On ya Alex keep on keeping on, is the way to do it and just enjoying what you have
Mike
Good advice...I have been in a very dark place possibly because of the cancer and the back pain caused me to ease off throttle but really it is this roof taking too long ..there is me and a qualified engineer on the job but sadly it is beating us..if I cant beat it in a matter of the next couple of days I am going to removed the entire roof and rebuild it and check every angle and just make it work..so to cheer my self up I am going to buy an Askar130 refractor which seems like the only sensible thing to do to fix the roof ...which was where I was at before the roof, back, cancer, gennies, etc etc all conspired to break me...no way fortunately...and that new scope will solve all my problems.
So as not to sidetrack here I went into an explanation in my thread...
Andput this one back where it must be..the highest not only in Australia but in the obsevatory threads...but mainly so Mike will post more pictures of food.
All we need is one more food photo to get this thread on top...
So hurry up Mike..I had a sucessful day fixing my roof and what a story it is,...but I cant post an update until we see you on the top hits in this DIY Observatory section...top slot is yours...take it..and your story must be good for site traffic...and I have an announcement about a fifth scope so,....
All we need is one more food photo to get this thread on top...
So hurry up Mike..I had a sucessful day fixing my roof and what a story it is,...but I cant post an update until we see you on the top hits in this DIY Observatory section...top slot is yours...take it..and your story must be good for site traffic...and I have an announcement about a fifth scope so,....
So how's the weather?
Alex
ah Alex, ya one of a kind mate
..anyway...here ya go! From last week, Alchemy Cafe in Sydney...get some Polish int'a ya
EDIT: Sorry Alex, more relevant, how could I forget , we had guests on Saturday night up at Eagleview, my wife made Singapore chilli seafood for entree, then she made three pasta's, two salads, including a twist on a Caprese salad and garlic bread!...was all unbelievably yummy! (she's amazing! )..can't believe I forgot ..then whisky around the fire ...aaaah the serenity.....
Mike
Last edited by strongmanmike; 12-04-2023 at 12:09 PM.
..anyway...here ya go! From last week, Alchemy Cafe in Sydney...get some Polish int'a ya
EDIT: Sorry Alex, more relevant, how could I forget , we had guests on Saturday night up at Eagleview, my wife made Singapore chilli seafood for entree, then she made three pasta's, two salads, including a twist on a Caprese salad and garlic bread!...was all unbelievably yummy! (she's amazing! )..can't believe I forgot ..then whisky around the fire ...aaaah the serenity.....
Mike
Thanks Mike..being all alone I can only get a hint of how real people live by following folk like you and their activities so sincerely thank you have made a poor old lonely man happy ...
I don't drink these days but the other day I bought some baby bottles, you know those little ones that have only a nip or two...I had a wonderful party having about a tea spoon of vodka say each thirty minutes..the next day I decided to make onecof my "milo mud shakes" and as they have are really some thing else I will give you the recipe...This is with a double mug..it holes two normal mugs..this is very important as you need a decent amount as it is so wonderful you must just keep drinking and a double mug worked well although I am looking around for something much bigger...
So take your double mug and add four ( or five) heaped big spoons of Milo, then add three large spoons of coffee, add five large spoons of sugar, add four ( or five) large spoons of powdered milk, and by now near half of the double mug is going to be solid material...mix it all together...then add a little hot water ( boiling ) such that you can stir the stuff together...it will go into a paste which is good as you then add hot water to within three quaters of an inch of the top of the double mug...now if you have some wipped cream drop some on top but be careful not to make it too sweet...anyways now add your baby bottle of Scotch...then get two little chocolate Easter eggs and stick them on top..it'd just looks fantastic as they float for while then melt so at the end of your drink you get some melted chocolate...but heck it is really is a nice drink.
Alex, Alex, Alex..... 5 large spoons of sugar, 4 (or 5) large spoons of Milo (with all the sugar that contains!), 2 chocolate eggs (with the sugar that contains) and you worry about a bit of whipped cream making it too sweet!!!!
PS you left out the icecream. If you're going to have a coronary you might as well go the whole hog.
Alex, Alex, Alex..... 5 large spoons of sugar, 4 (or 5) large spoons of Milo (with all the sugar that contains!), 2 chocolate eggs (with the sugar that contains) and you worry about a bit of whipped cream making it too sweet!!!!
PS you left out the icecream. If you're going to have a coronary you might as well go the whole hog.
The good thing with the milo mud shake ( without scotch) is you can skip breakfast and just have that and you stay active until lunch time ...it is all good food and energy...
Yesterday I forgot to buy salt..a very big mistake..I was playing the new guitar and my hands completly cramped up ?.they would not work closed shut....mmm No salt damn it..thinking where can I get salt..a pie? But then cramps go all over and full on...such that was screaming uncontrollably non stop in agony...
Really bad and very scarey...I am thinking heart cramps next?
So I think go up to the main house but I realise I cant move from the van let alone drive..this has been too long ...so I ring to call for help..finally she answered and I explained my state while screaming and please bring some salt...she did , and I horrified her with my non stop screaming but it was beyond control... until the salt kicked in only a little over a minute I guess and I got things a little under control..after a while thing came back to normal but I did not pick the guitar up for another hour.
Well may I be the first to congratulate you Mike on not only having the highest and perhaps the coolest observatory in Australia but now having your thread top the list in the do it your self observatory section.
A top observatory, a top thread and above all a really top bloke.
Well may I be the first to congratulate you Mike on not only having the highest and perhaps the coolest observatory in Australia but now having your thread top the list in the do it your self observatory section.
A top observatory, a top thread and above all a really top bloke.
Had a great visual observing/camping/eating/drinking, long weekend up at Eagleview, with plenty of clear sky time Fri, Sat and Sun nights .
First, Friday Night, this was an all-nighter of visual observing with my mate Attila, using the 18" F4.1 GOTO dob, under superb dark conditions, once the, just under first quarter Moon, set and the moderate breeze subsided to low humidity and decent seeing, the views were spectacular and no dewing of the exposed mirrors! Transparency and contrast were brilliant, everything was just so high fidelity and contrasty in the eyepiece, with vivid colours in so many stars, including obvious warm tones in quite a few of the brighter globular clusters. We could easily make out the Eagles head in M16, without an OIII filter and M17 and M20 both blew our mind, with loud oohs and aaahs exclaimed by both seasoned observers. Both objects looked like B&W Ha CCD images but with a hint of colour - both subtle green and warm rose was noted, ..the Swan particularly had that solid, meaty look to the nebulosity, with incredible detail and its characteristic crisscross striations seen in images, almost like it had been painted with a spatula, the best we have both see both objects (after 40 years of visual astronomy). Using the trusty old Will Tirion star atlas as a guide, we spent some time randomly pointing at various planetary nebulae high in the southern sky, including the incredible NGC 3918 The Southern Blue PN in Centaurus. Lots of fabulous views were had through the night, an 18" is quite a formidable visual tool under such good conditions but the highlight of the night was we also nabbed the two little Mag 16 galaxies next to M83 too, first time for both of us..and needless to say, M83 itself turned it on too, with all the double arm barred spiral structure and many of the HII/OB association knots you see in images, on display, even without averted vision..incredible.
Although the Milky Way blazzed overhead on both Sat and Sun nights, after the Moon set, they were pretty much just camping, eating and drinking nights, with lots of pointing out stuff overhead, fielding lots of astronomy questions. The head brewer and owner of Bentspoke Brewery, Richard Watkins along with three of the regulars at the brew pub, came up for two nights of camping...arhem..along with seven cases of assorted, award winning craft beers, whisky, Gin and lots of Billy coffee We did stews, Bolognese, curries and bread on the fire, all authentic, cooked from scratch (including the bread) and absolutely delicious...what a long weekend...bloody cold but also bloody great fun all round....I got to sleep inside in my warm bed each night though, while they swagged and tented it.
Mike
Last edited by strongmanmike; 30-05-2023 at 12:13 AM.
Hi Mike. I told you a story of how my wife, son and I met Attilla many years ago. I forgot to mention that my wife whispered in my ear. " He's nice, and he looks like Buddy Holly "
Cheers, Richard
.
Hi Mike. I told you a story of how my wife, son and I met Attilla many years ago. I forgot to mention that my wife whispered in my ear. " He's nice, and he looks like Buddy Holly "
Cheers, Richard
.
Thanks for sharing details of a great time Mike...
It is wonderful to see you are getting a big bite out of life...and yes I would like to meet you one day but I must tell you my arm wrestling days are over which is a pity as I think you would probably make a good opponent.
I have been thru the wringer over the last month or so but seem to be coming good...the specialist told me they had not expected me to make it this far as my cancer usually breaks out all over until it takes you out..she said I was "unusual" whatever that was supposed to mean...anyways I am getting back to spending time in my observatory solving one problem after another and managing to get some images while testing my new gear.
The specialist also told me the cancer in my lungs is shrinking so I may be ready for an arm wrestle later in the year ..if the other lump in my neck settles down...
You know you could become a YouTube guy and spend all your time up on the mountain producing content..one channel for astronomy and one for food and wine...money for nothing and your chips for free.
keep on keeping on, is the way to do it and just enjoying what you have 
ah Alex, ya one of a kind mate 
, we had guests on Saturday night up at Eagleview, my wife made Singapore chilli seafood for entree, then she made three pasta's, two salads, including a twist on a Caprese salad and garlic bread!...was all unbelievably yummy! (she's amazing! 
)..can't believe I forgot 
but also bloody great fun all round....I got to sleep inside in my warm bed each night though, while they swagged and tented it.
