Otters In The Pond and retirement bliss
Retirement has been good for my parents. They live about 20 miles from us and enjoy dark skies, perfect for the observatory. Dad has kept himself busy with his hobbies and never ending chores.
My dad's office is his haven of activity indoors. Their home's plan was drawn up by his sister, my Aunt Susan, whose home they fell in love with. The four bedrooms are divided into a guest room and master bedroom with en suite. The remaining two rooms are host to their individual offices.
An avid photographer, my dad has won a prize or two and given lectures on astrophotography, gladly hosting fellow photographers who want to try something new.
The site was chosen for the dark skies to allow for optimal night viewing. An observatory was built with a roll top roof which slides to the side. Several mounts pepper the adjacent field. Dug nearly two feet into the earth, the depth acts to offset the wobble of the earth.
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Friends come out to set up their scopes for viewing parties and to capture beautiful images.
Their property of about 20 acres is ringed by a creek on 3 sides and the land dips and curves through the partially forested rural tract.
The "pond" is seldom at full level. A depression in the landscape of small rises, the confluence of natural drainage led into a natural pool. An excavator removed excess soil to allow more water to gather resulting in a seasonal pond. Lining the soil with clay was too expensive so the water gathers with the rains. Occasionally fish will appear, their eggs carried in the muddy prints of the birds that visit from other waters. Mostly small animals benefit from the pond: birds, lizards, insects. The infrequent skunk, racoon, possum, or deer. The otters are the rarest visitors as the pond is rarely this deep.
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