At one point I had bid a development system for the Keck control system.
I was really looking for ward to the site installation for that one.
didn't get the contract
it's actually a really cool system with a deformable membrane and several hundred actuators to maintain optical clarity.
it takes hundreds of processors to crunch the data and make corrections.

 

I better understand your thought process now. However, this is where your logic goes a bit out the window. To answer your question: On the Kona (West / dry) side of the island. The Kona side is of the Big Island is the dry side, dessert like in appearance. This is counter intuitive as unlike the other Hawaiian islands the western sides are the wet sides. However, the Big Island is the eastern most island and by the time the clouds moving from the west to east get to the Big Island they have dropped all their moisture on the other islands. The Hilo (eastern) side of the Big Island is the wet side, additionally the Kilauea volcano creates steam which contributes to a micro climate on the Hilo side of the island.

On the Kona side, one can experience the same type of dessert conditions that you have experienced at or very close to sea level as the humidity is very low. There is a highway along the western side of Mauna Kea that varies in altitude from about two thousand to about six thousand feet or the infamous "Saddle Road" that runs West to East across the northern side of Mauna Kea from the Kona side to Hilo that is quite a drive, it varies in altitude and is miles away from any light sources. It is a great drive with the top down, but a lousy road for an S. As the volcanic activity causes the road to shift and buckle. Many car rental companies have right in one's rental agreement that one is forbidden to take the vehicle on the Saddle Road.

 

Believe me, I understand that sentiment.

I have some equipment shipping to Hickam AFB on Oahu this month and would love to go over to install it. But alas, this equipment is considered to be self installable by the end user.

 

^ Okay, Matt. Now I believe you may have found a great place for star gazing.

 

It's twue, it's twue!

 

Here in Phoenix, the daytime temps are still above 100 normally, and the nighttime temps are in the 70's, but in Payson, about an hour and half away from Scottsdale, the daytime temps are in the high 70's and the nighttime temps are in the 40's. Last Saturday night when I was there, it was incredibly clear.

I was in Payson today as the horses were being shod. It is about 75 miles from driveway to driveway and a change in elevation from about 1500 ft ASL to 5100 ft ASL. The road is twisty with lots of 6% grades up and down. I took the S for the first time in a long time. I took my dog also. We drove up and most of the way back with the top down. The drive was magnificent.

It was so hard getting back in the car to come back down the hill back to Phoenix, but we are looking at dogs to replace our border collie that died in February, and the first of the dogs came by this evening.

 

That sounds like the weather we hope to have next week in CO. The Payson weather, that is. We'll be stopping in Phoenix on our way, but just in the airport for a couple of hours. Sorry we won't see you in Durango.

Maybe, since Jim's cabin is out 20 miles outside Durango, we will see lots of stars. Are you getting another collie?

 

AZ had some of the best star gazing skies we have ever seen.

The other night it was pretty clear in our neck of the woods and we are pretty sure we had a view of the space station, either that or the martians are closer than we think.

We know it wasn't a plane by the way it moved, and it wasn't a star as we both think we saw some colored lighting.... anyone else see what we did?

 

He isn't coming? I thought he was on the list Jim sent out.


I think the stars will be great at Jim's except for all the tree in the way. Oh, and a full moon on Monday, Oct 4th will drown out some dimmer ones.

 

I'm not sure yet. I know it is getting late, but I have a job interview (ostensibly) in Worster, MA next week. If I get back early enough, I will go to Durango, but if I don't get back unitl Friday night, it is kind of ridiculous to try to drive to Durango and arrive Sat night to turn around and come back on Sunday.

Caution - thread hijack in progress.

My current job situation is:

I received an offer from a small company in Houston at the end of July. I turned it down because the money wasn't there - they offered about 20% less than I made at Pall.

A small company in south Carolina asked me to start doing some work for them, so I am working for them part time (my choioce) and doing some consulting work as well.

I just interviewed in Tulsa last week and have been told I will get an offer from them. It is a good job with a good company, but would entail moving to Tulsa.

The work I am doing for the South Carolina company would allow us to stay here, as would the job for the company in Worster. MA.

I have been trying to get into one of the solar companies around here (I have a solar energy background), but have gotten zero response to my resume. So if anyone knows people at Sterling Energy or Kyocera Solar or First Solar, let me know .

I am really struggling with staying here and working by myself again or taking the job in Tulsa and working with a group. I find that after 16 years of working by myself, I really miss the social interaction that comes from working with a group of people. On the other hand, picking up and moving from an area that we love at this stage of life is a daunting thought.

OK thread hijack has ended.