As I drove up the winding road to Fremont Peak State Park, I idly mused upon the current implications of Yahoo P/E ratios as I contemplated the crystal-clear skies. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 8 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 76. It seemed fainter than Dubya. Next, I tried for Abell 26. It would be easy to confuse with the exhaust from a diesel Suburban. With that checked off my list, I identified NGC 5226 in Serpens. It glowed, rather like lumpy darkness. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I observed M 90. It seemed just like diamonds on light grey velvet. Next, I added to my logbook NGC 6302. It appeared as Smokey the Bear. Then, I located IC 1722. It looked exactly like cotton candy. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I accidentally located Abell 1. It was not quite as bright as black pearls on flocked paper.
Finally, it was time to pack up and leave. As I drove home, I contemplated the events of the night, and realized that any night out under the sky with good friends is better than spending a day at the mall with my teenage daughter.