Christmas 2003 in the Christmas Mountains
Christmas 2003 saw us traveling earlier than usual in December to Terlingua Ranch.  The actions of astronomers are governed by the phases of the moon - like werewolves - and as the moon would be rapidly growing in size right after Christmas, we decided to pack in as much astro-time as possible before that happened.  And the Gods of weather were amazingly kind to us this trip.  We had 14 clear, fine nights, it wasn't too cold or windy, and we were able to image 53 Arp galaxies and a selection of other things as well.  We were also invited to share Christmas dinner with Dennis and Debbie Nance and their family, which turned out to be a very nice occasion, and walked and walked and walked in the desert and up mountains.  We had a wonderful time.  Here is a selection of some of the many photographs we took with the new Canon EOS camera.  Enjoy.
The Astronomy
	The first thing we do when we arrive at the ranch is set up the NJP tripod at the spot where we plan to construct the SkyTent		Next we put together the walls.  We are fortunate that the ranch usually give us a cabin right at the end, away from everyone
	Then the roof goes on and we check to make sure that it turns smoothly on it's runners		Finally we put on the covers and the tent is ready for action
	Next we assemble the NJP mount and the 14 inch Celestron scope inside the tent.  Once put together it will stay in this spot the whole time we are at the ranch, and apart from daily tweaking of the polar alignment we just cover it all up at night when we've finished		Here is the Sky tent and our 16 inch reflector (which we also managed to squeeze into the car) ready for use as the sky begins to go dark.  The majestic mountain makes a super backdrop at this location
	Venus becomes visible in the western twilight, and the lights go on up at the ranch		Liz finds time to cook us some dinner on the trusty camping stove
	And then uses the 16 inch to cruise the beautiful night sky		And later in the night it was binoculars for her lunar objects - she didn't thank me for the flash though
Christmas in The Desert
	This is Christmas Day and the feast which Debbie had cooked for us		She's a great cook and the food was much appreciated by all
	Including grand-daughter Amber, the youngest member of the family, shown here with Mom and Dad		Dennis enjoyed himself immensely as usual, and we provided the balloons
	Even the Earthlings got presents, and we also brought beer and wine - just in case		Outside everything was warm and lovely - and our car looked quite lonely in the desert
	Dennis and Debbie run a little restaurant called Debbie's Iron Skillet, and meals are prepared in this trailer.  Liz and Debbie have clearly succumbed to the stress and decided to chill.......		Restaurant guests can enjoy their meals on cool or windy days by eating inside this original indian tipi, complete with fire and games to play
	Talking of games, Dennis has created a 9 hole pitch and putt course		It's open to all visitors and here Liz is playing a sand shot
	Come to think of it, they're all sand shots, and there are other hazards		Another excitement is the 40 acres behind the mountain owned by our hosts
	Here can be found dinosaur bones protruding from the eroding soil		And this is me extracting a vertebra from the ground using a special instrument
The Walking
	Once the Sky Tent is put together the next  thing we usually do is climb to the top of the "bump" alongside the cabin		Where we can look down on the cabin and the Sky Tent.  Note the 16 inch to the left of the tent
	Or poke our tongues out at the cameraman. Then we normally climb Christmas mountain across the valley		In this picture the ranch is in the distance, and the white dot which you may be able to see beyond the airfield is the Sky Tent
	After much climbing the view is breathtaking, looking towards Mexico		Other walks are in Big Bend National Park.  Here we are climbing on the Lost Mine Trail
	Where we found someone to take our picture.  Unusual to see us both together		And this is Chimneys, a beautiful 7 mile walk in open desert
	Where the scenery is grand and fascinating		Where you are forced to sit and ponder the size of it all
	Or look for ships in the desert................		All we can say is "What a way to spend Christmas"
	Hope the weather in England isn't too shabby!