Tiny Planet (Part 2)

I've written about this app before, but I had kind of forgotten about it till today. How could that be? This is such a cool way to play with your pictures.

Just look at this cypress tree, 

shot down by the ocean in Santa Cruz.

(Click to enlarge if you like).

Cranes at sunrise,

flying over Bosque del Apache.

This was shot 

from one of the Storybookland Canal Boats 

in Disneyland.

This is the exact same shot as above.

Through the miracle of Tiny Planet,

you can set the image 

to swirl from the inside out 

or the outside in.

This is a huge version of Maleficent.

It's made completely of Legos!

It hovers above the Lego Store in Downtown Disney.

I think this shot looks better than the original!

And here's the Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Doesn't it look like it belongs in the film Up?

These last two were taken from the same image.

It was dusk, 

and we were driving through an aspen grove 

in New Mexico.

Isn't the light beautiful?

Isn't this a lovely app?  

It's available in the iTunes Store for just $.99

Oppenheimer

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I'm fascinated with Robert Oppenheimer and the whole story of the Manhattan Project. I don't want to get political about the use of the atom bomb, the story behind the making of it is what piques my interest.

It started when we visited the Atomic Museum in Albuquerque. It's a powerful spot, a place that will certainly get you thinking. Then we visited the Missile Museum at White Sands, then, the Trinity site (you can read about it here and here). And finally, we visited Los Alamos.

All of these sites talk about Oppenheimer, so I started doing a bit of research on my own. A tall, slim intellectual, he was a involved with many "left wing" folk before being tapped to head the project. While he may not have been their first choice politically, he was so brilliant that there was no one else who was so well suited for the role he played in the Manhattan Project.

The story of the Project and what happened to Oppenheimer afterwards is an engrossing tale of the United States and our history. It bears examination by everyone. It's a story well worth remembering

If you have any interest in either the Manhattan Project or Oppenheimer, I can fully recommend the following.

Oppenheimer
starring
Sam Waterston

An excellent adaptation of his story. A 1980 miniseries (I believe it was a Masterpiece Theatre) it follows Oppenheimer from Berkeley to Los Alamos, then on to Princeton. Sam Waterston nails the charismatic Oppenheimer.

the Day After Trinity

This is a fine documentary. It successfully fleshes out the whole phenomenon that was Los Alamos in the 1940s.

If you'd rather read than watch, 109 East Palace and the Making of the Atomic Bomb are both insightful and educational.

The folks who did this work were really pioneers, working for what they believed in. What they achieved in a short period of time is a real success story. If you find yourself traveling in New Mexico, all these sites offer a chance to peek into our not so distant past.

It's this kind of thing that I love about RVing. You never know what you'll find and what direction it will take you in.

A Drive Through New Mexico

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I'm aware that I ramble on and on about the beauty of New Mexico, but I just can't seem to help myself.

It is that astounding.

Today we decided to take a drive
to Los Alamos

It was one of those days,
brilliantly blue skies.

White puffy clouds
that seem to go on forever,
with vistas to match.

Then there's the red rocks.

And the sweeping Rio Grand Valley.

I guess it's the lure of the road
that gets me.

And the way the clouds and sun
paint pictures on the earth.

The rock formations
are a constant surprise.
This looks like a group of Romans
clothed in togas.
What do you see?

One final shot,
I love this old Kodachrome look.

Remember,
you can click on any image
to see a larger version.

Tomorrow, pictures of Los Alamos.

the Light

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Regular readers know that I'm enamored of the light here in New Mexico, and for good reason.

But even in this amazing environment, there are times when it seems almost unreal.

And that's what happened today.

The past couple of days it has been really hot, high 90s. At this altitude, when there's no cloud cover, it often seems warmer than the actual temperature.

Today, thunder showers were predicted. We had some cloud cover, offering welcome relief from the heat. As the day went on we had more and more high clouds, but the rain and thunder didn't materialize.

Then, about 6:00,
suddenly the light just changed.
We looked out the window
and saw this.

Where we're parked, we have a sublime view, with the town off to one side and the Sangre de Christos on the other. Because of the location, we often have two completely different vistas, and the light is certainly different in the two directions.

This was our view in the other direction.

Pretty amazing, huh?

Here's the light
over Tim and Carin's house
(home to the amazing garden
I shared with you in my last post)

I haven't been taking a lot of pictures lately, so I was kind of surprised to find myself looking around with my "photographer's eye". I guess I thought it would go away, but when I put a camera in my hand, it seems to come right back.

Sort of like riding a bicycle!

I'll finish with a couple of shots
of Cholula Red

And I swear,
the sky really was
this amazing shade
of lavender blue

Shortly after these were taken, the showers began. The air smelled sweet and the thermometer dropped. It was a pretty wonderful couple of hours.

One more thing before I close for this entry. I noticed that these pictures aren't as sharp as I'd like. In order to get them, I grabbed the first camera available (my Panasonic), but didn't notice till after the sun had set that the lens was filthy dirty!

So please accept my apologies.

That said, I'm sure that one of these days I'll get back in to taking pictures every day.

Till then,
be assured that we're well and happy,
having a great time.

El Camino Real Heritage Center

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We heard that today there would be a civil war re-enactment at the El Camino Real International Heritage Center. We've attended several of these and always find them enjoyable. There's usually a lot of folks gussied up in period garb demonstrating lost arts like cast iron campfire cooking, how to make lead bullets, treadle sewing, you get the idea.

So we got up unusually early and set out for the Center.

Once again, it was a gorgeous day.
Look at this wide open vista . . .

When we arrived, we discovered there weren't a lot of demonstrations going on, so we decided to spend our time in the museum. We had been there once before and had good memories of this beautiful facility.

Located some thirty miles south of Socorro, the center concentrates on the history of the El Camino Real which for centuries has been a major road stretching from Mexico City up to Santa Fe.

The museum sits on the edge of the Jornada del Muerto, the dreaded ninety miles of Hell. A truly barren stretch of desert, it has claimed many lives over the years. At first, it seems strange that such a modern facility would be located in such a bleak area, but once you understand the focus, the location really adds to the experience.

Inside, there's a huge array
of period detail.
I have to admit a particular fondness
for this display.

Here's a closeup of these animals.
Terry and I couldn't decide
whether they were sheep or goats.
Whatever they are, they're adorable.

What's really impressive about this museum is that instead of just placing artifacts in cases, they've recreated entire rooms and outside areas that add to the ambiance. I'm searching for words here, but let me show you a few pictures and maybe you'll understand better.

Remember,
you can click on any picture
for a large version
which shows a lot more detail.

Are you getting the idea?

I liked this shot,
because I thought this spotlight
looked like the moon.

More interior shots.

There are also numerous displays

Isn't the design on this coin beautiful?

There's also a large display
of vintage photographs

The original road into Santa Fe.

The building
housing the museum is fascinating,
a blend of old and new.

This hallway is one of my favorite spots.
When you go out these doors,
you have a gigantic vista
of the Jornada del Muerto

And look at this sky

New Mexico clouds,
like nowhere else.

Here we are,
almost back at the Bosque

One final shot.

Another fine day
in the Land of Enchantment.