Summer 2001 Vacation

Our Summer 2001 Vacation
	We've been lucky this year. Well, actually we've been lucky every year, but this year we managed to get back to Terlingua in August	The pool, normally a little chilly in December, was delicious and cool in the desert heat
	This is Earthling #1 swimming happily in the clear water	Quite aware that she was sharing it with some rather less than friendly bugs!
	We managed to get the telescopes both set up in the desert in the usual way, and many new images were captured	These were posted on the web site when we returned home and we were delighted, as usual with the beauty and peace of the place
	Then, in October we were off again! This time on one of our tours of interesting places and sights. We started in the Gila forests of New Mexico	A place of great beauty, where we found a peaceful camp site near to the famous Gila Cliff Dwellings and walked many miles through the forests
	The cool of the forests and the freshness of the air was such a pleasant change from the heat and humidity of Houston.	Here Liz is walking in "Little Bear Canyon". Removing the boots at such a location seems almost mandatory
	So that she could sit and gaze upon the beauty of this remote place - cooling the toes at the same time	Quite the most lovely place, but a little chilly at night and cloudy for the telescopes
	Imagine the smells and scents from all the herbs which line the paths We plan to return another time	Of course, one of the reasons we had visited this location was to see the cliff dwellings, and we found them every bit as interesting as we had hoped
	We experienced the usual thrills of super views and vertical drops, and marveled as always how these people could have lived and raised children	- especially in such a inaccessible place, which you can see the modern parent is more equipped to handle!
	Quite breathtaking and well worth the visit	If only for the views - imagine this as the view from your living room!
	Next, our trip took us to Patagonia Lake, to the south of Tucson in Arizona - one of our favourite states	We erected the scopes on the shores of the lake and watched super crimson sunsets
	A lot of good astronomy was done from this pretty spot, in spite of the numerous (and brilliant) "safety" lights throughout the camp site. We just found ourselves a dark corner...	While staying at Patagonia Lake we managed an 8 hour round trip to the "Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument" and were not disappointed with what we found there. Spot which is the cactus!
	Splendid cacti of every description were growing everywhere, and we took lots of photos	Like I said, it's a long, long drive, but well worth it - even though we passed the entrance to Kitt Peak Observatory and didn't have time to go up the mountain - BOO!
	The final leg of our trip took us back into Texas, but on the way we stopped at a fascinating place	Shakespeare is a deserted (ghost) cowboy and mining town near Lordsburg in New Mexico
	It is now in private hands and during a guided tour (the only sort available) we were told that Billy the Kid once worked here	In fact, our guide claimed to have personally known someone who knew Billy's father - sounds a bit like a Derbyshire village!
	Whatever the stories - and our guide certainly knew a few, the place had been (and was being) lovingly restored, but yet areas had been left almost as if they were waiting for Billy himself to return.....	Waving a fond farewell to Shakespeare - named by a British mining engineer we were told - our next stop, after a long drive through a dust storm the likes of which we have never seen, was Fort Davis in west Texas
	It was here that we met up with our astronomical friends from Houston, all fired up for some serious astronomy	Did we say that our friends are a little strange? Here's what they do at 3am while their CCD cameras are clicking away...