Here's my second project this spring. I already had constructed the 10" riser platform several years back, it raises the scope up to a comfortable height for me to view through the eyepiece without having to be bent over so much. Adding the "wheelbarrow" type handles and wheels makes it a snap to wheel out from the garage to the pad and set it right in place. If the handles or wheels become a stumbling point, they just detach with wing nuts in a couple minutes. Now I don't have to lug the 75 pounds of scope and base any more, that was becoming a deterrent to wanting to set up some nights.

My Spring project this year. Now I can leave everything hooked up and ready to go, just wheel out from the garage to my pads in the back lawn. Saving my back from carrying several trips. This was the test run, normally I'll have the power pack, counterbalance weights, and attachments also.

It's been a while, health concerns the last couple years have kept me otherwise engaged. Of course there's the "staying at home and away from everything" issues we've had during the same time, so vaccines done, winter's over, ready to do better this year! I'm finally ready equipment wise to start imaging the night sky the way I want to, and get some images that are worthy of sharing. 

Sometimes we take for granted the blessings we have, my daughter and family are
visiting from Florida and are reminding me to appreciate what I can see right out my kitchen window. My son-in-law especially, a born and bred Floridian, is really enjoying his daily walks on the Pennsylvania hillsides, the deer, the air, running water and green, green, green. 

It's good to drop everything and get away for a respite once in a while. That was the last couple of nights for me. I like going to Cherry Springs State Park, it's only 40 miles away yet it's the darkest Astronomy park in the Eastern US. It was one of the first International Dark Sky Parks in the country. My backyard observing spot is pretty good, open and not much light pollution, but nothing to compare with the night views at Cherry Springs. So many stars it's sometimes hard to pick out the constellations.