the starball mash

 i was working in the dome a late one nigh

when my eyes beheld an eerie sight

for my starball turned on,  and began to spin

and suddenly to my chagrin

it/they did the mash - it/they danced the starball mash

the starball mash, it was a full dome smash

it/they did the mash, it caught on in a flash

it/they did the mash, it/they did the starball mash

from my laboratory in the Tin Can Easg

to the chicken coop where the mosquitoes feast

the stars came forth, then they circled back

to get a jolt from my variac ....  (repeat chorus)

Orion was having fun, the starshow had just begun

the guests included Perseus, Pegasus and his son

Now everything's cool,  even the Milky Way band
And the Starball Mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them Gare sent you (chorus)

silence (1970)

 of that night i most remember the cold

not uncommon for late Oct nights but what was wrong?

walking alone thru desolate expanses was I 

and the black of night smothered all light and ilfe

except for me, walking and walking

the stillness hung like fine silk drapery and yet

the air tingled with an electrified tension

very strange thought I, walking and walking

abruptly a presence ahead stopped me

and fingers of icy dread crept into my soul

and no longer could I walk

something was out there. somewhere.  everywhere

something brooding.  contemplating me darkly

enclosing me with invisible walls

lips parted in a soundless scream, 

i realized who was there.  it was the silence.  it was cold.

i could not get out

the Flashing

 t was just another early morning in my backyard planetarium .  3:30 AM .   when it began.   i had two dome lights on, and the red one began flashing.  

must be a loose wire i said.  but was it?  the blue one right next to it wasnt flashing.  just the red one.  i sat down in my chair with a good view of both lights.  and decided to have some fun.  

3 cups of coffee in me, i declared ...   so .. are you here?  flash once for yes, twice for no

and was astounded to see the red light promptly flash once.    coincidence thought I, but my curiosity now aroused, i went a step further.  i asked another question, the first thing that came into my mind...      is it cold where you are?  

2 flashes in rapid succession from the red light.   no.     coincidences sometimes come in pairs dont they?  statistics.   i'd try once more, but this time a shadow of apprehension came into my mind.  unwillingly, but the smile was fading from my face

you arent going to scare me are you?    two blinks from the red light.  no.    why did i feel relief?  i had to shake it off.   i get up to leave.   as i walked through the door, i glanced back.  the blue light next to the red ...  was it flashing now? 

were they discussing me?   

the Dream

 Mary!  Wake up!   Breakfast is in 30 minutes in this hotel!  

Mary's mom practically shook her daughter, who had overslept after apparently having a bad night.  

We have to be at the show finals at 9 AM you know - this is your big chance.  You might win first prize!!

Mary grimaced, rolled over and sat up.  This WAS a big day - her entry in the regional horticultural show had made the finals!  She knew her mom was proud, as was she.  

Im sorry mom - i had a crazy dream that seemed like it went all night!  may mumbled, her feet hitting the floor.   

Dream, what dream said her mother - no time for that now, get dressed!    

As Mary threw on her clothes, she couldnt help it ... it was a crazy dream Mom .    i dreamed i was this man .  and he spent all his spare time ...  i dont know what he did - he make star projectors.  sat in sheds under homemade domes.  he called them planetariums i think

mom wasnt interested - you just had too hard a day yesterday - after all, having your Terrarium make the final 3 entries in the show!  In 2 hours you could be Best Terrarium in Show! 

Lets go!    called mom from the hall, and she used her daughters nickname this time. .

coming mother said Mare...

She Can See Thru the Trees

 

she can see through the trees   a short story

she's a witch.  i said

what rasped my friend, with me as we strode down the lane one late autumn night.   what do mean a witch? 

i was late getting off work in the village, and had just started home when my old friend came up behind.  he would walk with me.     

she's a witch.  and she's been watching me i cautiously said, not without a trace of dread in my voice.  she can see through the trees, i swear it.   

my friend was disbelieving though, and said so.  how can that be - you live alone in the thicket - the trees are so thick round your house nobody could see through them, the path to your door even winds.  

i stopped and looked at him.  we were barely out of the village, with a mile to go before i was home.   she was out here today - i saw her waiting for me.   i've got to get home first and lock the door.  i know a shortcut.    

my friend didnt think this was a good idea .   stay on the lighted path he advised, and you'lll be home soon enough.    but i insisted - and soon up ahead i came to where i would cut across the woods.   it would be hard going, the undergrowth was dense, but it was way shorter. 

but before he could stop me and i could even leave him and the path, i saw the lights. already in the dense forest in the way i would go.  

my friend gazed into the woods and smiled grimly.  well my friend he said, she can do more than see through the trees, look closer

and as squinted into the darkness, i saw her, holding a torch, walking unscathed towards my house.   

and the trees were parting before her.  

The Loud Jacket Man

 ong i had stared at the photo - a man posing next to his obviously home made planetarium projector .   indeed, VERY homemade,  he was wearing bright tweed

the loud jacket man was he

 it was a black and white picture of whirligigs, whatsits, and unidentifiable devices all there for a purpose, even though what it was didnt seem clear.   but there was something else about the man that intrigued me .. he wore tweed - a rather loud version of it in fact.   slowly but surely i drifted into obsession with this undated but obvioously old  picture. 

and he wore bright tweed.  the loud jacket man i called he

i found myself wanting to recreate the scene .    i began building a replica of his impossible projecting device with old planetarium parts i had piled up in my barn ...  i kept going until i had what i thought was a reasonable facsimile.of his device.   i recreated even the background, what appeared to be almost a silo like dome behind it.   the man in the picture was pointing a long slender device up on the dome, so i recreated this as well.   but there was one more thing .. i needed his tweed jacket.   i trip to a local thrift store did the trick - after shuffling through countless old sport jacket on their musty racks, i finally found one that fit the bill reasonable.  it was loud .. it would like about right in the photo recreation i now planned.   

the night i actually took the picture i carefully set the scene - i'd have to put my digital camera on manual exposure in the dark, then take my place in my recreated scene next to the reconstructed projector, holding the pointer, then hit a foot switch to hit the slights and do a quick exposure.  when all was ready, my foot hit the switch. 

something occurred at that instant that i still cannot process.   something similar to lightining.   there seemed to be a glass partition between me and the world.   i could not move, but was frozen in place.   i had replaced the man. .  i could not get out

and i saw a dark figure leave the room.  was he wearing in my clothes  ? 

  

and there i hung.  on the wall.   wearing tweed

the loud jacket man was me.

Susan Button

 Building a home planetarium podcast For some interesting musings from home planetarium veteran Gary Likert, I suggest that you listen to his extensive podcasts. He says, “Symbolizing both the realistic and admittedly fake setting, the home planetarium walks that tightrope between reality and make-believe.” His content includes defining the equipment, constructing your own planetarium, and examples of content for it. The home planetarium community is a group of creative, dedicated and persistent folks whose love of planetariums and astronomy is extremely uplifting. Go to: www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-dv58adb3ac5?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_ source=w_share

Susan Button Announcement  Planetarian Sept 2020 Issue

the man in the third row

 i'd put him there, in my home planetarium, as a gag.   

and as i gave shows, it seemed to work - kids loved him..   he was dressed as a clown sure, but not a spooky, murderous one.   i'd grown up laughing at clowns, so his friendly smile was reassuring.  we all laughed at him together

but then gradually .   things began going wrong.   

at first it was nothing ..  shows continued, i was pleasing my attendees, but my mind began to go blank.  i'd lose my place... get sidetracked.. couldnt focus.    at first this went unnoticed, but finally 2 nights before Halloween at my show, people seemed restless after a particularly long pause while i tried to refocus.  

then came equipment problems...   special effects began failing, laughed off at first, but then embarrassingly ..  the patrons of my planetarium again noticed and began to seem disappointed when my eclipse projector failed to turn on - i even heard a few mutterings ... 

the night before halloween was the final straw ..   as i went out an hour early to warm up my main star projector, its light began blinking ..   alarmingly ...    i checked the connections ..  everything seemed perfect .. it was LED .. it couldnt burn out ...     

what happpened next is burned in my memory, but at the same time seems like a dream ..

my main led began blinking.. all of my effects did ... like strobe lights ..   

and then i swear .. i think...  i'll never know for sure 

the dummy in the 3rd row's head turned ... a frown crept over its clown face..   and as if from a far away place i thought i heard it say

you'd better be good to me

 Turn Signal

he left turn signal began blinking, but Bob didnt turn.   must have a short he thought to himself, since he hadnt indicated a left turn.  as he pulled through the intersection where he wasnt turning left or any other direction, the signal went out again.   thats that thought Bob.   weird, i hate cars with electrical problems. 

on the way home from work that night, the same thing happened as he approached the same intersection.   only this time it was his right turn signal.  it began blinking about a block from the corner.  now thats really an odd coincidence thought bob, but again there was no explanation so he continued on home, not giving it another thought. 

and it happened exactly the same every day that week.  to and from work.   saturday he didnt go out, but a trip down the same road sunday for groceries. elicited the same phantom signal on the way.  he took another way back.  no other errant signals. 

finally bob couldnt stand it anymore however, and one friday night on the the way home from work he thought, what the heck .  and went ahead and turned like the signal had indicated.  

turned into a field and over a fence where he thought he had seen an intersection ..    and floored it 

his wheels never hit the ground