
Ms. Dandelion for a week of exploring
plants from a fairy’s perspective. If you were
a fairy, how would you use a mullein leaf? If
you were an elf, what plants would you use
as medicine for a bee sting? Plant-related
stories, songs, games, and creative projects
will weave together this playful week.
Teachers: Lauren Kemple, Alexa Trost.
Connecting with Nature Camp:
Ancestral Awareness, August 28 – 31 (ages
6 - 12). Connect with your inner wild
child and learn to walk in balance and
harmony with the living world. Explore
the ponds, creek, and wild areas of Pacifica.
Campers can learn and practice a variety
of primitive and survival skills. This camp
incorporates storytelling, art, games,
and sensory-awareness activities with
ecology, stewardship, and wilderness skills.
Teachers: Shauna Sorce, Vanessa Martinez.
More information: contact Vanessa at
541-621-6278 or vanessa@pacificagarden.org.
