UFO Sighting??

 My granddaughter has soccer practice twice a week, and the location is right next to some hiking trails. I usually leave practice for a while to get in a little exercise. On this particular day, I took the trail to the west with a goal of seeing if it would take me down to the dam.

There's a small stream that runs through the property to the dam.

 

Although the main trail doesn't lead to the dam, it's possible to get there. It's impressive to see the dam from this view. Look at all the detritus pushing up against the dam. The little stream must become a flowing river after heavy rain! One of the main trails leads to the top of the dam. You can actually hike/bike across the entire length of the top of the dam, which provides some nice views!

 

Some sections of the trail are wide and fenced off. The only thing I don't like about this (and similar) trails is that you have to share them with bikers. The bikers (some, not all) take these turns at breakneck speeds, and as a hiker, you take the risk of getting hit by someone speeding out of control down the trail. I've had a couple of close calls but so far have managed not to get run over.

 

One of the trails takes you by some old pump jacks, a couple of which are still pumping! These used to be all over Orange County, but you don't see them much anymore. A relic of days gone by.

 

The sun is setting, so time to head back to soccer practice!

 

As I settle into my chair and start watching soccer practice, I hear a parent behind me ask "What's that??" About the same time, the girls on the field all come to a halt and are looking up in the sky. Kind of a surreal and comical moment, and I hear a couple of conjectures such as "UFO" and "alien". I caught a little snippet of the moment on this video (turn up the sound so you can hear the girls).

 

I try to capture it using my iPhone, but I'm a few moments too late. The "head" is already fading, but I recognize it immediately as a SpaceX launch. I've seen photos of previous launches, and they all look similar. The rockets are launched from Vandenberg AirForce Base and are visible all over Southern California. 

"Tail" of the SpaceX launch. What used to be a straight arching line is getting jagged as the wind currents blow it around. Soon it will totally disappear.

A better shot of a SpaceX launch. Photo credit: Associated Press

Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to look up.

You never know what you might see!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.