This site contains some of the thoughts and experiences I have had while enjoying this wonderful hobby. Amateur Astronomy is a life long love and pursuit from which I have never made a dime. However the riches I have gained are to me as far reaching as the infinite night above. Enjoy!

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There are several areas of amateur astronomy which have interested me. First I am primarily a visual observer, preferring to look directly through the telescope rather than use a camera. I have also built several telescopes including an 18" Newtonian dobsonian. Be sure to check out the Telescope Making sub-page. I have written several essays on amateur astronomy and had them printed in newsletters and periodicals over the years. Also included are samples of my photography. Another page includes some links to other sites including the Central Arkansas Astronomical Society of which I am a member. One of my concerns is light pollution, so I have constructed a page to cover my thoughts here. In 2002 I visited the Okie-Tex Starparty and have created a page about my trip. In May 2001 I travled to the Texas Star Party and other points in the southwest. I gave a talk on this at the 2001 MSRAL convention in Conway, AR. The link above connects to an html version of my Power Point presentation.

My latest project is building a Teardrop Trailer for Starparties

Here are some shots from the recient Mulberry Mountain Starparty.

The photo at right ran in the January 23, 1980 Northwest Arkansas Times. At that time I was a member of the Northwest Arkansas Astronomical Society. The paper did a story on us and photographed one of our starparties held near Fayetteville, AR. I think you will notice that back then I had a little more hair. The telescope was made of redwood with plywood rings. It exists no more, but some of the optics have been reincarnated into a new dob. The mount is German Equatorial and is made from pipe fittings.