Plainfield / Worthington Boy Scouts Enjoy Arunah

Brian Hawthorne led a group of Boy Scouts on an overnight campout on Saturday, Oct 20. Despite some rain and drizzle just after sunset, the skies cleared of nicely. Dan Carnevale and Ed Faits showed off the 1st quarter moon, the Plieades, and other wonders of the autumn sky, in the Gaertner and other 'scopes. After a terrific 1st magnitude fireball, the boys retreated to Scout Heaven and camping under a rapidly dropping thermometer. Frost threatened, but Scouts are always prepared!

Astronomy Association Fall Star Party - Oct 12 & 13, 2007

The Red Sox and the weather didn't provide much satisfaction for New England star gazers at the AA's Fall Aruanah Hill Star Party. We couldn't do much observing due to the wind on Friday night. My friend John from Douglas came up Friday night as did Kevin Collins, but the prevailing winds keep us from doing much observing.

The wind calmed down on Saturday, and we hoped to get some observing in. Dan Carnevale and some members from the Amherst club came up but no observing was done as the clouds rolled in after sunset. Another friend of mine Frank from CT also came up Saturday. We were prepared for possible poor observing which is why I brought a portable TV to watch the Red Sox. From the 6th inning on the Red Sox bats were as silent as the Arunah Hill night.

As John and I were packing up Sunday a dead tree at the top of the hill fell onto another tree. A while later another round of trees crashed down. We did a bit of cleanup, and I put some mothballs in a couple of plastic containers with vent holes in them in the telescope shed in hopes of keeping the mice out.

-Barry H.

October 6 Workday

Is it really October? We've had snow in on the hill in October, but you wouldn't know it today... summer is still holding on in Cummington. There is even plenty of green left in the trees. It was definitely shorts and t-shirt weather!

Nice turnout with Dan Carnevale, John Davis, Ray Burk, Peter Scherf, and Glenn Benscoter from Windsor. Dan did some mowing then got out the chainsaw, and I got to split wood with his maul, and contrary to Ray's comments, I didn't break a window. Pretty quickly we had added a good load of firewood to the stack near the clubhouse, ready for winter!

We also cleared back some of the brush behind the pavilion and generally did what needed to be done. Thanks to all that helped!

What will the hill look like for the November workday? I suspect much different woods, with signs of the approaching winter.