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Árbol del Sol
Thought for the Month The SunTree Traveler
Green Weekend in Alamogordo. Green was absolutely the color of the day for our annual “Green Days” in Alamogordo. We had a gigantic leprechaun with shamrock shaped glasses, an angel with green sparkly wings and assorted green necklaces, green t-shirts (which did not really stay around for appreciation and the leprechaun piñata standing guard against rowdy behavior. I have to admit that I forgot to take my gigantic leprechaun hat, but there is always next year. I still also have those shorts with the spangley green on them, but they are unfortunately four-leaf clovers rather than shamrocks. I will need to shop again As the day wore on and the near-perfect weather lured most of the gang out to the pool area, green sort of gave way to pink and even red as the sun performed its task on the skin of the SunTree folks. The food was excellent again with the old traditions of green salads, green deserts, green enchiladas (of course) and some excellent corned beef and cabbage. I decided to forego the green beer, but it was there for anyone who was brave enough.
Annual Easter Bunny Hunt at Faywood Hot Springs. The next adventure for the SunTree Olympic potluck team will be on the weekend after Easter at the favorite stomping grounds at Faywood Hot Springs. I guess that I do not need to mention that the Saturday evening (14 April) meal will be the potluck meal, but I will mention that when we go to Faywood, all of our meals tend to turn into “potlucks” with some planned dishes and other dishes as truly luck type dishes for sharing. I am sure that there will be some Easter candy and other assorted left-overs from the various family meals from the previous week. The weather should be great for this soak and eat-fest. Call for camping slot reservations at 505.536.9663
I know that it is over a month off, but I still wanted to let you know that there are some changes in the happenings for May that you may not wish to be surprised by. Since the first one happens in the early part of the month, you would have little warning if I wait until the May newsletter. The planned pool opening on 12 May in Alamogordo has been moved to one week earlier. Same event and same potluck opportunities, but one week earlier on 5 May. The second change is a bit more nebulous since it falls at the end of the month on Memorial Day. You will have time from the time that the May newsletter gets to you, but I wanted to alert you not to make any major financial or appointment commitments assuming that the Memorial Day event will be as it is currently shown in this newsletter. Now you are probably asking why I did not change it in this newsletter if I know that there will be a change. The answer is that I do not yet know. There has been a request for a change in that event, but I do not have the particulars about the proposed event. The calendar is remaining the same for the time being. Stay tuned!
Another Meteor Shower to Look For Too bad that we did not plan a SunTree event in Fiji. Evenings: Venus is becoming more and more obvious this month as it continues its rise in the sky. She will now be 30 degrees above the horizon about one half hour after sunset. All month she will be very bright (magnitude -4.0). Saturn taking the second shift this month as substitute evening “star” after Venus sets. Saturn will be quite bright (magnitude + 0.3) and at its highest point between 8 and 9 PM all month. Mornings: I rarely mention the Lyrid Meteor shower because it normally barely rates a “ho-hum” on the interest scale, but I will mention it this year. It is timed in the early (pre-dawn) morning at a time after that vicious shower-spoiler Moon has set and the sky is relatively dark. This year the shower should be viewable for east-bound drivers in the pre-dawn sky on both 22 and 23 April. Don’t run off the road. I was in a quandary as to put Jupiter in the evening sky or the morning one. At the start of the month, Jupiter will be rising at about 1 AM and at the end of the month, he will jump into the sky at 11 PM. I am putting this description in the Morning part of this write-up because Jupiter will be best viewed throughout the month in the darkness before predawn. Jupiter will be traveling across the sky from rising in the east along and just above the southern horizon until it sets in the west. It should be at its best just before sunrise. I will mention Mars and Uranus even though neither will be exactly spectacular (you will need binoculars to see Uranus at all). Mars is still staying rather low in the morning sky and not very bright. It will be in the southeast about dawn. Mars will get brighter later in the month (up to magnitude 1.0). The Moon will make an attempt to let you know where Mars is during the early morning hours on 14 April. Reddish Mars will make a futile attempt to show you where faint-green Uranus is on 30 April. This should be a unique sight, but you will need optical aid with binoculars or telescope. They will be 6 degrees above the horizon one hour before dawn.
© 2004 SunTree Travel Club - Site updated Summer 2008 |
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