The Monday at work

Hi,

Monday back at work.  But it was still fairly quiet - not as manic as most of 2017.  Maybe I am still in summer mode.  The weather certainly is.

I got away for a catch up with Celia and she only took one photo of me.  She usually reels off quite a few in an effort to get the best one.  But with all the practise lately, I think she knows how to capture me and my iced latte really well now.

Iced latte goodness at Machete - with Celia

Anyway, I went home with Mike - on the bus.  I text what bus I am on, and he waits for that one further down the street.  Seems to work well.  Anyway, he sorted tea when we got home, and I got ready to drive out to Celia's place for an evening with her and the telescope.  Just in her backyard.

I texted Andrew and asked if he was still around and needed a ride home.  He took me up on that and I collected him from Boulcott St just after 6.30pm and dropped him home.  We tentatively planned the long weekend activities.  Oossshhh!

Celia then cooked me tea - how cool is that?  Then we went for a walk along the Hutt River because we had to wait for the sun to set and the stars to come out and play. 

Hutt River at about 2115 last night - stunning

Hutt River - never seen it so low

Mac (the dog) loved the walk.  There was also an incident that Celia wanted to refer to as:  The thing that we will never mention again.  So let me just explain in vague terms and you can fill in the rest.  On our walk, Celia dropped the house key and didn't realise until we got back to her house.  So we had to retrace our steps and find it.

We did.

We then hauled the scope out and I learned how to get it started.  It isn't as tricky as I recalled.  Getting the thing aligned seems to be something I need to get better at though.  I must read more about that aspect.

Anyhow, we soon had a look at M42 - the nebula in Orion.  Can you believe it actually looks stunning in our telescope?  And we only have one lens with it at the moment.  I can't wait to buy some more.  I know what I want now - just need to buy them and have them delivered.

We also checked out M41 (just because it was the next Messier number I plugged in) - not far from Sirius.  And I found 47 Tuc without the GoTo function and without the benefit of a dark sky to find the Small Magellanic Cloud.  Boom!

I loved it!  I need to book a house in Martinborough and have Celia come for the weekend.  My days can be road riding training and my evenings can be deep sky viewing.  Ooossshhh!

I got home really late - it was after midnight by the time I turned out my light and went to sleep.

Next morning I caught a bus in with Mike.  Fiona and Connor had their old couch ready for a pick up - and as it is next to the bus stop, it looked like a comfy way to wait for the bus.

Our new bus stop this morning

Right.  The weather is set to be warm again today.  But tomorrow has a change on the way.  Just in time for Toby's first day back at school.

Enjoy your day.

Love,
Angela