From the Sidewalk

From the Sidewalk:

Wanted to go last friday (7/30) but I had one of my
knees act up so I stayed home soaking it.
Saterday night came and I got up to my corner and set
up. I had timed it so by the time I was set up old
Jupiter would be seeable and I used my oldest 17mm with
it's eyecup to show it. Had a nice number of people
stop by, some of them NOT from Rosamond, but just passing
threw ( ups, you blinked and missed the town ). Then about
the time Jupiter had set, the full moon came up over FF.
I put in my meade 24WA with the two filters I use and
the people enjoyed seeing our moon.

One man & woman who stopped ( coming out of the F.Freeze )
where out of towners, he by his questions didn't know much,
he looked at my scope ( Babylon 8 ) and said it was an awefull
big SCT! I explained what a SCT was and how my Dob was a normal
Newt. He wife came over and SHE asked me if I knew of the San Fran.
Sidewalk Astronomers. Told her yes, and that I'm sure that some
of them know about me ( I hope ). Also told her about meeting
John Dobson two times, one in Hawaii and the other at RTMC.

After about 30 mins of talking, the guy started telling her they
had to leave, and it still took another 10 mins before he got her
to leave. As they drove off, I couldn't but have the feeling that
she was starving at home for anything Astronomy, as he just stood
in the back and she did all the talking. Me thinks that at home
she doesn't get much astronomy in at all.

With the moon up a few more people came out to see it. Oh ya, there's
always a jeck or two that drive by and have something stupid to say,
one such came up B St and he yelled out of his truck that the 4th was
over and I should put away my cannon. Hmmm ... To bad it wasn't a Laser
cannon, puff one less jerk!

Now Sunday night was slower, with only 4 people stopping by, but the
last two made the night.It was a man and his son, the son knew a
little bit of astronomy from school, I showed him the moon and the
double in the big dippers handle. The man had worked on the shuttle program
as a labor and he was very surprized to see what things looked like via
the scope. He said they had looked at the wal-mart scopes, so I
gave him my card that has the TBFAQ address on it. I'm not sure just
which one of them stayed at the Ep the more, the son or the father, so
I'd say there's maybe two more Am.Astronomers in the making.

I've got another day of getting supplys, then I have to deadline the "Beast"
and fix the intake manafold oil leak during the next week. Right now
it's costing me almost as much in oil as it is in gas to run it.

The Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond, A Voice in the Desert.


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"And for the second time in four million years, the monolith awoke."
Arthur C.Clarke 2062dyssey three

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