"Tis a joy to be simple, tis a joy to be free" or so the old Shaker hymn goes. That's my philosophy on most things, including astronomy and, especially, astronomy equipment. You might say I'm a minimalist at heart. That's why I love observing with an old 10x50 binocular or even just my two eyes as I recount all the myths and lore of the constellations overhead.

It also explains my love of Dobsonian telescopes. Could anything be simpler? No electronics, no computer, no alignment, no gears, levers or sophisticated machinery to get between you and the sky. Pretty much just wood and glass and a good star atlas to guide the way and not even that when visiting old friends such as Messier objects and my NGC favorites.

Could any telescope be as inexpensive and still provide such awesome performance? Not even close. It ain't fancy and it won't cause a techie to swoon, but a Celestron Starhopper 10" still comes in at $500 and will show you objects a fancy 5" computerized telesccan can only dream of. Chances are, when you run out of things to see with a 10" Dob under a dark sky, you'll be old like me.

After spending all day staring bleary eyed into a computer monitor, checking specs on products, researching more and more technical detail, tis really a joy to leave it all behind and just nudge an old Dob through its paces. To use anything else is almost like bring my work home with me.

Okay, I would never commit a sacrilege like stealing a birdfeeder. I do, however, borrow one, now and then, so to speak.

In my apartment, we are not even allowed to put up birdfeeders, so I have to take resort to covert operations to bring birds to my window. At night, I sneak out silently and broadcast black oil sunflower seed on the lawn in front of my walk-in patio door. The next day, I open the blinds and there on the lawn, I will see Juncos, doves and other typical groundfeeders. This is only an appetizer, however. For the main course, I have to borrow a bird feeder.

The nature preserves near me all have bird feeders, as do some of the backyards that front the local hike/bike trail. Most of these feeders are very active, so I take my Kowa 663 spotting scope, a chair and a thermos of coffee and zero in on the birdfeeders. Now and then, a fellow visitor will stop by out of curiosity to see what it is all about. Almost without exception, I get a "Wow! I never knew they looked that beuatiful" when they see a bird through the Kowa for the first time. Come to think about it, I don't know which I like more - seeing birds or sharing them with others - but I like to think that sharing is my way of paying for the use of the feeder. Stop by if you see me. It's free.

For us here at OpticsPlanet.net, a day off at this time of year is like a thirsty wanderer getting a drink of water in the desert. It is very much appreciated.

Since it is Thanksgiving, tomorrow, I just want to say thank you to all my wonderful customers over these last few years. I sincerely like working with people and helping them and that's what keeps me going through the long hours I put in each week. It's the way I feel deep down and for that I am ever grateful.

I have a lot of talents, or so I'm told, but a sense of direction is not one of them. In fact, I have yet to meet another human being who can so consistently get lost, even in her own neighborhood, as yours truly. I once even managed to get lost on an airplane and needed help to get back to my seat.

So I suspect my friends are all thinking about getting me a GPS unit for Christmas. That's great, but, girls, please keep it simple. I don't want something that talks or beeps at me. A map would be nice, but all I need is an arrow on the LCD screen which says, "This way, dummy!".

I'm not sure any GPS actually says that, but simple is always better and purse size would be best. I like the cute little Garmin Etrex Venture. It has the ability to download maps. Perhaps, now, I won't get lost when I take the garbage out or maybe I'll even be able to get back to the sale asile in the department store. Important things.

It's that time of year! You might think I'm referring to Thanksgiving and a holiday feast or, perhaps, Christmas trees or holiday music. Yes, all of that, to be sure, but around here, the holidays mean "telescopes". We sell more telescope in the months of November and December than all the rest of the year put together. That's a lot of telescopes!

Most of the questions I get about telescopes this time of year are the real basic stuff. What do the numbers mean? What is a reflector? What is a refractor? What can I see? For those folks, I added some articles to our website. The first is an article to read before you buy a telescope, How to choose the right telescope. This telescope article explains all the basics and is written with the beginner in mind. The second article is to be read before you take your new telescope out under the stars. Telescope FAQs, explains the basics of using a telescope, regardless of brand or type.

Some of the questions I get, though, are a bit off the wall and I sometimes wonder if they are for real. Can I see space junk on the moon? What do you recommend for seeing aliens? What's the best telescope to use at 1000x? When is Mars going to crash into the Earth? What kind of telescopes did the Mayans use? I am working on an article to answer these questions, but I confess, it probably won't be ready for this holiday season.

I arrived home last night from work after a tortuous drive and dragged myself out of the car, then began my weary journey to the front door of our apartment complex. First thing that dawned on my fuzzy mind was that the weather was warm, very pleasantly so. I took a deep breath of sweet air, stopped, then looked skyward. Directly overhead I could see the summer triangle. It was early in the evening, of course, so this group of stars had hours to go before they set. I even took a minute to look at Vega through my Nikon 5x15 HG monocular. Very good. The image was as flare free as I have seen it, even in very expensive telescopes.

This morning I was bright eyed and walking out to the car for the return trip to work. I stopped again, took a deep breath of sweet morning air, then heard the thin, delicate calls of Kinglets in the maple tree above. Geese were flying overhead and the next moment I found myself admiring them through the monocular. Guess I might as well just wear the little Nikon full time, as often as I use it.

Okay, this is November. Tomorrow will be a reality check with a return to cold rain and dark clouds above. Thank-you Earth Mother, though, for all your gifts these last few days.

My fellow product specialist and fellow astronomer here at OpticsPlanet.net, namely Bob, was good enough to bring his Celestron Refractor 80ED to see the transit of Mercury, today. Bob equipped his Celestron with a solar filter, set the scope up in the parking lot late this afternoon and started inviting employees out to see the big event.

Most employees had never seen Mercury before, so were happy to make its acquaintance, though it was little more than black dot against the immense disc of the sun. For Bob and I, it was as much a miracle to have a clear day as to see Mercury again, but seeing it against the sun was truly unforgettable.

The fall color show is almost over here in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, but the maples are making a great last stand. Seems hard to believe it is November, all the same. Guess I'm ready, though. The bicycle is mounted on a trainer in my living room, the car has been winterized (including a rebuilt alternator), my sweaters are ready and my Nikon sits by the door waiting patiently.

You see, winter is my favorite season for astronomy. The open clusters in Cassiopeia, Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, Canis Major, Monoceros et al on a cold winter night in a binocular make the finest gems look cheap. Of all the deep-sky wonders, this category of objects seem to be the least affected by the heavy light pollution of my urban skies. I never pass up a chance to view the Pleiades in my Nikon Premier SE 10x42 on a clear, dark night. I may not have diamonds in my jewelry box, but I do have them in the sky! Thank-you, Earth Mother.