A Different Pace

Life is nutjob crazy right now, which is why I've not been around much. Okay, so I've not been around at all, and I apologise for not visiting everyone's blogs. I'm hoping things will start to ease at some point between now and the end of the world but for the time being I'm downgraded to "occasional blogger" status.

I was wandering around a twelfth century church last Friday (which may not sound stupidly busy but it is part of my job) and got distracted by this lichen. I believe the species name translates from the Latin as "lucky bastard lichen" and its sole purpose seems to be to lazily grow in the sun on an old flint church tower. It's probably much older than me but it doesn't have to worry about money or work or why it can't get a girlfriend or politics or religion or finding a seat in the coffee shop. It just sits there and basks, slooowly stretching across the face of the flint. And that's all it ever does. Lucky bastard.
I offered to swap lives with it for a few days but it just lay there in the sunshine and mocked me. I'm sure I heard it giggle as I walked off.

The Joy Of Astronomy At Minus Eight In The Snow

Minus eight again last night, and slightly hazy, but I managed to get this image of Orion from a series of eight, ten second exposures (while Mike was setting up the telescope) stacked the hard way in Photoshop when I got home, to prove to myself that it was possible with just a bog standard camera and a crappy, fixed tripod (much as I dream of a proper equatorial tracking mount, that sort of thing is only likely to happen when pigs start nesting in the trees).

Do click on the photo to blow it up (though only if you're remotely interested in pictures of stars). I'm kinda chuffed I got some colour in the nebula. First time ever. Woot!

A Night Off

At last! A clear night after a long week of dense clouds and snow.

Out at the observatory last night, setting up Mike's ten-incher for the first time.

Here's Mike and Pete (who's selling the scope to him) looking at Jupiter while I was trying to snap Orion with my camera and feeling decidedly inadequate in the lens stakes.

There are really only two poses for men with big telescopes … Mike adopts the family-friendly one.
The domes in the background (and a couple more off to the right) house the observatory's main scopes, while members set their own kit up outside.

A temperature of minus eight degrees (without the wind chill) proves no deterrent to the truly insane astrogeek. Having to lay in the snow to align the polarscope is a bit much, though.

Somewhere under the snow is a series of concrete pads for member's scopes, complete with power, but finding a socket last night was quite beyond anyone who didn't bring a snow plough so Mike resorted to manual guidance.
In these temperatures it doesn't take long for the smooth, grey tube of the telescope to become patterned with ice and Mike's finderscope iced over pretty early, as would we have done had we not resorted to the warmth of the clubhouse and the tea hut from time to time.
Still, we got some great views and we'll be out there again tonight, freezing off our non-essential parts.

Have a warm weekend, one and all.

Pope Shits In Woods

Who knew?

Sucky Weather

Bleah …

Just So Mum Stops Nagging …

The Moon and Venus over Norwich Cathedral as I left work this evening.

If anyone's still looking in, I'll be back once my current work-frenzy is over and I'll start to pop in on your blogs again soon.

In the meantime, have a great weekend.

WTF Monday - Where Not To Locate Your Car Dealership

Wandering around Downham Market after Friday's meeting, while attempting to clear my head I came across a car dealership on the corner of this beautifully named road.
Rather ungallantly, they hadn't named the dealership "Cock Drove Motors".
I wonder about their clientele.

Meanwhile …

I'm in the middle of getting a big contract ready for tender and have meetings flying out my ass like evil winged monkeys, so I've been steering clear of the interweb for a while and will be for a while yet.

I couldn't help but post this afternoon's sunset from my office window, however.

Enjoy!
I'll visit when I can and hope to be back in action in a week or two.

Blog-Dried Again …

It happens from time to time: my old brain just gives up and goes off for a lie down. I could sit and stare at this screen until my eyes fell out and still not think of anything to write about (at least nothing worth reading), so I'm going to switch the pooter off and join the Occupy movement for a bit, occupying my sofa with a stack of books while I try to recharge my blog mojo.
Later, peeps …

Moan, Moan, Moan

Stupid weather …
Damned storm kept me awake all night. Now I'm a grouchy, overtired Mister Grumpytrousers and the smegging winds aren't due to ease until about 2018.
Arse!