Bootheel Gourds

07/18/2026

SKY WATCHERS ALERT 🚨

The Perseid Meteor Shower returns from July 17 through August 24, 2026, bringing one of the most spectacular annual skywatching events. During its peak on the nights of August 11–13, under dark, clear skies, observers may see dozens of bright meteors each hour as Earth passes through the dusty trail left by Comet Swift–Tuttle.

No telescope is needed—just find a dark location away from city lights, look toward the northeastern sky after midnight, and give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. The darker the sky, the more meteors you're likely to see.

Event: Perseid Meteor Shower
Active Dates: July 17 – August 24, 2026
Peak Nights: August 11–13, 2026
Best Viewing: After midnight until dawn
Equipment: None required (binoculars and telescopes are not necessary)

If the skies stay clear, this could be one of the most beautiful celestial displays of the summer. Will you be watching the Perseids this year?

07/18/2026

06/30/2026

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova invoked her experience defecting from communist Czechoslovakia in 1975 while criticizing President Donald Trump’s administration. Navratilova said her upbringing under communism taught her what life in a totalitarian regime feels like, warning against what she sees as growing threats to free speech and open dissent in America.

📷: Getty

06/30/2026

For far too long, the burden to change has fallen on the wrong people.

Raising kids to have empathy for others and an understanding of consent is one of the most important things parents can do to help reduce the incidence of sexual assault. To teach children -- girls and boys alike -- about the need to respect others and their personal boundaries, we recommend "Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent, and Respect" for ages 4 to 7 (https://www.amightygirl.com/body-boundaries) and "Consent (for Kids!)" for ages 6 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/consent-for-kids)

There is also a helpful guide for teens on topics such as consent and coercion, "Real Talk About S*x and Consent: What Every Teen Needs to Know," for ages 13 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/real-talk-about-sex-and-consent

To discuss topics such as sexual harassment, respect, and consent with tweens, we recommend the insightful novel "Maybe He Just Likes You" for ages 10 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/maybe-he-just-likes-you

If you know a teen girl struggling after sexual abuse or trauma, “The S*xual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls: A Guide to Recovery from S*xual Assault and Abuse” may help at https://www.amightygirl.com/sexual-trauma-workbook-girls

For several fictional stories that address r**e and sexual violence and offer a helpful way to spark conversations with young adult readers around sexual assault, we recommend "Speak" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/speak), "Girl Made of Stars" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/girl-made-of-stars), and "The Way I Used To Be" for ages 15 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-way-i-used-to-be)