In the backyard

I came home from work and the afternoon was so beautiful--mare's tales clouds, a setting sun, a cool breeze, and a lush greenness born of the four inches of rain we've had in the past few days. Perfect weather for doodling around in the backyard with the camera.















The 'Better Boy' and 'Early Girl' were somewhat disappointing this year. The Girls were small, not very sweet, and tended to rot quickly. Maybe I'll go back to 'Celebrity' next year again, like last year.















The 'Sweet Million' continues to give us all it's got.
















Even the zucchini, which survived its repeated early encounters with hungry bunnies (not Niblet--some little Eastern cottontails), is still sassy. We've gotten some zucchini two feet long, man. That little plant's got it goin' on.















Despite a severe bee/wasp allergy, there's nothing sweeter than watching little honeybees do their thing in the flowers. Here, a little honeybee pollenates my way-gone-to-seed basil.















The last of the echinacea flowers that still looks pretty. I love that beautiful magenta color, and how the spiky centers of the flowers contrast with the soft petals.















Ignore the disgusting cigarette butts--is this a monarch caterpillar preparing to cocoon? I'd better dump out Kat's ashtray as carefully as possible to prevent the onset of pre-natal monarch lung cancer.















In the nasturtiums, which always remind me of my mother and my 'buelita (my grandmother in Mexico who passed away when I was young). Their sweet scent just makes me warm inside.















Check out our raspberries! Yum!

There are these weird white fuzzy-ish worms on this plant on the fenceline. Here's a (blurry) close-up photo of one of them:

They're not really fuzzy--they look more powdery, like a powdered donut. They also move very fast, if that helps in the ID process.... well, they're fast for caterpillars, anyway.
















While we're playing "tell me what this is" what is this flower? Locally, they call them "snapdragons" but I've seen snapdragons, and these ain't it. I think they're called that because the seedpods, when they're ready, burst and shoot their little seeds out at the slightest touch. I love playing with them, watching the little pods just snap and spray those seeds. I feel like I'm helping the plant, like the bees who pollenate it.















A sure sign that fall is coming--the mums are huge and the blooms are beginning to open. Yeah, baby--I love the autumn!















The pear tree's limbs are bending low, heavy with fruit. Last year, we didn't get very many at all, but this year--we've got 'em coming out our ears. Yum again.















Slugs simultaneously disgust me and fascinate me. Something cool about a snail going around without his house on, hangin' tough, braving the elements.

Well, I may have set the record for number of photos in one post--certainly a personal best, anyway. I'll leave you with a few photos of the different-colored marigolds that surround my vegetable garden.

Beaming with Pride

For all my shortcomings and wrong turns and misguided notions about scope-building and optics, I have gotten a compliment from Astronomy Boy that's left me beaming with pride and feeling inspired. I asked him to look at the rainbow-connection photos through the scope, and he wrote back:

"I am impressed with the pictures of the scope itself. It really looks like a telescope! If you can get a decent objective, you'll be in business, I'm sure."

Aw shucks.

Discoveries

After writing to the great people at Surplus Shed, I've discovered the reasons for the rainbow view through the scope. According to Fred Lamothe, the objective is an achromat, but not for visual use. He says it may have been corrected for some military purpose, but as a scope objective--it's not. Plus my idea of the single-lens eyepiece? Not good either. Put these factors together, and you get Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, my friends.

So I've asked Fred to help me find suitable lenses. Perhaps if I had done this in the beginning, I'd be taking photos right now through my scope.

Updates coming soon on what Fred finds.

Full-Bore Horror Show

I promised pictures taken through the scope prototype, so here they are. I warn you--if you're drunk or feeling a little ill, these might push you over the edge.

Picture 1 is a view through the scope (with vignetting left for full effect) of a large oak across the marsh.I'll add a view of this same tree through my 9x35 binocs as contrast:

Note the increased magnification of the scope view--along with enough false color to power the sun for a few million years.

How about another view through the Psycho-scope, shall we?

The careful observer will see what might be labeled as ghosts by the paranormally inclined. However, it's actually a snapshot of cornstalks. Sigh.

Those ghosts can be slippery.

More corn, anyone?
Yeah. . . pass the peyote.

So you see my dilemma. The worst part is that, in some sort of unverse-taunting-me kind of trick, I went on the Surplus Shed site and saw these:
The description: 20x80 Konusvue Series Binoculars CTD with case. Price: $89.95. That's right--20X magnification with an 80mm objective. Wow.

Now I know what you're thinking--you're thinking, "No! Don't back down now! You've come so far!" And yes, I have come a long way from the days of getting lenses but not knowing how to mount them, the prospect of a 32-inch spotting scope monster, baby-pea-sized lenses and utter disappointment. But gees, this is getting ridiculous.

I did find a fascinating tutorial on optics and all the things that can go wrong with them, courtesy of an online microscopy primer. (man, since I figured out to how add links to text, I've been kinda over-doing it, haven't I?) I'm trying to read and understand that jibbah-jabbah so I can maybe improve upon the performance of the psycho-scope.

Still, it's so tempting to just get those big, powerful binoculars (which feature a mounting bracket and everything!) and just consider my little scope a project in progress. A little hobby. A learning experience on my road to greater knowledge. I've probably put in about $100 on the scope so far, with no real end in sight, quite honestly--given this whole chromatic aberration thing. I could just get the binocs, call it a birthday present (9/15--coming up fast), and then get my camera and be on the road to the cover of National Geographic!

And yet--what of the thrill of having built it myself? What of the hours of learning and fun I've had? What of the whole "it's not worth anything if it comes easy" work ethic?

What should I do?

I suppose I'll ask Kat tonight when she gets home from work.

Keep good thoughts in your heads for me, folks. This could turn ugly.

What others are saying about Bush

o

Katrina anniversary posts you won't want to miss:

My Left Wing:
Hoax in NOLA to Expose The Truth

Tennessee Guerilla Women:
Remembering Katrina & The Distant Decider

The Huffington Post:
Katrina : A Timeline

Bush Incapable of Telling the Truth

Scientists give Bush a way out ... but instead the President says 'no way' to life saving stem cell research. The Washington Post has harsh words for the president ... and so should you.
_________________________

A Way Out?
Scientists might now be able to harvest stem cells without harming embryos.

Monday, August 28, 2006

WHEN PRESIDENT Bush restricted federal funding for stem cell research in 2001, he claimed he opposed "providing taxpayer funding that would sanction or encourage further destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life." Last week, the scientific community addressed Mr. Bush's expressed moral concern in a study reported in the journal Nature, revealing a new method for extracting embryonic stem cells that its backers say poses no additional risk to human embryos.

But instead of embracing the potential of the new procedure, which might be a way of advancing stem cell research without destroying potential humans, the president registered his concerns about using any new embryonic material for scientific research. "Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical concerns. This technique does not resolve those concerns," the White House said. "The President is hopeful that with time scientists can find ways of deriving cells like those now derived from human embryos but without the need for using embryos."

Later, a White House spokeswoman tried to backpedal, insisting that Mr. Bush is waiting for expert reviews of the study's findings before making any final judgments. Yet the president's initial statement on the matter indicates that he will search for new -- and far less convincing -- reasons to keep federal coffers shut from stem cell researchers.

The new method of gathering stem cells involves taking a single cell from a young embryo of around eight cells, a procedure that does not kill the embryo as earlier methods of stem cell extraction did, said Robert Lanza, the lead researcher. According to Ronald M. Green, director of Dartmouth College's Ethics Institute, the new method allows researchers to create stem cells as byproducts of a standard procedure in fertility clinics. There doctors often take one cell from eight-cell embryos to test for genetic defects such as Down syndrome. The rest of the embryo can grow into a normal human child, according to all available scientific evidence. Instead of immediately conducting the genetic test on the extracted cell, doctors can allow it to multiply overnight, use one of the resulting cells for the genetic analysis and create brand-new stem cell lines from the others.

As with any scientific breakthrough, the country has to wait for other scientists to successfully repeat the experiment to verify that the procedure will work. Researchers should also be prepared to respond to critics of the landmark scientific report, such as Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Bishops. But if this new process is demonstrated to be viable, Mr. Bush can easily articulate rules that would allow federal funding for research on stem cells gathered harmlessly when cells are to be taken for genetic testing anyway. Then stem cell research on a range of debilitating and deadly diseases could finally proceed faster in the United States. On the other hand, sticking to his disappointing rhetoric of last week would unfairly raise the ethical bar Mr. Bush set in 2001 for America's stem cell scientists and continue to stunt the growth of this valuable field of study.

More about the scope prototype

Because I can't just leave it alone, I'm going to post some pics I took through the scope (sorta) with my camera phone (I left Niki's digital cam in the car, and Kat has the car).

Here, we have a photo taken through just the objective lens tube, no eyepiece and no diagonal:














Click on the photo to see the bigger view of it. Do you see the chromatic aberration on the Adirondack chair?

Here's another one:














It's hard to see in this photo--though you can kinda see it in the pear tree branches in front of the white outhouse and in the treeline against the horizon.

Still, this is nothing compared to the view through the assembled scope--remember Jan Brady's crazy red-white-and-blue-striped pants? Well, the view through the scope is even groovier than that, folks. I'll post a pic of that later, once Kat gets home with the digital camera. I'll warn you, though--it's going to blow your mind. The pine trees never looked so crazy, man.

I really don't quite understand the physics of it. I know that light bends, and different colors bend differently, but this is just ridiculous. It's impossible to view anything through the scope. This is a big set-back. I hope someone can help me figure it out. I just don't know what to do. Is there some sort of filter I can use? Or do I need to get yet another objective lens of a different type?

Monty the Magnificent

I've always been partial to praying mantids for many reasons. They're beneficial insects, eating aphids and other little pests, and they're kinda cool-looking. I love to find little baby mantids on my plants; they're so cute!

Today, however, I found a GIANT praying mantis on my gone-to-seed parsley plant:














In my book, all praying mantids should be named Monty. This Monty, however, is the biggest one I've ever seen. Maybe he doesn't look that big standing there in the parsley. But check this out:














Here he is with my hand next to him to give the view some perspective. I will admit, my hand is pretty small--probably not much longer than 6" going from base of palm to tip of middle finger. Still, that bugger's HUGE--4" at least. Note the aggressive-looking waving of his little arms in the air! Maybe he's a she--and she's pondering making quick work of my pinky!

I once read an article on the web about praying mantids actually attacking and killing hummingbirds. I bet Monty the Magnificent here could spear him a little hummer with no problems. That's pretty scary; I hope Monty sticks with little insect pests.

Homemade Scope: The Protoype

I've completed the first prototype of my spotting scope--FINALLY.

Here's a photo. Just remember to be kind--for several reasons:
1. I have a master's in English, not physics or astronomy or engineering.
2. This is only a prototype--it's going to be rough.
3. My feelings are rather tender after this two-month-long process!
4. The photos were taken with my camera phone--I'm sure that's got to make the scope look much worse than it is!















Here are some exploded views:














This is the scope all apart.

Note the high-tech features:
1. eyepiece is made of two small coin-like slices of wood with holes bored in them














2. it's just shoved into the 1-1/4" opening of the diagonal (no photo of this--it's too embarassing)

3. the focusing is just the smaller piece of PVC covered with felt, with the larger PVC sliding on it
















4. the objective is actually taped to the PVC pipe, because I didn't have anything that would hold it on there in a secure fashion. This is actually quite secure--if a little silly.














What can I tell you? It's a prototype; I'm planning to make some refinements. I mean, I'm sure Galileo didn't get his scope right the first time, right?

Obviously, the eyepiece really needs help. I need to get some special drill bits though, and a 1-1/4" metal pipe to mount it onto the diagonal. Still efforting those items, though.

Further, the objective needs a better mounting. Not to mention the chromatic aberration I'm getting from the objective lens. It's an achromat, but it's giving me this wild psychedelic rainbow halo around everything. Not good. Still trying to figure out what's up with that, with the help of Astronomy Boy Jeff DeTray. I may have to find another objective lens. Can anyone help me with a better recommendation that's NOT a $350 apochromat lens?

The important thing is that I'm finished with the prototype, and now it's just a matter of fine-tuning. Then I'll have to finally decide on a camera (still vacillating between several models), make an adapter, then couple the cam to the final version of the scope.

Hopefully without the acid-flashback rainbows. . . . Not that I would know. Seriously, I'm more "just say no" than Nancy Reagan ever hoped to be.

Don't Mess with Mayerik

It's back to school in Hammond, Indiana ... well, at least for some of the students. Morton High School principal Theresa Mayerik sent 128 students packing on the first day of classes. The students were suspended for wearing "inappropriate outfits" to school. The students suspended represented more than 10 percent of the 1,200 student body.

So what were the kids wearing?

According the The Associated Press the offending attire included:

. . . baggy pants, low-cut shirts, tank tops and graphic T-shirts -- are banned from classrooms. Students were also cited for cell phone use.

"This was the worst year I've seen in a long time," said Principal Theresa Mayerik. "It's gotten out of control, and we needed to send a message that we're not messing around."

The school typically has 20 or so dress code violations per day.

School board members said they supported Mayerik's decision.

"I'd be supportive if half the school was sent home, because 99 percent will get the message our schools are for education," board president Rebecca Ward said.

Having attended public school in Indiana I see nothing wrong with setting dress code standards. I am over 30, so I guess I have officially entered the generation that younger people can no longer trust. Have a good school year Principal Mayerik.

Sunday Funnies

o

Let's talk about sex . . .

It's doubtful that any conversation about sex begins with "well, in Alabama they ..." but maybe it should. Some pretty kinky things have happened in the state over the past decade.

Remember the 1998 law passed in Alabama outlawing the sale of vibrators? My favorite report on this came from Wendy Kaminer in The American Prospect who wrote:

". . . Alabama criminalized the sale of vibrators and other 'devices designed or marketed as primarily useful for the stimulation of human genital organs.' Legislators in Alabama apparently consider masturbation immoral, although I doubt that they approach the issue with clean hands."

Well, those wacky folks are at it again -- only this time they have decided to toss in the issue of race to spice up the pot!

It seems that lesbian candidate Patricia Todd won the Democratic primary runoff for a seat in the Alabama Legislature last month. The New York Times reports:

With no Republican opponent, Ms. Todd seemed poised to become what political observers said would be the first openly gay officeholder in state history.

But instead, it is the fact that she is white, in a majority black district in Birmingham, that has become the burning issue. One of the state’s most powerful Democrats, who had earlier urged voters not to support Ms. Todd because she is white, is backing a challenge to her nomination that could end her candidacy.

Does anyone really believe a state that would outlaw vibrators is going to let a lesbian sit in the state legislature?

“This is really not about race,” Ms. Todd said in a telephone interview as she traveled to Montgomery for the hearing. “This is about Joe Reed controlling the party and trying to get his way, and he’s just a bully.”

Looks like it's going to be a while before the glass ceiling for lesbians and gays is broken in Alabama.

Terrorist Camp Launched in US

Where is Homeland Security when you need them? It seems the same Roman Catholic priest who encouraged Terri Schiavo's parents to fight their daughters wishes not to be kept alive in a permanent vegetative state is now building a home for activist priests who want to deny women the right to safe and legal abortion.

The Associate Press reports that the group, called the Missionaries of the Gospel of Life, has broken ground in Amarillo, TX, on a center designed to train priests in anti-abortion activity -- including clinic protests. The Rev. Frank Pavone, head of the advocacy group Priests for Life, founded the organization.

"This is not a response to some kind of political problem or a misguided court decision," Pavone told about 150 people attending the groundbreaking for the first of eight buildings planned for the center. "This is a response to Jesus Christ."

A letter from President Bush in support of the center also was read.

Members will include clergy and lay associates who will study Catholic teaching on abortion, euthanasia and other issues, and receive training in anti-abortion advocacy that could include the legal limits on clinic protests.

If there is one thing the women in this country don't need it's a training camp for clinic terrorists.

Niblet in the garden, part 2

We continue with the story of Nibble running around in the garden.

He's such a sweet little baby; I never tire of watching him. He's standing up here, trying to figure out what that strange noise is next door--the dog is barking. He's never heard this before.

I'll leave you with this photo, taken only seconds before he demanded that we stop taking pictures of him. He needs his private life to stay private.

"What is this, Hollywood? Turn off that camera! I might need to poo, and for that I'll need my privacy!"

Niblet in the garden!

Niblet had his first outdoor adventure the other night in our garden. I don't have a harness for him, because I've been terrified to take him outside--I have fears of him slipping out and running off, going native with some lady cottontail.

However, our garden is fenced-in, so we took him out to nibble on the lettuce and whatever else he decided to taste.
Here he is, disapproving of the weeds I've allowed to grow wild in the garden paths.

"I understand Cinnamon now. I see why she disapproves of her mother so much. You humans are very strange, and you need disapproval in the worst way! Weed this garden, you lazy human!"








He loved exploring -- though he started out a little timid, just hanging out in the dirt under the cherry tomatoes ('Sweet Million'):















He found his courage and began to wander down the garden paths.


Look at his little bum! He's just the cutest little bunny in the world.


Surprisingly, he didn't take advantage of this opportunity to eat every leaf of lettuce in sight, despite the fact that inside, he'll eat every bit of it that I'll give him.

I guess he was too busy checking out this new place.



For some reason, Blogger has decided that I've posted enough photos of Nibble in the garden. It keeps giving me the "done" window, but no photo appears. Hmph. I'll try a new post--part two of "Niblet in the garden" to come!

Partial Victory in Morning After Pill Debate

Sound science finally trumped ideology in a partial victory for women as the Food and Drug Administration approves over-the-counter sales of the "morning-after" pill. Religious Right zealots have long pressured policy makers to prevent women from having access to a drug that is simply an increased dose of the commonly prescribed birth control pill. The FDA today announced that Plan B will become available over-the-counter, but only to women 18 years and older. Their decisions leaves out young women.

And while it will be available over-the-counter to women 18 years and older, it will be stored behind the counter. Will some women have to face pharmacists who would rather dispense morality lectures that contraception?

Dr. Susan Wood, former Assistant Commissioner for Women's Health and Director of the Food and Drub Administration Office of Women's Health resigned her position in 2005, in protest over the agency's handling of the application for over-the-counter status. Dr. Wood spoke to attendees at this year's NOW national conference about "how important it is that we make our health policy decisions based on science and medicine and not on anything else."

In other words scientific decisions should be based on sound scientific data, not ideology. I agree!
____________________________________

‘Morning After’ Pill Is Cleared for Wider Sales

By GARDINER HARRIS
The New York Times
August 24, 2006

The Food and Drug Administration today approved over-the-counter sales of the “morning-after” contraceptive pill to women 18 and older.
The Announcement (fda.gov)

Wake Up TODAY

The Today show featured back-to-back segments this morning that seemed to be telling young girls -- forget about empowerment, it's time for you to go back into the "little girl closet."

It started with Natalie Morales interviewing Seventeen magazine Editor-in-Chief Atoosa Rubenstein for a piece entitled "Power Girls: Empowerment Gone Too Far?" That caught my attention. It seems young girls are smoking more, drinking and using drugs more, and calling each other "bad names."

Rubenstein's solution? For girls to get back in touch with their feminine side. Commenting on all the strife in the world today, Rubenstein thinks girls (read women) need to remember that it is their nature to be mediators, to bring people together ... that girls (read women) need to get back in touch with the caretaker inside them.

As if this weren't enough, Today followed this segment with a woman showing us how to cook, the Radio City Rockettes demonstrating that if a woman must work outside the home the only acceptable job is showing off your legs to entertain us (read men) and finally, a special segment Today Plans a Wedding.

God forbid we empower girls -- the clear message from Today is that women need to stay in the kitchen, be decorative, and find "Mr. Right" and settle down.

I think a better idea would be to air a segment talking about how women outnumber men in higher education. That increasing numbers of women are entering professional fields of medicine and law. And, if the we REALLY want to put an end to all the strife in the world we should be electing women to positions of power!

Young girls today do have a lot more options because of the struggles of the modern day women's movement. But all the gains made over the past 40 years are in jeopardy. If we are to secure opportunity for women and girls we need to celebrate women's empowerment -- not try and shove women back into a "Father Knows Best" closet.

When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts

"These are not people who will disappear quietly - they're accustomed to hardship and slights, and they'll fight for New Orleans."
- Director Spike Lee

When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts

As the world watched in horror, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Like many who watched the unfolding drama on television news, director Spike Lee was shocked not only by the scale of the disaster, but by the slow, inept and disorganized response of the emergency and recovery effort. Lee was moved to document this modern American tragedy, a morality play witnessed by people all around the world. The result is WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS. The film is structured in four acts, each dealing with a different aspect of the events that preceded and followed Katrina's catastrophic passage through New Orleans.

All four acts will air on Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (more)

Still can't load photos

This is getting old--I'm still having trouble uploading photos. Oh, Blogger, get it fixed!

Exciting news: my lenses arrived. I still need to get tubes, etc. and put this together, but I should be up and running by next week! I'm also shopping for digital cameras, and I've decided on two models (I'm buying two--one for me, one for Kat):

Sony DSCS60 (or maybe the 90)
Nikon Coolpix L4

If anyone reading this knows of any reason to NOT get either of these for digiscoping, please let me know!

And now I'm gonna try to upload a photo of Niblet, just to see if this crazy Blogger will let me. . .

Nope. Still won't let me load. I tried saving the photo down to low dpi and size, but still no dice. Grr.

Fight the Religious Right

Allow Us Our Anger: Church to Female: Sit down and Shut Up

by: irishwitch
Mon Aug 21, 2006 at 11:46:57 AM PDT
from My Left Wing

(Because the war against women in this country needs to be seen for what it is, shameless. If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention. - promoted by caliberal)

Those wild and crazy fundamentalist Baptists are at it again. The preacher at the First Baptist Church, one Reverend Timothy LaBoeuf, of Watertown, N.Y., told Mary Lambert that she could no longer serve as a Sunday School teacher at the church.

From CNN:

The First Baptist Church dismissed Mary Lambert on August 9 with a letter explaining that the church had adopted an interpretation that prohibits women from teaching men. She had taught there for 54 years.The letter quoted the first epistle to Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

** the full story **

My first digiscoping adventure--sorta

Last week, it occurred to me that I could digiscope through my old Leupold binoculars (9x35) and my pal Niki's HP digital camera. Not great power on the binocs, but what the heck? I thought I'd give it a try and see what happened.

I went out in the backyard to snap some photos of the baby herons, which were sunning themselves in the evening's golden sun. Unfortunately, I got out there later than I wanted to, so that golden sun didn't last too long. I am not happy with the quality, but it was my first time. Here's the result:

UPDATE: Hey! I'm getting to upload photos! Here's the first pic:


I captured two of the three juvenile herons in their little tree--I circled them because the focus is so bad they're just two blobs. Mother was nowhere in sight--though she could've been watching from the nest or a nearby tree.

The photos are pretty dark, but I guess I expected that, as I went out pretty late in the afternoon. However, the focus is ridiculously bad--which I don't understand. The view through the binocs was good, but the camera didn't capture the image in focus. Admittedly, my "rig" was not exactly top-flight. I set the binocs on a fencepost and held the camera to the right eyepiece. When I make my scope (update forthcoming on that!), I'll definitely rig an adapter and use a tripod or monopod to stabilize everything.

As I got shots of the herons, I turned to see a hummingbird flitting among the wildflowers at the back fence near the platform feeder. He perched on a branch and just sat there--despite my presence only 20 feet or so away. I guess maybe he thought I was a fencepost? So I sloooooowly turned my body and the binocs and captured a few shots of him. Actually, I'd say it was a her--she was rather plain: an off-white breast and brown back, long downward-curved beak. No distinguishing marks that I could see.

I got a few photos of her, but these too are not very in-focus.

I tried different "mode" settings on the camera (landscape, portrait, etc.--which offer preset f/stop and aperture settings). Nothing really helped much. Still not in focus, and you can see an obvious camera-shake effect. Perhaps that's my problem? Not to mention some obvious camera shake.


Here, I got some decent focus, after zooming back on the camera and allowing vignetting:
















The next night, I tried again--but no herons! Still, I did get a tufted titmouse at the platform feeder. These photos were not much better, though the lighting was better.



I love watching tufted titmice eat--holding the sunflower seed between their feet and pecking away at it to get at the nut. Their cries are quite unmelodic, but they're sweet birds.

My lenses are in at the mailbox place, and I'm hoping to pick them up tonight and start working on the scope. Oh, the joys of 20X magnification--here I come!