Honestly, the timing could have been better. My cousin and I had gotten up at 3 AM to take my uncle to the VA Hospital for sinus surgery (all went perfectly), but in these days of social distancing we weren’t allowed in, and even though we had a nice breakfast out, we endlessly waited in the hospital parking lot. Part of that waiting period included me thinking there would be a bathroom somewhere for people who were also in this situation. Port-a-potties were out there, somewhere, they said. I was pointed in various directions, and in .93 miles, during which I briefly considered climbing a fence, but instead opted to backtrack to where I started from and skirt a retaining pond instead, I was finally back in the car. And still we waited. And that’s when I got the message that friends were meeting at 2 AM on Pass-a-Grille beach to take photos of the Milky Way. Like I said, not the greatest timing exhaustion-wise, but too perfect of a chance to learn something new to pass up.
With lots of hands-on instruction from my very helpful friends, I tried, I really did. And even though my best (also heaviest) tripod was in the car I chose the lighter one. And my best choice of lens wasn’t ideal, but adequate for the moment at least. I say all this to distract myself from facing that it’s on me that instead of sharp stars in the sky my photos resembled a sky full of commas, flocks of birds, and tadpoles. But in the photos you do see the Milky Way instead of the faint smudge in the sky, which is how it appeared to me in person. It’s a start, and I hope to get a lot more practice on my next adventure.
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 