A little bit of a break between the rain clouds. Apparently the sun has been replaced by the moon.
I was looking at the view and getting some much needed fresh air when a thought crossed my mind. A strange thought began to rattle around in my brain. I love astronomy. As a kid I so wanted to be an astronomer. As most kids wanted to be the new Pele or Bobby Moore, I wanted to be just like the TV astronomer, Patrick Moore. Alas that dream never happened. I never got that job as a stargazer. But the love never stopped. I can still here the words of Carl Sagan inspiring me to get my dads old binoculars out and look to the heavens. Over the years the dream changed to just have my own small observatory with a biggish telescope. I did buy a scope eventually, but it was small and second hand. Not much more than a toy one, but it’s better than nothing. It will tide me over until one day……
Anyway back to my strange thought. I had never tried to look at the moon in detail during the day. So I ran inside to find my little telescope. Yes it’s still going mainly thanks to generous amounts of glue and heaps of gaffer tape. Gently I carried it outside to find the sky was completely cloud covered and it was raining. Oh Pants.
Maybe another day. Maybe tomorrow. You never know what this crazy world will throw up. That is so true of school….
There is a subject that whatever Son has tried to do, he can never seem to get any credit. This year he must be about the only pupil in the class without a house point in that subject. It’s slowly ground him down to the point that he hates the subject. Can’t wait to drop it. Putting aside the decision about homeschooling for a few weeks, he was asked by school which two subjects he would be dropping for next year. With the speed of Usain Bolt, this subject was almost instantaneously dropped. Then a very strange thing happened. Within hours an email from school was received. His dreaded subject had awarded him two house points, a really positive comment about his last test and a really high work assessment. Couldn’t make it up could you.
It’s a crazy world. Now I’m going to get back to dreaming about having an infeasibly big telescope in our small garden.
You might like the Sky Guide app. You point it at stars and it tells you their names. On second thought, you might rather not have a crutch like that.
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Will look for that.
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That is really fantastic! I am so glad that your son was recognized for something with his school. Especially something he struggled with before. That is really great. I am happy for you both!
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Thank you Robyn. It’s so frustrating that it happens two hours after he drops the subject.
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What wonderful news – I hope those points and positive feedback helped lift your son’s spirits where that particular subject is concerned.
I also love astronomy. You reminded me of how my Dad would teach me about the constellations. I got books from the school library on the subject and spent many an hour poring over them. Here in the city there is so much light that the best I can pick out is the big dipper and a handful of stars. Sigh. I miss the night sky viewed from the countryside where light pollution does not interfere with the view.
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It did. However it didn’t change his mind about dropping the subject.
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Can’t blame him for that, bless his heart.
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No you can’t.
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I forgot to say I love the photos of the countryside there. Having grown up in a rural area I miss the view greatly.
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Thank you x
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You are most welcome x
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🙏
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I hope the belated and oddly timed points made your son happy!
I hope you get to see the moon during the day soon. I believe Fri bbn is a strawberry moon, but possibly only downunder.
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It did lift his spirits. Will google that.
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Ah…. my husband is really into astronomy. There are groups online that chat. So many times the clouds show up when an outing is planned. He has phone apps that tell him what he can see in the night.
Your son’s school is appalling!!
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Has he got a telescope?
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Oh yes. He had built one as a kid and finally took it apart and kept the mirror. His telescope was his retirement present to him.
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Cool
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Your “Oh pants” made me laugh. A big telescope is a wonderful dream. I’m envisioning it in your garden now and many lovely nights of stargazing… if those blinkin Yorkshire clouds would just get out of the way! Oh pants! 😁
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No stars today my friend. Thick rainy clouds here. But there is always hope. My dream is a little garden with a telescope about twice the size of the house. Maybe long enough to peak through the other side of the clouds. Knowing my luck a bird would end up nesting on the lens. Oh pants. 😀
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Lol… 😀 Yes, the birds do love your garden. It’s because you are so neighborly to them.
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It’s the best way. Part of the family. The bring happiness and beauty. A reminder of good things. And they like my cooking which is just grand. Keep smiling 😀
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It’s a strange thing to happen.
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It was.
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🙃
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🙏
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I guess the teacher had an “Oh, Pants!” moment of their own and realized how unfair they’d been. People are predictable.🙄
Carl Sagan was The Man!! I think quite a few of our generation found the universe fascinating thanks to him.
When you get your huge telescope can I have your old one? I dont even have binoculars and I’m a wiz with tape😉💌
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You certainly can. Not sure it would survive the Atlantic crossing. Bits drop off it when I carry it out of the garage. x
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Dream big!
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Indeed.
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You could not make it up. They prob thought…oh no… our numbers are down cos they are under that kind of pressure often… when they should have given these points and that encouragement all along and kids would want to do their subject…..
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It’s staggering. But son is adamant. He’s not touching the subject again. x
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Good for him .
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🙏
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You absolutely never know what this crazy world with throw up ….
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That’s so true.
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☺️
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😁
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I hope you get to live your dream one day…. so glad for the news about your son… ❤
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Thank you
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Go for it, Gary
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Bigger the better…
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I love looking through a telescope-it’s been years.
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They are so much fun.
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A dream you should definitely make come true- for you!
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I do hope so.
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