Árbol del Sol
Volume 13, Number 5, August 2006
A Publication of the SunTree Travel Club
SunTree Travel Club is an affiliate of The American Association for Nude Recreation
(AANR), AANR-West, the International Naturist Federation
and The Naturist Society

Thought for the Month
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

The SunTree Traveler

July’s Activities

The Swim Event in El Paso
Our club event on 15 July in El Paso turned out wetter than we anticipated. The rainy season finally hit us and our event was very wet. With the members being mostly desert dwellers, however, a few little toad-choking cloudbursts could not wash out a SunTree event. A few cars floating past down the street only add additional subjects for conversation. The only reason that we cannot continue our summer Alamogordo events was not rain, it was the fact that it was nigh on impossible for our vehicles to get over the boulders in what we recall used to be a street.

Some got out of the pool when the ambient electricity got to a high density, but they were wet already, so the only real consequence of the rain was that the hot tub heater had to do a little overtime work. Maybe at the next El Paso event in August, we might get some nice rain again.

Western Gathering at Laguna del Sol near Sacramento, CA.
After last year’s SunTree turnout for the western gathering, it is surprising that not a single member (that we are aware of) decided to attend this year’s gathering. Those are always fun events. Maybe next year we will get some participants.

Advance Planning for a Camping Trip on Labor Day Weekend
You may recall that we cancelled the Memorial Day camping trip due to fire danger in the Gila National Forest. As we assumed that rainy season would not occur soon enough to make a difference, we cancelled the Independence Day trip as well. Well, those of you who were at the El Paso Swim event or read the news about the Alamogordo flash flood know, rainy season did arrive. It arrived in the mountains even more than at our SunTree event venues.

We are planning a Labor Day camping trip (bring your goulashes), but have not yet gotten all of our ducks in a pen much less in a row. By the time that the September newsletter is delivered, it will be too late for you to pack up to go. I will tell you where it will be (within 50 miles or so) and when it will be as of right now. Once again, we plan on being in the Gila National Forest in the vicinity of the Beaverhead Ranger Station. We will be there on the weekend of 1 – 4 September.

If you have been in the Gila on one of our previous camping trips and know how to get to that campsite, that is great because it will put you in near proximity to where we will be. We will not be at that location, however. Due to some complaints from members who were unable to get their portable hotel rooms into the old site, some exploration of the area were conducted to find another spot with easier RV access (see the October 2005 copy of the newsletter). We found several sites that seem favorable. All of these sites are close to each other, but the choice has not yet been made as to which we will go to. Part of the decision will be based upon how many participants we expect to show up.

If you plan to join SunTree on this camping trip, leave a message on the SunTree answering machine at 505 522 6284. When the answering machine answers, enter channel 2 to leave your information. Or you can send an e-mail to the information@suntree.net mailbox.

You will be contacted with the details of the camping trip.

August Club Doings

12 August in El Paso. . .
Once again the SunTree gang has been invited to El Paso for another club event there.

It will be a potluck event (bring enough food for 20 people so that if everybody brings that amount we will not starve - sorry, I know that I did not have to say that since that seems to be the normal policy for our members) and a swimming party.

There is a large swimming pool with a waterfall into it from the large hot tub.  It is a great place for our events and very gracious hosts as well.  Be prepared for a nice event. Contact SunTree for information and directions if you want to participate in this event.

7–18 AANR Convention at DeAnza Springs Resort
I assume that all who plan on attending this convention have already made their plans and reservations. If so, have a good time. If not, you need to contact DeAnza Springs as soon as possible. You can find their website through the links page on the SunTree website.

12 August in El Paso
Once again the SunTree gang has been invited to El Paso for another club event there. It will be a potluck event and a swimming party. There is a large swimming pool with a waterfall into it from the large hot tub. It is a great place for our events and very gracious hosts as well. Be prepared for a nice event.

August Celestial Events

Based upon some comments that have been received by people who actually read this section of the newsletter (there are a few), I have arranged the astronomical information into the two major times of the day that are the favorites for viewing.

Evenings: On 11 August, Neptune will be about as bright as it ever gets and actually might be visible to the naked eye. It will rise in the east after sunset. Good luck in finding it.

That same night is the start of the peak period for the Perseid Meteor shower. The shower this year will peak on the nights (and mornings) of 11 through 13 Aug, however the full Moon on 9 Aug will flood the sky with light which will make all but the brightest meteors invisible.

This shower is normally one of the big ones of the year averaging around 75 per hour with peaks much greater.

On 29 August, that bright “star” below the moon is Jupiter our neighboring gasbag. Evenings don’t seem very exciting this month, do they?

Mornings: The morning skies this month are the location for several meetings between our sister planets. If you drive toward the east in the predawn hours, you might be able to see some of these:

Mercury and Venus will be very close together during the first two weeks of the month. Look for them just before sunrise as the sky is starting to brighten in the east (the traditional location for sunrise I am told).

Mercury and Saturn are planning a little get together on 20 & 21 Aug, but you will really need binoculars to see it since it will happen when the rising Sun will flood the predawn sky with brightness. That bright spot just above the meeting place will be Venus. You may find that hard to believe since you are used to Venus being so bright, but Venus seems to be tired right now. Venus is starting to fade some.

That same gang of planets will be joined by our own Moon on 22 Aug (that would be that very thin crescent thing in the sky just to the left of that group) On the previous night, that crescent Moon will be above the group.

That killjoy, the Sun will be making the predawn sky too bright on 26 Aug when Saturn and Venus plan their meeting. The dawn sky may be a little too bright to allow us to see them.

I want to thank those of you who have sent me the messages about the spectacular performance of Mars this month. I know that you mean well and have forwarded messages that were sent to you, but it will not happen. Mars is in hiding this month. The spectacular display of Mars that “will happen only once in a lifetime” already happened back in 2003 (actually 2002 was pretty spectacular too). I cannot understand why it happens every year that somebody digs out the old information from 2003 and sends it out to everybody on their mailing list. It unfortunately gets people excited about nothing. Once in a lifetime actually means only one time, not annually. Do not be fooled by this form of spam.

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