Mercury for the First Time

I grew up in the Rockies, and Mercury was always hard to find as a kid. Now I live in Houston, and the trees always block my view. I first identified the planet for certain last December, on my 39th birthday, early in the morning in Lubbock, Texas. Tonight I saw it for the first time through my little ETX 90 spotter, at 125x clearly a disk as it set behind the trees! A small triumph for me! Still thrilled at the night sky, Val

I'd like to hear how you first found Mercury, and how long it took. Val