Our Two Houses, AZ and CA

Sunset summer, 2009

Sunrise 2009

Sunset looking due south, not west

Sunrise

Sunrise

Sunset

Sunset

Sunrise north half

Sunrise south half

Sunrise on way back from Flagstaff

Afternoon rainbow summer monsoon season

Winter morning to southeast 1 of 5 snows 2009 (quite a few, 2-3 are normal)

Winter morning to east

East from front porch

Front yard from front porch, later in day starting to melt

Front yard Feb 2009

Finches in front yard Summer 2010

Finch

BoB House Spring Wildflowers 05/17/08

BoB (Back o' Beyond Ranch) House Spring Wildflowers 051708

All these wildflower shots are in our front yard. They grow because I never mow the rocks.

BoB House Spring Wildflowers 051708

BoB House Spring Wildflowers 051708

BoB House Spring Wildflowers 051708

BoB House Spring Wildflowers 051708

BoB House Spring Wildflowers 051708

The Sedona House from the private drive entry. The left hand windows are my study/control room for the observatory, the dome (note it opens like a clamshell--it does not have a slit and does not rotate, the 2 arched windows are above the kitchen near the 21 foot ceiling of the Great Room, and the Portales with the ballastrades sets over the covered entrance to the 4 garaages. At the far right is the View Portales, another circular (semi circle) covered porch, or portales. Darn, I need to mow the rocks.

Sedona Room

From Portales up to Observatory Deck

Inside clamshell dome showing 16" f/5.5 Newtonian telescope on German Equitorial Mount

We hardly ever observe anymore unless some one comes over and wants to for an hour or so. It takes about 5 minutes to set up in the dark--turn on computer, open dome, remove 20" diameter tube end caps, and pop in eyepiece--oh and turn on the Telrad, the 1x finder on the front of the tube undeer the eyepiece holder.

Front to rear: Halpha filter solar telescope, 4" Newtonian (setting flat on spare pier--I use that scope mostly for photo--makes a good 1000mm f10 telephoto lens--I was the only one in Africa that got bird pictures--a good bird picture requires you get the eye of the bird), 4" Newtonian (silver on short tripod), 5 inch refractor, and a few binoculars. I have more binos in various cars. The Newtonians (Newts) are reflectors, that is they use ground mirrors rather than ground lenses, one flat one concave; the refractor uses refracted light, light bent by conventional lens. Each has it advantages, but all large scopes are reflectors.

And finally my first scope, a "C8," Celestron 8 inch diameter Schmidt Cassigrain design on the green pier, and my 4 In Chinese military binoculars on a mount I made. lIn the background is Bell Rock just visible beyond the dome, Castle Rock, and 1/2 of Cathedral Rock fro which my observatory is named, Cathedral Rock Observatory. Also the neighbor's house across the road, from St. Paul (the neighbors, not the house.)

Front view of the house with a better view of the Portales and View Portales. They were building anoter house across the road behind us when this was taken. The neighborhood is really getting crowded--there are 50 lots, on house sets on 3 lots, and there are about 18 others. The rest may never be built, because you can buy a house in Sedona (So CA prices) cheaper than building one. Notice the sky. Being from southern California, I don't trust air you can't see.

Cathedral Rock on a hazy day from the Portales.

Rear quarter of the house. Third floor Terrace was Dad's rose garden, he and Mom lived in 3 rooms and 2 baths through that door on the right. Doors flanked by windows on left is to balcony that hangs over Great Room. On ground floor is David's patio and his bedroom. Cathedral Rock base is in background, about 3/4 mile away.

From the main road behind the house to the right cut into the mountain. the twin spires are the "Two Sisters" standing watch over the Catholic Chapel of the Red Rocks, built into the rocks below.

From the front porch, twind buttes (incompete), Court House, Bell Rock, and Castle Rock.

Humming Bird at feeder in front yard

Getting set up for a Star Party. Once in a while when neighbors ask me what kind of scope to buy, I throw a Star Party and invite the local amateur astronomy club, who set up in the drive way. Then I invite all my other friends and they can walk around and look through a variety of scopes to decide for themselves by direct comparison of price and performance. The BBQ of the Summer Kitchen is up the 4 stairs between the Portales and the Observatory deck which is another 4 steps up. The kitchen... 
View More windows are at the right. They are motarized and open up the kitchen/great room on summer evenings. I often leave them open all night, and if I remember to close them by 9 AM, I rarely have to turn on the A/C. The two doors in the center is the study/observatory control room off the bedroom, the window overlooking the Summer Kitchen.

The party late afternoon. We eat a BBQ then at dark it is lights out and observing. I have several settings on the lighting system part of Crestron Home Automation that can be turned on by computer on the internet (and some daily automatic ones). The manual ones I set on the computer are Party (all lights set somewhat dim throughout the house), Observing (nearly all lights off except for safety, which lights are very dim, and Imaging, which is total house darkness when I take photos with a CCD camera.

Prior to dusk of the star party. These 2 astronomers are all set up and relaxing waiting for dinner and darkness.

Inside the partially open dome with some neighbors, one outside looking in. The nice thing about the clamshell dome is it gives protection of the scope and equipment and computer from the rain and snow, but when opened, you are outside under the ink black Sedona skies sprinkled with the pinpoint diamonds of stars, so you truly experience the night sky.. With a slit rotating dome, you are inside, and have to stick your head and shoulder out to get your bearings after a couple of rotations of the dome.

Dusk starting, scope cooling down to evening temperature

Getting set up for party. We usually have 2 or 3 to help, we do dishes every day, so why after a party? I do cook all party food, however.

Sedona Room with Twin Buttes through one corner butt joint window, and Bell Rock through the other. Rolling wall of 3 12 foot motorized doors that open about 12 feet on to Portales is to right. I think some other views of the doors open are elsewhere.

Master Bedroom