Oh, the suffering!

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One thing that I frequently encountered on my trip to the sunnier and warmer regions to the west, was a sense of weather superiority.

Family and friends would brag about the temperatures and the sunny days, as if I should be relieved and lucky to escape the snow and cold.  Admittedly, the reason I took the trip in mid-winter was to take a break from the wind.  (The local weather statistics keeper wrote that January had 23 days of winds over 40 MPH.) But, over time, I’ve largely become indifferent to the wind (especially this winter with the purchase of some new outerwear).

I had the impression they thought I was suffering living here in winter.   I’m not.  I love the snow.  I love to watch it fall.  I love to put on my snow boots or snowshoes and go into the forests.  I love the way snow erases the details of the landscape, making it all smooth and new, like taking an Etch-a-Sketch and turning it over.

And one countered, “well, that’s because you don’t have to drive in it on a daily basis.”  That’s not true either.  I don’t mind driving in it.  I do mind when everybody else is driving in it at the same time.  And again, it’s not winter and snow that makes it bad, it’s the traffic.  I love driving on snowy backroads because there is no traffic to deal with. My car/suv/tires handles the snow and ice very very well.  I argue that sitting in traffic in the middle of summer is just as aggravating.

Winter here is not suffering.  It’s just different.  When I go outside, I put on a coat.  Instead of wearing shorts and tennis shoes, I put on long underwear, long pants and boots.

Really the only thing about winter I don’t like are the holidays.  I think that would be the case regardless of where I lived.

One of the Forest Lakes and the Continental Divide

Very Large Array (VLA)

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There are probably a myriad of reasons I’ve been infatuated with the Very Large Array in New Mexico.  I finally was able to visit the VLA on my westward journey on U.S. Highway 60 from Socorro, New Mexico.

Simply put, the VLA is an array of 27 radio telescopes which are all connected together to emulate a huge radio telescope that is up to 22 miles in diameter.

I first became acquainted with the VLA in the movie “Contact” where it is used to receive extra terrestrial communications.  (For other pop culture references, click here.)  In real life, it doesn’t do that.  Instead, it receives signals that optical telescopes can’t see.  The scientists don’t “listen” to the VLA, the VLA creates images.

I stopped into the deserted visitor center on a cold but clear Saturday morning.  After chatting with the woman staffing the post and looking at the exhibits, I went on the self-guided walking tour of the facility.

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Remember kids, don’t play on the Interstate

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… play on the U.S. Highways instead.

I’ve come to love driving on the old U.S. Highways when taking road-trips.  Construction on these highways was started in 1926 and were largely bypassed or usurped by the Interstate freeway system beginning in the 1960’s, or have been downgraded to state highways.  The heyday for these routes was the post-war period from the 1940’s and 1950’s.  Remnants and ruins from this period are still visible along the roads, such as restored motels and diners, or the remains of old gas stations.

The symbols for these old highways are black and white shields or badges.  When planning road-trips, I actively seek out these routes on the maps.

In the west these highways are sparsely used.  I love this because it means I can pull off anywhere and take a photo or a pee, or make a U-turn if I passed something interesting.  It’s very relaxing due to the lack of traffic and often very scenic.

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