I checked sky about 5:30 am in Palo Alto and saw mostly clouds. However, while I was looking a bright flash behind the clouds lit them up as brightly as a full moon. That was enough to get me up and out for more. I went to a nearby dark hill and was pleased to see lots of large holes and clear regions in the cloud cover. I saw at least 15 meteors between 5:40 and 6:10am, about half of them quite bright (Capella to Sirius range), two that left a visible smoke trail for a few seconds in the sky, and one so bright that I initially thought it was an approaching plane (until it winked out after a few seconds). I walked towards the east as dawn was breaking and was treated to a tiny sliver of the old moon, just rising above the colored clouds, with the rest of the nearly new moon visible by earthshine. It was a great way to end a brief but enjoyable session with the Leonids.