Vagabonding Detoured - A Not-So Cautionary Tale
Tonight (Wednesday, 28th June, '06) was supposed to be one of two nights with me doing the Vagabond Astronomer thing in front of Books-a-Million in Mandarin. By 7:30 pm, it was looking like that wasn't going to be happening, so I decided to just go to BaM and look for a few magazines and have a coffee.
I should have brought my telescopes.
As I was leaving, I discovered, much to my chagrin, that the western sky had cleared up sufficiently to show a thin, sliver, fingernail clipping of a crescent Moon hanging in the twilight. Not only that, both Mars and Saturn were visible below it, and Jupiter glowed steadily high in the sky.
I've written before that I normally have two telescopes on standby in my car at all times. Since my car was broken into last week, however, they no longer reside there and instead rest comfortably inside. Now, here I was, perfect opportunity... and no scopes. There were a couple of options. I could race home and grab some scopes... but I had already informed the folks at BaM that it wouldn't be happening tonight. The other option was to do it anyway, but there were still enough clouds in the sky to not tempt cruel fate; I knew for certain that if I did grab my equipment, not only would the clouds return, but they'd no doubt be accompanied by a deluge the moment I set up. Final option - accept my fate and simply go home. That's the one I chose.
Once I got home, however, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I raced upstairs and grabbed my old 76mm Newtonian "George". It is certainly light enough to be carried quickly. Instead of my usual three eyepieces, I grabbed a lone 20mm, and went back outside to the water's edge, an area thick with mosquitoes and no-see-ums. You see, in my haste, I failed to grab repellent.
Still, it was worth it. Some of the neighborhood kids came up, and I had a chance to show them the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn before the bugs got to be too much. After thirty minutes, and what surely must have been a liter of blood lost, I packed it in and went back inside.
Did I learn something? Yes, I guess I did. Always be prepared; I jumped the gun when I took my equipment out of the trunk, which really is impenetrable without the key. Need to keep at least one decent scope with me. Also, be flexible. One opportunity lost might mean another opportunity elsewhere. The children in my apartment complex are poor, and may never have another chance to look through a telescope. In that regard, I gave them something they might have missed.
So, when the road of life throws you a detour, just follow it. You never quite know where it will lead.
I should have brought my telescopes.
As I was leaving, I discovered, much to my chagrin, that the western sky had cleared up sufficiently to show a thin, sliver, fingernail clipping of a crescent Moon hanging in the twilight. Not only that, both Mars and Saturn were visible below it, and Jupiter glowed steadily high in the sky.
I've written before that I normally have two telescopes on standby in my car at all times. Since my car was broken into last week, however, they no longer reside there and instead rest comfortably inside. Now, here I was, perfect opportunity... and no scopes. There were a couple of options. I could race home and grab some scopes... but I had already informed the folks at BaM that it wouldn't be happening tonight. The other option was to do it anyway, but there were still enough clouds in the sky to not tempt cruel fate; I knew for certain that if I did grab my equipment, not only would the clouds return, but they'd no doubt be accompanied by a deluge the moment I set up. Final option - accept my fate and simply go home. That's the one I chose.
Once I got home, however, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I raced upstairs and grabbed my old 76mm Newtonian "George". It is certainly light enough to be carried quickly. Instead of my usual three eyepieces, I grabbed a lone 20mm, and went back outside to the water's edge, an area thick with mosquitoes and no-see-ums. You see, in my haste, I failed to grab repellent.
Still, it was worth it. Some of the neighborhood kids came up, and I had a chance to show them the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn before the bugs got to be too much. After thirty minutes, and what surely must have been a liter of blood lost, I packed it in and went back inside.
Did I learn something? Yes, I guess I did. Always be prepared; I jumped the gun when I took my equipment out of the trunk, which really is impenetrable without the key. Need to keep at least one decent scope with me. Also, be flexible. One opportunity lost might mean another opportunity elsewhere. The children in my apartment complex are poor, and may never have another chance to look through a telescope. In that regard, I gave them something they might have missed.
So, when the road of life throws you a detour, just follow it. You never quite know where it will lead.
posted by Robert at 6:55 PM
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