Friday, November 26, 2010

The Shopping Cart Constellation


I have to get up early for work, and in the fall and winter months it's usually still dark. I like getting up in the dark because while I walk the dog around I get a few minutes of stargazing before it begins to get too light. One sight had me taking out my binoculars and I was pleasantly surprised by what I viewed. At first I saw what appeared to be a very small, tight constellation. It looked like a miniature Big Dipper, but it really reminded me of a shopping cart. So I called it "The Shopping Cart" constellation until I was able to find out its true name. I saw these stars every morning and so I decided it was time to take a better look and brought out the binoculars. Through the eyepieces the stars went from faint to brilliant! Bright, white and luminescent. But even more than that the whole field of vision was filled with stars. A whole cluster! I was soon to find out from my guidebook that it is the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters. I put the binoculars down and there were no stars visible around the now faint "Shopping Cart" constellation. I again looked through the binoculars and saw the circle filled with stars set off by the brilliance of the Pleiades. Work was a let-down after that beautiful discovery.

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Hi, and welcome to my blog! In my working life I'm a cook, and in my personal life I'm married and have two daughters, plus a Chihuahua named Minnie. I am also a culinary school graduate with a degree in pastry arts. When I have a day off the first thing I think about is getting my camera and hitting the road. I've always loved road trips and I've been carrying a camera since I got a 110 Instamatic for my birthday when I was a kid. So, we get in the car and travel all over seeking out new back roads and new places to visit. At least twice a year we head up to the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont and take in some of the best scenery New England has to offer, and we get to New Hampshire, too. We also do some shorter trips to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and sometimes even New York state (although it's not in New England) and once in a blue moon, we get to Maine. When I'm not on the road I'm right here at home reading, writing, watching some classic television like Andy Griffith, or Minnie and I are out strolling in the cemeteries enjoying the art and remembering the people.