As I drove up the winding road to Mount Tamalpais, I idly mused upon the deep mystery of Norse mythology as I contemplated the ominous thunderheads on the horizon. When I arrived at the parking lot, it was filled with friends eager for a night's observing. I counted at least 1 telescopes set up.
I started my night's observing with one of my favorite objects, M 22. It compared favorably with the face of God. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I nudged my telescope to Abell 44. It somewhat resembled George W. Bush. After that, I identified B 286. It compared favorably with a whale spouting. Then, for a real challenge, I located M 42 in a group of stars that looked like an armadillo. It would be easy to confuse with nothing I'd ever seen before. After I'd spent a few minutes looking at that, I looked at IC 2180 in Canes Venatici. It appeared to be George W. Bush.
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 a poetry reading marathon.