"Those were the days my friend,
We thought they'd never end..."
I'm sure most of us remember that tune...
so for our mutual entertainment, and a walk down memory lane,
here are a few sketches, all that remains
from a precious notebook I kept in junior high school, parts of which were
found in an old box rescued from the parents' basement years ago.
Remember those times, back in the 60s, when every smart kid in school
was excited by 'space' and the wonders of astronomy?
How about those awesome, glossy Unitrons that no one could afford?
Well, I saved up and bought a simple 4 1/4" reflector from
the Spacek Instrument Co. in Pottstown, PA.
These sketches were done at the eyepiece, a 1/4" f.l. Ramsden, with a flickering flashlight clenched in my teeth. Pedestal mounted GEM. All metal, no plastic anywhere. No RA clock drive. Not even manual slo-mo controls. But it was good enough to unlock the amazing mysteries in those coal-black Pennsylvania skies. I remember lots of mosquitoes, and our sleeping bags soaked with dew, and somebody's mom bringing us hot chocolate. Good friends, and good times