Log, Mar 17, 2000
3 people. A late winter snow / sleet / ice / freezing rain storm really put a crimp in our attempts to use the telescope tonight. If we hadn't made a firm commitment to an interested potential member [Sarah] I doubt that anyone would have come. I know my wife was really concerned about the weather so I said I would get home early unless the sky really cleared.When we got to the dome, Joe and I examined the shutter. We are getting some new gaskets from Ash Dome to reseal the sections of the shutter against the weather. Eleven years have taken their toll of the old gasket which is beginning to leak.We discussed what being a being a member of FDO is like with Sarah. We explained that various levels of involvement exist - visitor, part time member, weekly teaching docents and the additional duties of a director. We described our apprenticeship system and our hopes for a docent class in May. Sarah is interested in joining us.Joe and I decided to wrap up. Although there were breaks in the clouds, it looked hopeless. As I drove home, I realized how reasonable my wife's concerns were when a car in front of me hit a patch of black ice and did a full 270 spin. Luckily, the road was wide and the driver merely continued to complete the circle under control. By the time I got home, the sky had cleared completely! Grrrrr.... I thought about going back to the chill of the dome, then I thought about the warmth of our cozy home. Cozy won. I hope no one ventured out after 9 PM to visit FDO. If so, my apologies to you.-Les Coleman
