Heading off to the Star Party

And winter hits in the middle of spring! If only it was bringing rain with it, but it's just icy winds off the Atlantic and the odd heavy shower (mustn't complain), nowhere near what we require to fill our dams. It seems as if very little is being done by the authorities to instigate desalination, boreholes or whatever is required to keep our taps running. Regrettably, it appears that so-called political correctness and 'compliance' is going to be the ruin of us all. It is time for the public to find a private water supplier and probably the only thing in the way of that is the infrastructure to attach it to our taps. But enough of doom and gloom for now.
I'm heading off into the Karoo again, this time for the Southern Star Party (Spring). The untimely return of winter means that, at 1050m high up on the escarpment, camping in a tent with a sleeping bag intended to keep you warm at 9 degrees is going to be a bit dodgy. The weather forecast has night-time temperatures at 1 tonight and around 6 for the next few! Daytime should go up to 17. Yikes! Not the kind of temperatures for staying up all night with your eye attached to the eyepiece of a large telescope!
In February, not realising how high up we would be, I packed for summer, and didn't have even a pair of socks or a beanie, let alone a blanket to supplement the sleeping bag. I did survive, albeit with multiple layers of whatever clothing I could find, but a strong wind, clouds and light rain did not help. This time round, gentle breezes are forecast, for which I will be eternally grateful if the forecast proves correct! I will be packing for Everest tomorrow. All that I will leave behind is the oxygen.