I arose around 5:00 this morning and took a peak out the back door at the eastern horizon. The zodiacal light was easily as bright as the nearby Gemini/Monoceros/Orion region of the Milky Way. Even without being fully dark-adapted, I could make out the zodiacal band from the east across the sky to the west, where it was finally lost about 30 degrees above the horizon in the light pollution from Mt. Pleasant (about four miles southwest of my home). The zodical light and band were also easily observed by my wife, who doesn't spend as much time under the stars as I like to and had no expectations. In the short time that I was outside in my pajamas and bare feet, less than ten minutes, I also saw about six or seven meteors, a number I thought to be unusually high. I don't know of any major active showers at this time of year (aren't the Orionids an October shower?), but four of these appeared to originate from within Orion. I didn't try to accurately retrace their paths, but I'd say that the "radiant" would have been in Orion's upper torso. Does anyone know of a minor "Orionid" meteor shower that could account for what I observed? Think I'll try to photograph the zodiacal light tomorrow morning. If I'm successful, I'll let y'all know. Kim