The No Shows

I had hoped this morning I would be posting photos of my beautiful niece, Zoe, dancing at a competition at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke yesterday.

Zoe' dancing at an event last summer.

Alas, I didn't make the event. She was scheduled to dance at 5 p.m. so I arrived an hour early, only to find there was no nearby parking. All of the lots were full, and cars were lined along the streets.

The only place I could find to park was blocks away in an unfamiliar neighborhood that my husband had told me I should avoid. Since I was alone and I was having a terrible time walking any distance because of the arthritis in my feet, I was concerned about parking there.

I called my brother on his cellphone, and he told me, to my consternation, that my niece's dance program had just started! I was missing it. He said it had been moved up a full hour.

I drove around a bit more hoping a space would open, but none did, and I finally gave up. I was disappointed that I did not get to see her perform.

After I arrived home, I looked out at sunset and then later and later, hoping to find Comet Pann Starrs somewhere to the left of the crescent moon. I could not locate it, at least not with my naked eye. What a disappointment that heavenly event has turned out to be, at least from my hilltop.

No comet here. Just an overexposed moon and some stars.