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Stars and so forth
J. and I went up to her folks' abode in NH with a friend of ours, an astronomy fan. The trip had been planned for some time to coincide with a good moon phase so that he could do some stargazing out in the country with minimal light interference. At some point a few weeks ago we realized that by pure luck our stargazing venture was going to coincide with the Leonid showers. So that worked out well.
Once it got dark, he showed us Cool Stuff through his new telescope until dinner was ready. It was decided that the best plan for Leonid viewing was to sleep, then get up and look at meteorites, then sleep some more. I think that worked out okay, despite my skepticism. When J. and I and her parents got up around 3, The Astronomer had already outside for about a half hour, having counted a score of meteorites in between setting up his 'scope. He stayed out until dawn, with a total count of 900, which is a lot. I was there until about 600-something, when despite numerous layers and blankets and coats and so forth -- a couple of trips into the house yielding more and more of such until the resulting pile almost obscured my view and thus the point of it all -- the cold became too much to take (it's the toes, really; once the toes are cold, all is lost), and the knowledge that within the house lay a stoked wood-burning stove and warm beds made it impossible for me to stay out for another minute.
The meteor shower was friggin' amazing, although I am sorry to say I let the cold dampen my enjoyment considerably.
Yesterday afternoon, in somewhat warmer weather, we all made apple cider with a wooden cider press J.'s parents have. Two bushels of mixed varieties of apples yielded about three gallons, for those of you that are interested.
Once it got dark, he showed us Cool Stuff through his new telescope until dinner was ready. It was decided that the best plan for Leonid viewing was to sleep, then get up and look at meteorites, then sleep some more. I think that worked out okay, despite my skepticism. When J. and I and her parents got up around 3, The Astronomer had already outside for about a half hour, having counted a score of meteorites in between setting up his 'scope. He stayed out until dawn, with a total count of 900, which is a lot. I was there until about 600-something, when despite numerous layers and blankets and coats and so forth -- a couple of trips into the house yielding more and more of such until the resulting pile almost obscured my view and thus the point of it all -- the cold became too much to take (it's the toes, really; once the toes are cold, all is lost), and the knowledge that within the house lay a stoked wood-burning stove and warm beds made it impossible for me to stay out for another minute.
The meteor shower was friggin' amazing, although I am sorry to say I let the cold dampen my enjoyment considerably.
Yesterday afternoon, in somewhat warmer weather, we all made apple cider with a wooden cider press J.'s parents have. Two bushels of mixed varieties of apples yielded about three gallons, for those of you that are interested.