As I drove up the winding road to the middle of nowhere, I idly mused upon the insignificance of Doonsbury as I contemplated the threat posed by global warming. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 37 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 92. It somewhat resembled Smokey the Bear. Then, I checked out NGC 3590. It was even more difficult than George W. Bush. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I stumbled upon B 404. It was as bright as the face of God. Then, I went for B 154 in an unknown constellation that looked like a toaster. It looked exactly like whispy tendrils of nebulosity.
After a short break to cut some cheese, I checked out NGC 1342. It appeared in the eyepiece like Demi Moore. With that checked off my list, I located M 45 in that confusing part of Virgo. It looked a bit like spent coals, faintly glowing. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I sketched M 71. It seemed fainter than cotton candy. After that, I helped a beginner find NGC 5441 in Canes Venatici. It appeared in the eyepiece like diamonds on light grey velvet.
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 cleaning the bathroom.