On Friday, July 22, 2022, as the sun began to set, the threat and presence of strong winds and heavy rain hampered everyone’s setup efforts a few times, and the board meeting occupied an hour’s chunk of time, too. Gremlins plagued my telescope’s alignment for nearly an hour while spectators, more than 30, visited the 7 telescopes and binoculars stationed on the hill. Some sat patiently on the lawn while I frantically sought to get my EAA rig performing properly. Ray and Tony hosted a visual observing ‘song and dance’ on the Cave platform to distract from my woes, showing the usual bright clusters and planetary nebulae.
Around 10:45, I was finally able to chase away the gremlins and started live-stacking clusters, galaxies, and colorful nebulae. Several VERY interested people stuck around to watch the pretty pictures develop on the screen in near-real time. The show lasted until midnight, and visitors donated $70 to our cause.
Despite the rain and delays, a good time was had by all.