Monday, December 14, 2009

Here it comes like a herd of buffalo

In a scant two weeks, I turn 50. I'm not really certain how to handle it. To some extent, I'm freaked out over making it half a century when a quarter century doesn't seem that long ago.

At the same time, I'm a bit overwhelmed looking back over this last half century at some of the things I've accomplished and the people I've met. The last 12 years have been amazing. It's not that the first 38 weren't amazing but so much has happened in the last 12. I've met some of my favorite authors, traveled to three different NASA facilities including seeing a shuttle launch, held pieces of the moon, named a crater on Mars, appeared on TV more times than I can remember, met an astronaut, gotten my ham radio license (something I'd wanted to do since I was 10), created computer animations I couldn't dream of 15 years ago, had a major episode with depression to come out stronger on the other side... wow! And that's just what I remember off the top of my head.

I can't help wonder what the next 50 years will bring. And for those of you who doubt I'll make it another 50, I'll do it or die trying!

Friday, December 04, 2009

Astrophotography


I've been interested in trying astrophotography for some time and finally got a digital camera that will do a decent job. This is my first attempt to shoot the moon using a 75 mm Meade telescope with a 1000 mm focal length and my Canon EOS Rebel XS camera.