PHOTO PROMPT – © Douglas M. MacIlroy
PER ARDUA AD ASTRA
When Bob heard that he’d been awarded an internship at the Moana Kea Observatories in Hawaii, he thought he was going to Heaven.
When his boss picked him up for work the first night, he found out that Hawaii has six of the seven global climate zones. There are no deserts, but it ranges from Tropical, to Arctic where he would be working.
With frigid fingers, he quickly called his Mom in Chicago to send his winter coat, but the views were well worth the trouble. He could see Heaven spread out below him, and Heaven in the stars above.
***
Go to Rochelle’s Addicted to Purple site and use her Wednesday photo as a prompt to write a complete 100 word story.
***
And if I’d been born rich, instead of so darned handsome, I’d be living near lucky Doug MacIlroy in Hawaii, where he was fortunate enough to snap this awesome photo.
#448
Archon's Den 
Hawaii? Really? I had no idea… thanks, I love learning stuff on FF 🙂
On the story – thought it was great, particularly the repetition of heaven throughout. Its tough to get to work in limited word stories, but it can be (and is here) very effective.
Cheer
Kt
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I’m pretty sure Doug is in (or from) Hawaii. He says ‘aloha’ a lot, and that shot looks suspiciously like online images of the array.
I’m not terribly religious, but many are, and it seemed time for a more upbeat story. Thanx for the read. 😎
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Must be a fantastic place to be. Looks a bit chilly though. 😉
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It’s not something that you expect in Hawaii. As Jim Wheeler (below) notes, it’s 13,290 feet up. The air is cold and dense, mainly still, and there is almost no nearby light pollution. It’s a great place for stellar observation, but bring your jacket. 😯
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It does look like a lovely place to live (according to my vast knowledge from Hawaii Five-O!). I’m glad Bob appreciates it, great last line.
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You must have garnered your great knowledge from the recent reboot, rather than the original Hawaii Five-O. Unlike me, you don’t look old enough to have viewed that. Thanx for viewing my posts. 🙂
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I didn’t know this about the climate zones… very interesting. The story is so descriptive, I want to see that view, too. Great take on the prompt.
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At almost three miles up, with a 5% (steep-ish) grade, the winding road up the mountain must be 60 to 80 miles, and take the best part of 2 hours, each way. Glad you liked it. Next on National Geographic…. 😉
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From what I’ve read, I’m fairly sure Doug makes his home in Hawaii. He travels also. I had no idea that there were places that cold in Hawaii. Good story and well written, Archon. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Like Wildbilbo, we all learn things from these Flash Fictions. Look what Rochelle has taught us. Thank you for your esteemed opinion. 🙂
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Can’t have your cake and eat it, Doug.
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With fresh pineapples in the field outside, we can make a new cake tomorrow. Thank you for stopping by to read. 😀
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I’m glad you posted this, Archon, because it motivated me to check up on progress for the planned 30 meter telescope on Mauna Kea. It will be, arguably, the best in the world. If, that is, the Hawaiian gods allow. Construction has been halted because the indigenous culture has hurt feelings. The altitude there, by the way, is 13,290 feet. I would pass out there, being sensitive to hypoxia.
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And the dreaded ‘Tribalism’ strikes yet again. Many Canadian Indians leave the reservations and assimilate, especially in the urban areas, but many of the ones left on ‘The Rez’ want the best of both worlds. They want to do things the old-fashioned way their ancestors did things, but they want to do them from White Man style homes, with White Man government subsidies.
The white fishermen from my home town fished out a feeding ground in Lake Huron, and after years, finally had to give up. Rather than let it restock itself, the Rez Indians bought a bankrupt boat, and proceeded to vacuum up the few fish that were left, because “The Treaty” guaranteed them fishing rights. 😦
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I learnt yet another new thing today (about the 6 six climate zones).Nice one.
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I was just over to your site, where I learnt a thing or two about Slo-mo fluid dynamics. I also learnt a thing or two about you, from your ‘about me’ page, to help understand why you spelt it ‘learnt.’
It’s a perfectly acceptable alternative spelling, but seldom used and often regarded suspiciously, in North America. My wife once had a row with a boss who was too lazy to compose his own letters, but argued with her, saying, “There’s no such word.” when she spelled her version, ‘spelt.’ There is such a word, even if only to describe a type of grain.
Thanx for stopping by. I hope to have you here often. But then, don’t we all??! 😕 🙂
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Thanks for understanding that there are acceptable alternate spellings outside the North American continent. Same with pronunciations. Over the last 15 years I have encountered some folks who cannot look past such differences and don’t understand that there is a whole world outside their little worlds. I once read a ‘dictionary’ that translated ‘British English’ to ‘American English’…and it was not a small book 🙂
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As if a grown man and a Scientist would phone his Mum! (oh yes!)
Heaven indeed. It does look magical. A gently amusing sweet post!
(Strangely, my husband is a space Scientist and is due a sabbatical. Need to investigate Bob’s heavenly posting for real! And buy a coat.)
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No ‘grown man’ or Scientist this. He’s a sophomore university student who would have his mother drive out to cook for him and do his laundry – if he could convince her.
With reduced retirement income, my sabbaticals are limited to looking at pictures of other people’s vacations. 😉
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Not the first thought.. But it looks like you might need a winter coat on Hawaii 😉
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I’m enough of a nerd to want to drive up for a tour if I had the time. If not, the only coat I would want in Hawaii is a thick coat of tan and sun screen. 😕
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Love your FF. I’ve had my first inspiration toward my hand in FF, something like “Flash Garden 1: Endicott Lane meets Dark Alley, at night”.
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😕 🙂
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Love the story, but particularly the last line, with images of heaven above and heaven spread out below. Magic.
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Thank you. Just trying to spread a little peace and tranquility. 🙂
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So heaven is in Hawaii! That’ll answer the question we’ve been struggling with for millennia. Nice piece.
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That’s okay. They’ll come up with another question. 🙂 I’m always pleased when you like my prose.
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Lovely story, I am especially fond of the title.
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It’s the official motto of the Canadian Air Force. When I envisioned the story of a student from a university where they (hopefully) still use some Latin, getting as close to the stars as he could, it just popped into my mind, and seemed so apt. Thanx for the feedback. 🙂
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