Happy to see City Lights!

Under what circumstances might an amateur astronomer be happy to see city lights?

Answer: After dark, after losing electric power, followed by your county sheriff stopping by informing you that you need to evacuate, followed by a glance past the sheriff to a line of approaching fire in the west, followed by a stay at a shelter in a city with no electricty for the duration of the stay, followed by a town meeting where the city you're being sheltered in is informed by a county commissioner named Donny that as of right now Broadus is on pre-evacuation notice . . . This means pack your bags. Followed by a decision by you and your evacuated neighbor to return home while you still can, followed by learning that the most direct route is blocked even to 'local' traffic, followed by taking a much longer route that skirts around the Ash Creek Complex Wildfire, followed by . . . yes . . . here it comes .. . . you see the wonderful, friendly, bright, colorful lights of Miles City, Montana!

From Miles City our four vehicle convoy headed west past Forsyth, then south past Colstrip followed by taking the Greenleaf 'shortcut' (a dirt road) to Ashland. The usual highway route between Lame Deer and Ashland was blocked due to active fire at the time. We drove east through Ashland and continued a few more miles (after going around a road block -- where local traffic only was permitted) to our smokey homes.

This was Friday night. Later we and our two neighbors noticed that firefighters had been at our homes and taken measures to help protect them. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to all the people who have been working so hard to protect homes and contain this 157,527 acre (and growing) fire.

Sketcher,
To sketch is to see

On 7/1/2012 6:03 PM, Sketcher wrote:
Under what circumstances might an amateur astronomer be happy to see city lights?


Best wishes your way Bill.
My brother is east of the fires in Col. Springs.

That has to be some scary business.

-Steve