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Árbol del Sol
Thought for the Month The SunTree Traveler
Cinco de Mayo Event in Alamogordo The weather was delightful for the 5 May event and the pool was perfect. I say that the weather was delightful, though there are some who would disagree since they do not appreciate the light breezes common to New Mexico (the grinning fools on the television weather news called it hurricane force winds, but what do they know?). The few leaves that were floating on the surface of the pool, the pool toys and the SunTree members present were pushed to the downwind corner of the pool by the breezes, but we are a friendly group. One of the savages amongst the members of SunTree brought along a new design weapon of soakation which threatens to escalate the club weapons race to new lows. The potluck turned out to be the usual delicious selection of mass tonnage. Following the feed, the gang found that when the sun went down, the wind was turned off for the night. The sky was beautiful, the hot tub was a genial conversation pit and the chairs next to the pool were wonderful to watch the evening sky.
An Early June Event - Faywood Hot Springs Event 9 – 10 June. We will be celebrating our long relationship with the staff of Faywood Hot Springs over the weekend of 9 – 10 June. In addition to soaking, we will be eating (so, what is new). Bring your favorite recipe experiment to try on the SunTree Gang. Splash time in Alamogordo. We will be meeting in Alamogordo on 23 June for a potluck meal and serious pool time. Bring your favorite entrée or side dish to share with the SunTree splash team. Call to let them know that you will be there and what you plan to bring for potluck (505 434 6516).
Everthing Seems to Happening in the Evening Sky If you wonder what that star is just to the right of Venus in the evening sky on the first night of the month, it is Pollux, one of those slap-happy twins, the Gemini brothers. His brother, Castor is just to the right of Pollux and at the right of Castors left foot is bright little Mercury. Venus is pulling its normal brightness game again this month, pretending to be the landing lights of an incoming airplane. Venus will be at magnitude -4.4 for most of the month. While everybody is watching the spectacular show going on in the western sky after sunset, mighty Jupiter is rising in the east. Not to be outdone by Venus and Saturn, Jupiter is glowing at a brilliant magnitude -2.6. He will be viewable all night, so enjoy what you can see in the west while you can because after Mercury, Saturn and Venus have set, Jupiter will still be traversing the sky. On 18 June, there is a great show at dusk in the western sky. There is the crescent Moon with the bright Venus to the right and a little bit lower with Saturn to the left and a little bit higher. This show will be presented three nights running (16 - 18). If you happen to be on vacation in the Middle East on 18 June, it will be a truly spectacular scene when the dark horn of the crescent Moon occults Venus. This heavenly symbol of the crescent Moon and Venus is very important to the Islamic people. You can find this symbol on the flag of most Islamic countries. There will be another spectacular performance on the last day of the month (that is 30 June, for those of you who forgot to wind your calendar) when Venus and Saturn almost run into each other right after sunset in the western sky. Summer begins with the solstice on 21 June at six minutes after the noon hour here in Mountain Daylight Time.
© 2004 SunTree Travel Club - Site updated Winter 2012 |
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What Happened in May