The parade of celestial events continues with the Orionid meteor shower, which lasts through Nov. 7. The shower peaks with about 20 meteors an hour late the Saturday night of Oct. 21. Orion, the hunter constellation, is easily spotted to the southwest with his belt of three stars. On Sunday, Oct. 22, a bright streak in the night sky will be comet 2P/Encke (named for Johann Franz Encke, who first calculated its orbit). Let us hope for clear evenings!
A young bobcat near Divide Meadow has become a new neighbor. This area is a good match for it, with plenty of tall grass and shrubbery to conceal it while it searches for the nearby abundant supply of rodents. Most cat species are solitary, so it’s not unusual for it to be alone.
As we go deeper into the autumn, with its shorter days and earlier darkness, plants continue to respond by dropping leaves and changing colors. Dramatic scarlet sprays of poison oak line Bear Valley Road, and leafless buckeye trees are festooned with fuzzy green seed pods.
It has been an incredible year for viewing humpback whale activity near Limantour and the lighthouse. They are drawn in by schools of fish and are seen splashing and diving alongside dozens of seabirds.