As we wrap up the year and enter a new one, we are trotting out our 10 Favorite Things in Dripping Springs in 2010. We are counting down from 10 because that's more fun, but they all rank equally in our heart.
 
If you missed #10, click here .

#9 The Dark Sky
From meteor showers to lunar eclipses, wolf moons to waxing gibbous moons, we found ourselves enthralled by the night sky this year. We've never been students of astronomy, rather, the intellectual depth of our sky observances is limited to slack-jawed awe, but on every clear night this year the stars in the sky were our evening inspiration. Thanks to passionate dark sky crusaders like John Gregory, who we lost in November 2009, preservation of dark sky in Dripping Springs has been a priority. But as the increase in bulldozers and scraped land on 290 forebodes of more chain stores and glowing 24/7 signs, perhaps we felt an increased sense of urgency to enjoy and appreciate what we have now. As for our stargazing in 2011, we already have the first big show of the year, the Quadrantids Meteor Shower, on our entertainment calendar for January 3 and 4.


Moon over Dripping Springs. December 20, 2010. Photograph by Melanie Cambron.