[Rodstar (Rod)]

I'm back!

As always, we had a hoot at SPSP. It was particularly good being in a little community of IIS'ers down near the bottom of the camping ground. It was great spending lots of time with everyone, especially sharing meals, grog and lots of laughs with Xstream and Anna, Petra and David, HOughy, Iceman, Chris (33South) and Al. It was great to meet Petra and David's friends Kate and Mark, who are superb company.

I also caught up with lots of other IIS'ers, like Scott Mitchell (and Tom and Campbell), Geoff GTW, Jonathank, Itchy and his wife, Strongmanmike, Steve Mogg, Joe and Anushka, Okieskopey, Gary Kopff (and Mai) and Glenn Dawes. I am sure there were others too....excuse me with my fatigue for forgetting you! There were others I meant to catch up with, but didn't get around to it, eg Stringscope, Mark Suchting. Maybe next time?!

It was a great thrill that Rocket Boy showed up on Saturday. Thanks for making the effort, buddy!

When many of us had our Hepworth suits on we looked like a team of Antarctic Emergency workers. We need to get a sponsor, and maybe get our individual names emblazened on the backs.

I met some very interesting people and saw some pretty spectacular things. SPSP always stretches one mind as to what is possible. I particularly enjoyed spending a large chunk of time last night with Alan Dyer and John Sarkissian. We shared some amazing views of the southern skies, and I lost count of the number of times John S said, "Wow!". It was also good drawing on the knowledge of Michael Chaytor on Friday night.

It is great to be in a community where there is such a high level of trust (hundreds of thousands of $$ worth of equipment lying around in the field each day), and such good will. It was great to be able to share some views throught SDM 12, and to sneak some views through other people's scopes.

Thanks especially to Scott, Petra and Anna for being so gracious in letting me borrow their eyepieces at various times, and Xstream, Anna, Petra and David for sharing so generously with more domestic things like food, refrigeration, and cooking equipment.

Some non astronomical highlights included discovering Bizzy Bird Cafe in Rylstone, planning a fund-raising calendar to raise "exposure", and thinking about what would suit being launched by a trebuchet (grand piano would be great to watch).

The skies were a tad unpredictable, but at moments of good seeing, I enjoyed spectacular views of the Ghost of Jupiter, Centaurus A, M83, M46, and the Homunculus amongst others.

Iceman and Stronmanmike excelled themselves again in the astrophotography awards, each of them taking out first prizes in sections, with Stronmanmike being the winner overall. Well done fellas!

I am glad to be home. I have had my first shower in four days. Domestic matters (or is that a wife and three children) now demand my attention.