Orion and Charlie
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2015 12:08 pm
As we all know, Charlie had a way with words. Some of us could get annoyed with "bull-squeezins" and the like. Others slightly irritated with "the interwebs" and what not. But when Charlie spoke about astronomy, stars, constellations, it was...
It was almost like a slightly thwarted lover trying to get back in the good graces of his object of affection. It was romantic. I remember once him talking about Orion first appearing in the morning sky in the late summer. It was part anticipation of the return of a friend, part surrender to the coming of fall and then winter.
Since then every year I find myself starting to look to the east in the mornings for its coming. I'm sure it's been visible around here for some time, but as I walk from my house to the garage in the mornings I have a high, close treeline to the east. Monday morning was exceptionally cool, crisp, and clear, and there He was, just above the treetops. I stopped, and gazed for a few seconds. I thought of Russ. I thought of Michael. But most of all, I thought about the man who was the reason I was even looking up that morning, Charles Cotterman.
It was almost like a slightly thwarted lover trying to get back in the good graces of his object of affection. It was romantic. I remember once him talking about Orion first appearing in the morning sky in the late summer. It was part anticipation of the return of a friend, part surrender to the coming of fall and then winter.
Since then every year I find myself starting to look to the east in the mornings for its coming. I'm sure it's been visible around here for some time, but as I walk from my house to the garage in the mornings I have a high, close treeline to the east. Monday morning was exceptionally cool, crisp, and clear, and there He was, just above the treetops. I stopped, and gazed for a few seconds. I thought of Russ. I thought of Michael. But most of all, I thought about the man who was the reason I was even looking up that morning, Charles Cotterman.