Hello Friend,

Last Friday was exciting times on Manitoulin Island.

    The first official brewery on the island  opened up, called the  Split Rail Brewery , named after the iconic rails
that are used all over the island to make wooden boundary fences.

    Interestingly, the brewery was started by two local women, who had been friends for years
and decided they both liked beer and wanted to start a craft brewery together.

Not having any money to speak of, they started a successful kickstarter campaign.

  One of the local berries unique to the island is the hawberry.

So of course one of the first craft brews to be released was a delicious and refreshing hawberry ale.

    And a lager to compliment it as well.

If you happen to visit the island, be sure to check them out.

     Several years ago, when I first came to the island, to give a talk on astronomy at Gordons Park
campground, I remember some fellow had a rather large telescope.

    I believe it was around 30 inches or so and was a dobsonian.

Of course, I was perfectly happy with my 11 inch telescope, until I had a look through the 30 inch.

    And that is how aperture fever begins!

Perhaps you are ready for a larger aperture instrument?

    If so, it might not cost as much as you think.

Till Friday this week, we have the Meade 16" Lightbridge dobsonian telescope on sale at a whopping
savings of $265 off the regular price.

 http://khanscope.com/productdetails.cfm?productID=1366

Frankly, there is not much you can't see with a 16 inch telescope, and the Meade gets great reviews
from amateur astronomers for both quality and price.

Clear Skies,

Ray Khan

PS The skies are nice and dark on the island too, so its a great place to stargaze!