On the way down I took a picture that I thought you might like. As I come out of the mountains that are my home, The Sacramento Mountains, and across the side valley you can see the San Andres Range. Between them is the valley which is home to Carrizozo, Tularosa and Alamogordo, and the White Sands National Monument. I've seen it so many times that I don't even think much about it, but today, I realized that seeing the White Sands was a rather cool thing! So here is a snap of the Sands from, oh, about 20-25 miles away. The mountains in the background are the San Andres.
The White Sands Missile range is a large part of that area. Most of you are too young to remember that this was where atomic bombs were tested in the 1940s, so unless you're a history buff you wouldn't know about it. As an aside to this ... my husband was born and raised in Alamogordo, the town closest to the air force base at the missile range. He used to talk about how they used to go outside and watch the bomb tests, much as we do the shuttle launches now. In those days, we didn't know about the radiation or that watching the mushroom cloud could cause blindness. It is interesting that the New Mexico School for the Vision Impaired is located in Alamogordo. And we began to notice that an inordinately large number of his classmates were dying at relatively early ages from cancer. We began to notice when he was less than 50; at that time about 1/3 of his class were dead or fighting it. As you might remember, he, too, died from cancer; it was lung cancer and, yes, he was a long time smoker, but I've wondered if the atomic blasts might have facilitated it, as well.
On down the road, I saw this sign that I have laughed about before. Today I thought I'd take a shot to share with you. Don't ya just wanna say ... "Well, DUH"????
And then later on, I noticed this one for the first time. it is actually a fireworks advertisement, but I laughed out loud, thought about Sandra, and just had to turn around and go back to take a picture. Now, this is in a largely conservative, Republican-voting community. How could that miss this???
Sandra, I really hope you stop by to appreciate this!!!
Mañana, y'all!!!!
That is weird about the atomic blasts, and sad.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me that gorilla is not referring to the chimp-who-masquerades-as-President
Fewer kids drown in a town with no water, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Patti, is that what that sign is saying? Well it's pretty funny no matter what it's trying to say, and I made the connection immediately!!!!
Patti - And we worry about what is in our food with good reason; too many experiments have already taken place without forethought, or in some cases, without caring what is the long range effects might be. I think most of it is relatively innocent, but the atomic tests show s what can be the result.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, we had no idea how dangerous it was to handle mercury, either. I remember more than once when a thermometer would break, Mom would put the mercury in the palm of her hand, rolling it around to delight us. she wouldn't let us handle it because she was afraid we might put it in our mouths or something. Now we know that such handling of that substance is highly dangerous as it is absorbed readily into the skin and through the system. Exposure to mercury can be a factor in Alzheimer's; guess what my mom died from.
Sandra - I have laughed about that sign (smoke) for months. And the gorilla sign ... The "W" is relating to a brand of fireworks or the company which sells them. I didn't think to snap the sign below it that made the reference. However, I knew you'd catch it right off. It is an old sign, pretty weathered, and part of it is even broken off (in his raised hand, he was holding some sort of fireworks which has now broken away). I just laughed that the conservatives have allowed the sign to remain there! There were movements to remove other "objectionable" signs in the past ... one on safe sex ("don't give children the idea"), one with some sort of supposed sexual innuendo (I don't know what it was, but I wonder how the adults knew about the innuendo, chuckle), one that was advertising some (I think) sports wear that was too form fitting on the model. Good grief. Politically, "W" (the one in D.C.) is their hero for the most part.
You are probably right about the cancer connection, Lynilu.
ReplyDeleteThe first picture was GORGEOUS.
The second made me go, 'huh ?'
And the third went right over my head. What does 'W' have to do with fireworks ?
Annie - Sad, isn't it? But it is a pretty place (1st pic).
ReplyDeleteThat last one ... the W stands for the company that makes and/or distributes fireworks, apparently.
just stopped to say hi tonight.
ReplyDeleteWell, then ... Hi, Traci!
ReplyDeleteI read that whole post and all I could think about was how much I love going to Staples.
ReplyDeleteBurg - I get into trouble every time I enter Staples, Borders, or Lowe's [or any of their counterparts]. If I had a million dollars, I could spend it all in a day in those three places!!!
ReplyDelete