Hi Dr. Don. The universe has always fascinated me. It seems so permanent yet you can see the changes it makes. I live in the town of Hollister in San Benito County. There are only about 6 towns in the whole county. If you blink when you pass through them you will never see them.

Every now and then I get fed up with society in general so I will fill up the tank in my explorer, make sure I have a good supply or water and some food and then take off for South County.

One of the first things I notice is how tortured the hills look. You can’t tell me there haven’t been some real large quakes in the area in the past. When you can find a lake bottom that has been turned up 90° you know that there has to have been some pretty good movement in the area.

I guess the one thing though is the quiet you hear at night. There is no roar of vehicle passing by; TVs turned up so loud you can hear them 5 houses away. You can’t hear any sirens of the police cars, fire trucks, or the ambulances. What you do hear are the sounds of night. You can hear the owl, a couple of raccoons getting into a fight as to who gets what when something is found to eat. You can hear the soulful call of a coyote and then the silence as he waits for a return call.

Every once in awhile you can hear the scream of a mountain cat. Now that is a sound you’ll not forget. It sounds like a woman facing the greatest terror in her life. Then again it can be a sound unlike any other that you have ever heard. It will cut though you like a knife and cause your blood to freeze. Every sound you hear tells you is close. You know that if you could just see a little further into the dark you will see him. You hold your breath and you stare as hard as you can. Your eyes start to water, but your afraid to wipe them for fear of blocking your vision. You know the cat is waiting for you to do that so he can charge you when you’re not looking. Gradually the sounds of crickets can be heard. You know that if you can hear them there is no danger near by.

You take your bottle of brandy out pour a couple two or three fingers worth into an old cup that you brought for the purpose. You place it on the grill so the coals can heat it up. Nothing like hot brandy in the tummy on a cold night. You take a sip of the hot brandy and as you do you start looking around to what it is that you can see. You lean back and that is when you see the stars. They look so distant and so cold yet you know they are balls of fiery gases. You continue to look at them when you suddenly realize that you can reach up and almost touch them. It’s then that you realize your time on earth is getting short. You know that you are going home, your real home that is, as you know you do not belong here on earth. Our home, yours and mine are among the stars for we are star stuff. The very fabric of our being is star stuff for we are the stars. One day soon I’ll be returning to the stars. Look for me for I shall be happiest star there. Take Care…Don the star person