Scope

Daddy Daddy, can we look at the stars through your telescope tonight?

Hmm... Well it would be a bit late darling but heck, why not.

And thus I found myself and my daughter out in the back garden waaaaay past her bedtime with my admittedly rather kak telescope.

It was a bit chilly and we were both wrapped up. My daughter was mad eyed from tiredness and staring up at the sky in awe.

So many stars!!

I looked up at the nicotine tinged sky and thought the opposite.

It's not the most perfect night for it lass but there are a few yes.

Will we be able to see the sun tonight?

Er, no lass. The sun is on the other side of the planet so its not visible. That's why it's dark.

I admired my patience at that explanation. I was regretting letting her stay up so late and had had dire warnings from the good lady that if our lass was a screaming banshee the next day I was getting it in the neck.

I intended to keep my neck entirely safe by keeping our star gazing session quite short.

I set up the fiddly telescope on the table which sat in the middle of the lawn. It was a fiddly fiddly thing. Whilst I adjusted several bobs and cogs my daughter was whirling around face upwards in a circle.

Daddy, can we look at the moon then?

We most certainly can lass. In fact with this thing the moon is our best bet.

I finished setting it up with a flourish. Peering through the scope I saw the moon in almost perfect detail. It was amazing and no mistake. I called my daughter over.

Have a look lass.

I exclaimed proudly, hoping that the azimuth turntable thingy was turning properly and we wouldn't be faffing around trying to find the moon every twenty seconds.

She looked through it. For a brief moment her face lit up with awe. Then it crumpled into puzzlement.

Daddy why can't I see the all of it?

It's not a full moon tonight darling. It will be in about a week I think.

That's rubbish. I want to see the full moon. NOW

I can't just magic the moon into appearing lass.

I don't want half a moon. I want the full moon. I want the full moon NOW daddy NOW!

We can come out another time lass, maybe it will be full at the weekend.

I don't want to see the moon at the weekend. This is rubbish. Your telescope is rubbish daddy. The moon is rubbish.

She threw herself off the chair and headed indoors where the good lady was waiting.

I sat down with my rubbish telescope and looked at the rubbish moon and smiled.

It's a good life.