Oh my God!... It's full of Car!

See this picture?

It's the view out of my front door.

Towards the middle of the picture, peeping between the caravans, is a grey/silver car.

That car is a Ford Focus.

Here's how it looks when I take a photograph using my phone through the occular of my wonderful new hi tech telescope.

Actually it's not really all that hi tech. It's basically a tube with a slightly concave mirror in it, and a prism inside the tube at the focal point to direct the light to an eyepiece. The majority of the stuff is tripod, and the means to keep the scope still, and control precisely where it points.

Anyway, here's that car...

It arrived yesterday, and when I got home from work at about 930pm, I immediately assembled it. This took about 45 minutes, but I did seem to do everything right. Nothing is missing. Nothing still to be attached. I haven't broken anything.

Of course, I had to try it. I took it outside, but there was no moon, and the skies were quite cloudy. I tried to get it to see the brightest visible star, but really got nowhere. It seemed prudent to leave it, and try again when I had a better target.

driving lessons in North Wirral? learn to drive in Hoylake? driving instructor in Birkenhead?

The thing's hollow. it goes on forever... and... oh my God!... it's full of stars!

In a couple of weeks, Bren and I will be heading up to a youth hostel in Northumberland. Somewhere deep within the Kielder Forest, it's a designated Dark Skies Area.

Bren has always found the sight of a clear night sky awe inspiring, and I feel pretty much the same way myself.

Meanwhile I've bought a telescope from ebay. It's not a toy. It's a motorised, Newtonian reflector telescope. I think it can be hooked up to a DSLR.

A couple of years ago, I went to an astronomy thing in a local nature reserve, and looking at the Moon through a decent telescope was a wonderful experience. I'm hoping for clear skies up in Kielder.

driving lessons in North Wirral? learn to drive in Hoylake? driving instructor in Birkenhead?

a minor milestone mastered

It's been a while since I got out onto a golf course. I think the last time I played might have been as far back as November, but I've had a rare day off today, and went to play a round with my Dad and his mate, Don at Arrowe Park municipal course.

The ground was pretty sodden, and all the proper greens were off limits. Every hole had a temporary green in front of the real one. The holes were twice the size of ordinary golf holes.

So each hole played shorter than the listed yardage, and putting was easier, although the temporary greens were much lumpier than what you'd normally get. Also, when I play with my Dad, we're fairly laissez-faire about the odd errant shot. So on a couple of occasions, I'd just rehit a badly struck tee shot, and we'd turn a blind eye.

My goal has been to get around an 18 hole course in less than 100 strokes, and I've never got that close. A typical round might be perhaps 120. My best round was 107 if I remember rightly.

Today I went round in 97.

When we got there, a big group of women had just started at the first tee, so we cut through to the 8th tee and played from there to 18, then did 1-7. I never had a disastrous hole. My worst score was 8, and that was on a par 5 hole.

I really felt I was starting to get it.

Yes, it was in exceptionally easy circumstances, and yes, it's entirely possible that next time out, I will be unable to hit two consecutive balls straight, but I thought it worth noting here that I'd finally managed to achieve something I'd set out to do.

driving lessons in North Wirral? learn to drive in Hoylake? driving instructor in Birkenhead?

technology

driving lessons in North Wirral? learn to drive in Hoylake? driving instructor in Birkenhead?

moyles

driving lessons in North Wirral? learn to drive in Hoylake? driving instructor in Birkenhead?