Overall the rookie Starfest experience was very good. My expectations were met, with respect to the camping proper. Open field, few trees, lots of people. I didn't realise though the grounds were so rolling. It's not flat.
I knew there'd be a lot of people. They get 600 sometimes! So, there are concessions one must make, to be sure. But I didn't expect some people to be up at the crack of dawn, speaking and laughing loudly. That was a little odd.
Starfest is agnostic. Of course I knew there'd be all the NYAA peeps and a good number of RASCals. I know some come up from the US. Didn't matter where people were from. But I wasn't, for some reason, expecting some of the other "big names" in astronomy. It was a real pleasure meeting Attilla Danko. [ed: Missed meeting Brian Gibson.] I knew there was vendor support. Seeing Jim Kendrick there, as a participant, was somehow satisfying. Nice people from all over with a common interest. Very pleasing.
I had assumed my camping dining tent would prove useful. And it did. I took it in the event of a deluge—and happily we didn't experience that. But it proved a good storage space. And on Saturday night, Tony and I were impressed how much heat it held. It was the warm-up hut!
Hadn't used a lot of my camping gear for a long time. Especially the meal prep stuff. Was expecting more issues and problems. That the stove stopped working, after I topped up the fuel, I wasn't surprised by. Probably 3 or 4 year old the white fuel.
The showers at River Place are infamous. I was assuming there'd be long lines. I had been warned by absolutely everyone. And I found a trick to beat the crowds. But I did not expect them to be in such a poor state of repair! And I certainly didn't expect to not have hot water. That was astonishing. Is this status quo at private parks?
The portapots were good. New units. I understand there have been issues in the past. Not for me. Very clean. Maintained well. Met my expectations. [ed: Correction. Exceeded.]
Was frustrated with my mount issues. To be expected on one hand with all the changes. And the hacked approach. It would have been extremely bad if the mount had failed on the second big night. The one "lost" night was an impact nevertheless. And by the time the excellent skies arrived, I was too tired to take full advantage. Oh well. Stars aren't going anywhere.
The skies were good. When they were good. Pretty dark. Weather cooperated, for the most part. The seeing was good to excellent. Transparency was average on all nights.
I was a little surprised at the white light issues. On Thursday, perhaps it was not a concern for the organisers, because we were clouded out. But there were a number of cars driving about. Every evening. The big white light problem on Friday, with Guerrero and Soler, I was surprised how it was dealt with. I had the impression that the organisers would be much more stringent.
Utterly disappointed with the behaviour of Guerrero and Soler. I thought, by now, after their visits to the CAO, they'd know the drill, understand the issues, think of others. No. But then, I had had a sinking feeling leading up to the event. And now I regret not finding a way to prepare them. I could have maybe prevented their transgressions.
I'm no angel. I made a few white light mistakes. Left an iOS device charging in the car the first night: face up! Oops. Accidentally turned on the iTouch on another occasion. But I did remember to turn off my cabin lights. And deactivate the reverse tail lights on the car. Then, simply, did not go to the car. Used the red film on the netbook and camera. Deep Red flashlight, of course. I was cognisant, especially on the good nights, of the boundaries. How to play.
I'm glad I was able to help a few people out. Some with SkyTools. Craig, to get up and running. Plate covers to members. Dave with Neptune and Triton. Answered most of Elaine and Tony's astronomy questions, I think.
My presentation went fine. No technical issues. Would have liked more participants but I was up against a good speaker in the main tent. Seemed to be very well received by those who did sit it. Would have liked Malcolm to drop in. [ed: Not surprised to learn he was stomping out fires.]
The welcome bag was a nice little surprise. I didn't get around to perusing the printed materials until later. But I enjoyed all the contents.
Malcolm and the rest of the NYAA team made me feel welcome. I really appreciated their support and guidance. An honour to be asked to present in the future.
I was also very thankful for Parker's internet service. That was surprisingly helpful. I would have felt more disconnected.
Friends... This is what an event like this is all about. Hanging with Katrina was a lot of fun. Very comforting. Seeing some of the other RASC crew was good. But the highlight was being neighbours with Elaine and Tony. New friends. But it's like we've known each other for years. They welcomed me, helped me get settled, fed and watered me, laughed at my jokes, pointed me to the bathroom, showers, main tent, Rec Hall, vendor area, etc. All my anxieties, with being in a new place, went away. So much fun.
So, overall, quite good. Good weather, good skies, fun times, fun meeting some new people. Extremely fun being with the dos Santos.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. If... if River Place fixes the damn showers!
What would I do differently? Better time management. Try to sleep in. Or nap in the day. Go to Neustadt. Bring pepper. [ed: And wear ear plugs in the morning!]
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