[ATM] The wonder of it all

[Shane LaPierre]

Francis,

I caught Saturn the last 3 nights.  I haven't observed 
since the Fall, so it was very nice to get out.  The 
seeing/atmospheric turbulence was not good Wed or Thurs. 
 Last night was pretty nice.  It promises to be a little 
better tonight.

Anyway, glad you are getting to use "your" scope.  I can't 
stand criminal behavior... but I do believe in investing 
in people, even imperfect people like myself. :)  I am a 
licensed minister, and have worked w/ youth ages 12 & up 
for many years.  Recently I began an endeavor to launch a 
new church in Danbury, CT as its pastor.  One of the most 
amazing things is that everyone is in need of someone to 
just stand by them and encourage them... the stories of 
peoples' lives will literally blow you away.  But as you 
said... they are "our" bunch.

Good to hear your experiences... I am cheating a little. 
 I ended up having someone make me an 8" perforated flat. 
 That workshop really spoils you.  I'll let you know 
finishing up my 8" newt mirror works out.  I ended up 
polishing it out on the last day of the workshop and 
started parabolizing... I just ran out of time.

Take care,
Shane LaPierre

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:27:55 -0400 "Francis J. O'Reilly" 
<foreilly at verizon.net> wrote:

> Wednesday night I was standing in a local criminal court 
>with a friend of mine. We were surveying the room and I 
>commented that there was a rough bunch out there that 
>night. My friend, Chris, another criminal defense 
>attorney (At least that night we were) told me that they 
>were a rough looking bunch, but that they were our rough 
>looking bunch.
> 
> Today about noon as I was setting up my telescope an old 
>Criterion RV-6 so that it would reach thermal equilibrium 
>for observing tonight, I looked at the mirror and thought 
>that it was pretty rough looking, but I brightened up 
>when I realized that it was my rough looking mirror.
> 
> As the afternoon wore on, clouds moved in. They had 
>cleared somewhat by the time I got home, around 8:00 p.m. 
>but not enough to reveal my target for the evening, 
>Saturn.
> 
> I went to the basement and began my first session of 
>grinding my 7 inch optical flats. I engraved each of the 
>disks on the edge to label the surfaces, A through F. (I 
>am goign to try to make three two sided flats) After a 
>while,  I came upstairs, my wife had long since drifted 
>off to sleep. I decided to go outside, If nothing else at 
>least I could probably sight in my new telrad.
> 
> The shy had substantially cleared and revealed Saturn. A 
>top view of the rings and a moon, I suspect Titan. 
>Correct me if I'm wrong. What a wonderful sight. 
> 
> Sometimes I lose track of why I make telescopes. Tonight 
>reminded me.
> 
> Regards,
> 
>Francis J. O'Reilly
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