StarBQ night Peak 2 August

Jamie Dillon

Saturday night the 2nd on the Peak had to be close to a record turnout for FPOA'a annual bust-up. That mountaintop park was packed with people in all the corners. I like the Peak best for the quiet, so don't always go to the StarBQ. It was fun this time. There was a gathering of a bunch of former Peakistas - Koop, Dave and Akkana, Jane and Mojo all used to haunt the Peak regularly. I got to have supper with Crilly, Rozerman, and the Observer Formerly Known as the Gator Chaser.

Sam from Scope City ran the raffle, displaying a warm generosity. I'd always heard great things about this guy and now know why. He made sure everyone got a prize. Vivian White of ASP had fun playing with the kids there, and Dave Samuels, who is very regular helping out with public nights at the Observatory, knocked himself out organizing and setting up the event.

Once the hordes cleared by around 10, Peter Natscher, Mark Johnston, Tony Hurtado and I had the SW lot largely to ourselves. Conditions were decent for observing. There was a kid named Josh and his Dad who stuck around and got a fancy tour from us. The father looked up at one point and caught a satellite cruising thru Lyra. It was his first satellite, he'd heard about seeing them plenty, and was properly excited.

Had to bail early, having filled up on eye candy, to get Liam on his way to Scout camp the next morning, so broke my own rule about finding at least one new object. At the saddle on the way down the mountain, got out to see a fancy broad reach of sky, got a count in Pegasus for a 6.3 sky. Not bad.

DDK