I think Deep Sky Camp is off unless you have a good 4x4. we have just nearly bogged down in the mud and Mick got completely stuck by the gate. The gate entrance is now completely churned up.
ok we were not going to let a bit of water dampen our spirits. We have left our cars in the road and walked the kit down (apart from ian) and have set up the communal tent which we are currently in warm and dry :)
Thanks for keeping us informed, Mike
well the field now has 5 of us in it. we are currently sitting in the communal tent drinking tea and eating swiss roll :)
Mac, Mike, Ian, Mick....who is number 5?
What's wrong with the forum tonight? Why am I unable to read today's posts?
Anyway - it's 19:10 and I'm just leaving for DSC. See you there!
Hope THIS post gets through ...
believe it or not, Mick, the man with the mobile home, wimped out and went home the big puff.
Right now we have Paul, Ian, Mac, Dunc, Cris and I and Mark is on his way.
The magnificent 7
well i'm at home with a poorly dog, any excuse not to come eh!
So has Mac got his gen running....? I'm at home screaming at 4-kids doing my head in....... :-(
John
Nope. Far far to wet for electricity. Still nice warm cosy car. Hmmm it's a barmy 29c inside
Did you sleep in the car Mac?
Had to leave the car outside in the road - there's no way I could have got it through the muddy ruts left by Mick's Winniebago at the gate. So I walked my camping equipment into the field and camped both nights.
No astrophotography was done - the sky was 100% cloudy all weekend. But a good time was had by all.
Mark
Just got home. We had a total of 11 people turn up in the end with 6 of those camping over.
Despite there being no sign of any stars at all we still had a good time.
That was a very good result considering the weather & conditions
Where were you?
Friday was torrential at the time I would have been coming down.
I was on tenterhooks all weekend, thinking am I going to go or visit on Saturday. I only just about have the energy to put everything up when the car is on site. I would never have been able to carry it all from the car to the site in a lot of mud!!
I really do think there should be an award for all those people who attend very wet and cold DSC`s without doing any imaging or observing, who manage to stay cheerful under adverse conditions and who stay the complete weekend.
Perhaps it could be presented at the Christmas meeting and allow the wanna-goes.. but didn`t... the opportunity to applaud and congratulate those who were damp... and their long-suffering wives who have to be with their enthusiastic spouses.
QuoteI would never have been able to carry it all from the car to the site in a lot of mud!!
isnt your car a 4*4 ?
you wouldn't have noticed any mud.
a) You probably have the best car out of all of them to drive across a muddy field and
b) You could have come down minus kit for a visit or for dinner
Your as bad as Mick, who has a winibego to stay in, but said "I've had enough" after only being there half an hour and going home.
Mick has a medical condition & is waiting to go into hospital
Is that the reason why he couldn't stay?
I am thinking he would obviously not want to jeopardise his appointment, in a couple of weeks.
In my defence, in 15 years time, Mike, I think you would think again, going camping in those conditions :).
Fay
Just to let people know how bad it realy was. here are a few photos.
Someone trying to get in to the field.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/7.jpg)
After this, we decided not to park in the field.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/5.jpg)
A local lad after trying to help us out of the mud.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/3.jpg)
I gave up cycling, just a tad to slipery.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/6.jpg)
After the rain stopped we decided to call for help.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/2.jpg)
We finally found out where the sound of running water was coming from.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/1.jpg)
And to say it was cold, even the dog was trying to keep warm.
(http://www.macrhon.co.uk/website/oasphotos/dscnov08/4.jpg)
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Very good Mac :lol: :lol: :lol:
Lets not discuss Frodo being banned from the field :-(
Or the Pikey rabbit killers :o
Chris, can you discuss Frodo & pikey's.....................?
Sorry that information can only be divulged amongst those that attended DSC ;)
An extra special thanks must go to Mike and Cris who sacrificed the comfort of a cosy warm tent of their own so we could all have the benefit of a communal tent to sit in.
Thanks!
Mike - All I can say is heaven forbid the day you ever miss a DSC... whatever the reason....!
Chris - Looks like Frodo was full of energy - I thought he was ill..... you must have looked after him well on the Friday or it was the sight of those sheep that 'pepped' him up....
Mac - Very good - I guess judging by those photo's it could have been a lot worse.... :-) It actually didn't look too bad in the Frodo Vid.... :-)
Doug...
Quote
I really do think there should be an award for all those people who attend very wet and cold DSC`s without doing any imaging or observing, who manage to stay cheerful under adverse conditions and who stay the complete weekend.
WHY...? They do it of their own accord...
Still annoyed I couldn't make it down... looks like a fun time was had by all that attended...
Thks for the vids Mike...
John
where is the video?
QuoteMick has a medical condition & is waiting to go into hospital
QuoteIs that the reason why he couldn't stay?
I won't be going to hospital for a couple of weeks which is plenty of time to recover from pneumonia.
But when I couldn't get the van in the field with the rest of the troops, it all seemed rather pointless :(
And the thought of wandering back to the van through all the mud and sheep sh*t at god knows when o'clock was not very appealing :-?
At least watching the video I now know a possible reason for the vast amount of sheep sh*t - poor little sods :twisted:
Mac did point out that it will be much better in February as the mud will then be frozen :)
Quote from: JohnP on Dec 01, 2008, 19:50:20Mike - All I can say is heaven forbid the day you ever miss a DSC... whatever the reason....!
Chill! I'm teasing people :roll:
where is the video?
Mick, were those poor sheep in that field with no shelter?
At least the sheep were warmed up by all the running around. Probably added considerably to the depth of the sh*t while they were at it.
Mick, I see what you mean by, poor sheep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It did not look very muddy, I thought it would be like a quagmire!
If the farmer had been a different person, he would have shot Frodo
He attempted some swift kicks with his wellies and kicked a football at him. I think next time it will be his trusty 12 gauge.
I think they have a right to shoot dogs pestering their sheep. Also one one the sheep could have broken his leg when tumbling. Chris would have had a £500 lamb bill!!!!!!
Chris, I expected you to be more agile in the rounding up of Frodo, you could have thrown yourself through the air & landed on top of him..................perhaps. Now that would have been a good video :lol:
QuoteI think they have a right to shoot dogs pestering their sheep
quite true, but it was a registered campsite so that might have been an issue!!
QuoteAlso one one the sheep could have broken his leg when tumbling. Chris would have had a £500 lamb bill
Ture, but we would have had a fantastic sunday roast. :cheesy:
Oh, so do you think that sheep should not be in the field?
Mac, you are naughty, about the roast :lol:
Well I for one definitely wish the sheep weren't in the field... it's a right pain kneeling down to do your polar alignment & putting your knee right in a pile of sheep ***t.... I guess there is nowt we can do about it if we don't want to change fields..
(seem to remember having this discussion before...)
John
We were having a discussion about finding an alternative location for DSC. If the condition shad been a little bit worse we would not have been able to hold it at all. During the summer months we coudl always decamp up to Woodlands camp site which is nearby but that is obviously not open all year round.
We need to start looking for an alternative place to stay, preferably with better facilities (not that this one has any at all) and tarmacced parking.
That would be good Mike.
QuoteOh, so do you think that sheep should not be in the field?
Well there was a huge amount of sheep poo, compared to the last camps,
and what with the rain and mud, its was probably not the best places
for hygene.
I dont object to the sheep in the field, but i think that there must be some sort of comprimise,
as it is a registered camp site with the caravan club (that's what the sign says).
If it was just his field and we were paying to use it, then thats a different matter.
Mac.
What I meant, Mac, was, is it the rule that should sheep not really be in a designated camping field?
In case you thought I was asking your opinion :D
In fairness to Frodo, the sheep should not really have been there.
The field was rented as a campsite, as the Caravan Club state, not as a pasture.
That's how I understand it anyway ;)
There are quite a few campsites in the Kent, Sussex area, and I seem to remember one that is open all year and has a bar :) - that might have been a dream though :lol:
I will check my "Big Book of Sh*tless Campsites"
well i just watched the video's again DSC classics, oh well shame me and the dog are banned now!
Quote from: JohnP on Dec 01, 2008, 19:50:20
Chris - Looks like Frodo was full of energy - I thought he was ill..... you must have looked after him well on the Friday or it was the sight of those sheep that 'pepped' him up....
If he was fit we would have had fresh mutton for tea!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: