Why I’m Starting This Journal

“A record for my future self — and a guide for anyone who follows a similar path.”

This journal marks the beginning of my journey toward building and operating a fully remote astrophotography setup at Starfront Observatory. I’m creating it for three main reasons.

1. A place to log my research
Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll be doing a lot of research — from equipment selection to software automation strategies. Having a single place to record this information will help me track progress, avoid repeating the same searches, and quickly revisit key decisions I’ve made along the way.

2. Organizing my thoughts
Writing things down forces me to think them through. By capturing ideas, plans, and lessons learned here, I can turn scattered notes into a coherent plan. This process makes it easier to identify gaps in my understanding and chart the next steps with clarity.

3. Building a record of the journey
This will be something I can look back on — a detailed record of how this project came together, from the earliest research to first light and beyond. I wish I had done this when I built my observatory in the barn back when we lived in Santa Rosa on 50 acres. That experience is only preserved in scattered memories, and I don’t want this one to fade the same way.

In the end, this journal is as much for future me as it is for the present. It’s a tool to capture the technical details, the problem-solving process, and the personal story behind bringing a new observatory online.