It’s a beautiful day, it’s sunny, the sunset, too, is beautiful, not one cloud as far as the eye can see. Venus could be possibly spotted in the evening sky. But I sit in the car and have to run several errants. Grmbl. Later… I promise myself.

Later on, at home, dinner, then to the computer to get a bit of work done, afterwards I read a bit, get caught up in the story, again,… as I surface from the reading world it’s already late. Surely the weather did not hold? I pull myself together and go to take a look, taking the binoculars along, and: clear skies, no moon and a sky full of stars. A bright, fast shooting star, radiant Orion, runs it’s course above me, leaving a short-lived broad but short band of light in it’s wake. Wow. What a vista. The stars shine quite steady tonight, there is little twinkling and the atmospere seems to be quite clean and dry; even the resident industry holds itself back and glares only discreetly. Fortunately the neighbourhood has gone to bed, everything is dark, only our street lamp dampens the joy. So I hide behind a convenient bush, take up the bioculars and start surveying.

Jupiter hangs big and lampion-like above the garage – a promising target. Orion is too low in the sky and too close to the industrial light-dome. Still, he is pretty, the celestial hunter. Even bow and bow hand are visible tonight. Diagonally above me Auriga and Taurus featuring the Pleiades and Hyades – one could all but pick celestial diamonds. Behind me, nearly immersed in the mist at the horizon Aquarius with M2, one might there, but no, to far below, nothing doing, too much mist. But the star-string of Gemini hangs in convenient height above the eastern neighbouring houses. Let’s take a look. There are Pollux, Castor, then counting the string and – bingo M35. Nicely visible tonight, even with the 10-fold.

Thus, the descision has been made, the telescope gets permission to come out. In order that I can use the viewfinder scope better I put up the picnic table in my dark corner, up there goes the telescope; I also gain more than enough of storage place.

 Jupiter first, he shows me pretty bands of clouds and his galilaean moons in interesting layout, one on the eastern, three on the western side, two thereof seemingly on top of each other, afterwards the Pleiades with minimum magnification, really beautiful. But then towards Gemini. Cleaning the viewfinder scope has really payed off. The view is still no revelation, but there is definitely more light coming through and there is more and that better visible. So now, were did Castor go? Ah, yes. Now counting, counting… I don’t see a thing – back and counting anew, I arrive sucessfully at ι Geminorum, short turn to the left (or west for heaven) – and voilà: M35. I am very happy, as it is a first for this year.

Now, who else is outside? Just above the houses, half hidden in the mist something red twinkles at me – that won’t be, indeed it’s him, Neighbourplanet Mars pays his respects. That would be a good opportunity. I try to catch the Red Planet with my optics, but he is to low in the sky, too much mist, nothing doing, I would have to wait for at least one hour for better chances. I decide to postpone visiting Mars onto another evening, it’s well into the night in the meantime, I’m cold and my fingers are protesting loudly. So I call it a night, pack up and go defrosting myself!