This summer we have been plagued by blistering days, with temperatures above 100 nearly every day, and almost no rain. Despite the heat wave, we've had some great times this summer.
VBS
Our church family, Northside church of Christ, put on a one-day VBS. I was still healing up after my fall, so didn't help out like I usually do, but Dan, once again, spent the day helping the kids have fun in the jumpy house.
FATHERS DAY
Our congregation has a tradition, which I find such fun. On Fathers' Day, our men are encouraged to wear a Hawaiian shirt. There was good participation this year.
These three took the Hawaiian theme to another level!
BABY SHOWER
I had the joy of attending a baby shower in honor of a sweet, tiny baby girl, who spent her first weeks in the NICU, but is now at home and thriving.
BOOK CLUB
One of the things I anticipate each month is meeting with the Second Tuesday Book Club, which usually meets at the library, although occasionally enjoys meeting for a meal at a local restaurant. Although it's open to anyone, its membership has tended to be women, only. I've grown close to this small group of bright, fun, and caring ladies.
I missed a couple of our meetings, while our family dealt with hospitals, ERs, surgeries and x-rays, so returning in June was a special event. I was so surprised and appreciative when I arrived and found one of the ladies, Ellen, bearing a gift for me, a potted orchid. "Yellow," she said, "because yellow is a color that brings cheer. And I'm sure you could use some cheering up."
CENTRAL TEXAS ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
Dan and I enjoy our membership in the Central Texas Astronomical Society. This summer the club is celebrating it's 30th anniversary, To commemorate its founding and its continuing success, club members enjoyed a meal together, in Turnerville (not far from our observatory). The food was both delicious and abundant (especially the fried catfish!). The presentations from past and present presidents were informative and, often, humorous.
NEW TELESCOPE
For the past three years, Dan and I have been using our Red Cat telescope to do astrophotography. It's been a gratifying learning experience, but as we continue to have more and more birthdays under our belts, carrying the scope to the backyard and doing the set-up has become cumbersome and exhausting. When a new line of telescopes came out from a company named Vaonis, our interest was piqued. These scopes are small and lightweight. The set-up, including alignment, focusing and tracking happens automatically. We finally decided to order one - the Vespera model - and it arrived in July. Since then, we've spent quite a few evenings imaging. We think this scope will be a winner for us!
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| The Lagoon Nebula, imaged on our second night using our Vespera telescope. |
