The Traveling Widower

Tag: astrophotography

  • Enough Already

    April 13, 2026

    A man standing in front of Delicate Arch in a rain-soaked landscape, wearing a plastic cover over his camera, with another camera on a tripod nearby.
    AI, not real, and I have a much better camera cover

    If you follow the Weather Channel, or live in California,  you probably noticed that we have had what seems like a winter storm in spring. It’s been raining (more like pouring) for a couple of days, and snowing in the Sierra. We normally do not get thunder and lightning storms here but there have been some booming storms rolling through at night. I would not care usually, other than worrying if my pool will overflow into the house. That has never happened, but I always need something to worry about (it’s in my genes). The last time I checked the rain gauge in the backyard, it was up to 4.5 inches.

    A clear glass rain gauge with a pink top, partially filled with water, set in a garden background featuring green foliage and decorative elements.

    That’s  a lot of rain.

    Unfortunately, some activities that I like to do are dependent on relatively dry weather. I was scheduled for a birds of prey photo shoot this weekend, where we had setup shots of hawks and owls at a local falconry organization. That would have been a lot of fun, but they do not fly their birds when it’s raining. Makes sense. I would not want to be standing out in the rain with my camera gear anyway, and the shoot has been rescheduled in May. They have a Shriek Owl, and I really wanted to get some shots of the little guy. We have them in the woods behind the house, and can hear them calling at night. We used to sit out on the patio to listen to them. Sigh.

    My main concern with this weather pattern is my upcoming trip to Moab Utah which is for a course in astrophotography. It’s going to be really hard photographing the Milky Way if there is a lot of cloud cover. Depending on which weather service you look at, most of the nights for my stay in Moab will have some cloud cover, and on some nights, rain. Expletive removed. I have been exceptionally lucky with my travels the past year + – the only significant rain I’ve had on a trip so far, was the first day on the Road Scholars trip, in Snow Canyon Utah. It was kind of fun hiking in the rain that day. But the rest of that trip was perfect, and you can get some interesting shots with rain and clouds in Red Rock country. As long as you have a rain cover for the camera. Which I do have for all my cameras and lenses.

    Three hikers on a wet, rocky trail in a desert landscape, wearing rain gear amidst cloudy skies.
    Real photo
    A scenic view of a rocky landscape under cloudy skies, showcasing layered rock formations and distant mountains with a hint of fog.

    We did get some rain going through the Panama Canal this past month, but we were on the ship by then, and it sort of added to the overall experience as we went through the canal locks. Besides, everyone other than myself was drinking heavily, so it was a really nice party.

    A group of people gathered at night near a large lock structure with illuminated ships in the background.
    A nighttime view of a ferry boat with passengers on the upper deck, preparing to depart.
    View from the deck of a boat in a lock at night, with rain visible and illuminated structures along the waterway.

    I’ve never been to Arches before, and have not been to Moab since 1970. I imagine it has changed in 56 years. Hopefully for the better. If this is the same hotel I stayed at with my undergraduate geology field camp, I hope they do not remember my name. Another long story involving a large group of long-haired, muddy, tired geology students and a lot of beer. Some other time.

    At any rate, I have a free day when I get there before the course starts, and plan to do some day hiking – the weather should be OK then. Once the course starts, we have three straight nights of Milky Way photography in the park, between midnight and dawn. Thursday and Friday look grim on the forecast, but Saturday night may be OK. All of that could change by the time I get there so who knows. I have no clue as to what the trip lead will do if it rains. The course ends on Monday, but I’m staying an extra two days, and the weather is clearing both days. So, I may have more opportunities on my own. I’m not going to stress out about it – I’ll make the best of the situation.Just roll with it.

    I must be due for something good happening…ongoing medical issues, having to bail out on the Baja Gray Whale trip, still living the life of Eleanor Rigby at home and being forced to give up wine (and martinis!!). And now a potential wash out of a trip I have really been looking forward to. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. Something’s gotta give (a great Jack Nicolson movie).

    Peace