NGC 7044 is a 12.0 magnitude open star cluster in northeast Cygnus. The North America nebula is 3.5 degrees to the northwest. My sketch records a 129X view in the 10-inch Starfinder equatorial Newtonian. NGC 7044 is nearly centered, its feeble glow standing out against the rich starry background. Dozens of faint stars lie just beyond reach, flitting in and out of view with averted vision. This haze of starlight spreads across a 3'.5 diameter area. A close pair of 13th magnitude GSC stars stand at the southwest edge of the cluster. 8.7 magnitude SAO 50565, visible 10' to the southwest at the field boundary, is the brightest star in the field. Another 37 stars dot the field.