I found the National Gallery Guide I bought in London at my mom's while looking through the books being donated to the library. It may have been a gift I bought for her, because I recall relinquishing my own copy when cleaning out Panorama. I was pleased to find it and I am going to revisit it with appreciation. The Lick Observatory visit tonight was excellent. Good friends and great views of the valley and of the night sky. Many more stars came into view once my eyes adjusted to the darkness off the back patio. I was reminded of the night sky at Pinecrest with Lauren when she was around 14. How clear and dramatically visible the milky way was that night. Tonight was not even close but a significant and dramatic upgrade from the valley floor for sure. It was the first time for John and Kelly and they both seemed to appreciate the opportunity to see it up close, walk the halls, hear the history, and peer through the historical telescope at a cluster whose light took 33,000 years to reach us. Humbling.
