  We demonstrate a method to count small numbers of atoms held in a deep,
microscopic optical dipole trap by collecting fluorescence from atoms exposed
to a standing wave of light that is blue detuned from resonance. While
scattering photons, the atoms are also cooled by a Sisyphus mechanism that
results from the spatial variation in light intensity. The use of a small blue
detuning limits the losses due to light assisted collisions, thereby making the
method suitable for counting several atoms in a microscopic volume.
