Venus Transit

Eight years ago I was living in the high desert managing the gardens at the Children's Museum.  I remember how excited we were to watch the Venus transit because it was one of those events that would happen once in a lifetime.  We set up telescopes and because the sky was almost always clear, we were assured an exceptional show!  During the transit there was a seed art program going on and I made this picture with kids to commemorate the event.

Fast forward EIGHT years!  This last week the second of the two transits that we will see in this lifetime occurred.  Like bookends I looked back and reminisced over the eight years that have been capped by these events.  (I'm like that with astrological events and rare occurrences :-) I am amazed at all that has happened, and now I have my own kids to play with.  That said - the scientist in me was super excited to share this event with my boys.  Needless to say I hyped it up all day.  Miles and I talked about planets, and the sun, and our place in the universe.  You know, you're usual topics of conversation with two year olds.

So when the time arrived we went outside with my welding glasses and...

 

...Michigan delivered with some of your typical lake effect cloudy skies! 

I guess that's ok though, because we did not have a telescope, and the glasses probably weren't the best eye protection.  So - we just had to imagine we were witnessing a historic event.  Instead the highlight of the evening was a visit from Papou.  He had been biking and showed Miles how his bike rack held his bicycle on the back of his car.  This proved to be infinitely more interesting to my mechanically minded two year old than some planet crossing the sun!

Here's to three generations experiencing a beautiful evening outdoors.  I wonder what generation will be around to view the next transit?

(And thanks to technology we sat down and watched this unbelievably beautiful video from NASA and we got to see it for ourselves!)