As I drove up the winding road to Pacheco, I idly mused upon the socioeconomic impact of Dilbert as I contemplated the fleecy clouds, hoping they would clear. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 0 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 24. It looked like a spitting cobra. With that checked off my list, I sought M 61 in Canis Major. It somewhat resembled nothing I'd ever seen before. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I identified NGC 2984. It looked like a little triangle. Next, I looked at M 92. It appeared as diamonds on black velvet. Then, I tried for Abell 73. It was like Miss Piggy.
Finally, it was time to pack up and leave. As I drove home, I contemplated the events of the night, and realized that any night out under the sky with good friends is better than looking at another first attempt to image the Lagoon Nebula.