RTMC 2003

by Jeffrey Gortatowsky

Wow! What a great time! Weather was superb IMO. Not too hot during the day (mid 80's) and comfy cool (mid 50's) during the night. Wind was MINIMAL with just a moderate breeze during the day which was WELCOME to keep things cool and comfy. Skies were very good for RTMC. A few hours of clouds some nights but never a complete night washout. Pretty dark. The pipe nebula was visible with a bit of knowledge where it was. Mark Wagner counted 60 to 70+ stars in the Alpha Corona Bor, Alpha Bootis, Gamma Bootis region. I counted about 45. Not too bad for the supposedly 'Sucky skies of RTMC'. Mark was, as usual, a real joy to observe with. The guy is first class all the way. In fact all the people were superb.

I am not sure about the organizer reference as I know these guys to be wonderful amateurs and hard workers. But I suppose since everyone is always riding them about something, after a while even the nicest of folk get jaded and may seem uppity.

I miss RTMC 2003 already. It is a bit sad to see some of the stalwarts who host and MC there getting on in years... and ATM'ing on the west coast is definitely in decline.

I look forward to Shingletown. Long drive. I hope big rewards. God I hope it's cooler than last year! Gotta go find a bigger tent...