Category Archives: Postcards

Postcards

Postcard From Space?

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The Very Large Array at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory near Socorro, New Mexico

So what is the Very Large Array, you ask?  From Wikipedia:

The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array is a centimeter-wavelength radio astronomy observatory located in central New Mexico on the Plains of San Agustin, between the towns of Magdalena and Datil, 50 miles west of Socorro. The VLA comprises twenty-eight 25-meter radio telescopes (27 of which are operational while one is always rotating through maintenance) deployed in a Y-shaped array and all the equipment, instrumentation, and computing power to function as an interferometer. Each of the massive telescopes is mounted on double parallel railroad tracks, so the radius and density of the array can be transformed to adjust the balance between its angular resolution and its surface brightness sensitivity.[2] Astronomers using the VLA have made key observations of black holes and protoplanetary disks around young stars, discovered magnetic filaments and traced complex gas motions at the Milky Way’s center, probed the Universe’s cosmological parameters, and provided new knowledge about the physical mechanisms that produce radio emission.

The VLA stands at an elevation of 6,970 feet above sea level. It is a component of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). The NRAO is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

Photography, Postcards

Postcard From Marfa, Texas

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“Prada Marfa” art installation near Marfa, Texas

It was quite an eventful day and it’s late.  But here is one tidbit from first thing this morning.

Prada Marfa is a permanent sculptural art installation by artists Elmgreen and Dragset, located 1.4 miles northwest of Valentine, Texas, just off U.S. Highway 90, and about 26 miles northwest of the city of Marfa.  The installation, in the form of a freestanding building—specifically a Prada storefront—was inaugurated on October 1, 2005. The artists described the work as a “pop architectural land art project.”

Postcards

Postcard From Big Bend National Park

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The Rio Grande River near Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park in Texas

I’m skipping a few stops but this one was too good to wait on.  Kathy & I visited Big Bend National Park today.  What a spectacular place – we had no idea!  This is just one photo that hardly represents the entirety of the place, only just one part.  But since (for us) the point was getting to the Rio Grande, it represents that goal.  I’ll post more once we get home, but it has been a busy trip so far!

Postcards

Postcard From Johnson City, Texas

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The “Texas White House” at Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, Texas

Kathy & I visited the LBJ Ranch National Historical Park near Johnson City.  This is the “Texas White House,” home of President Lyndon Johnson and used as an offsite location for Johnson during his presidency.

“Air Force One Half” Lockheed Jetstar VC-140 used as a shuttle to the LBJ Ranch airport from Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park near Johnson City, Texas
Postcards

Postcard From Selma, Alabama

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The Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama

We made it to Columbus, GA on Sunday night, our first night out, and traveled today to Ruston, LA.  On our way we realized we were passing through Selma, AL and decided to stop at the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Selma Interpretive Center.  We also walked around town a bit and stopped by the Brown Chapel AME Church.  I’ll refrain from additional commentary for now but it was quite the moving experience.

Postcards

Postcard From Nalcrest, Florida

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Nalcrest, Florida

What would it be like to be the letter carrier for a community full of retired letter carriers?  That’s a bit of a running joke in Nalcrest, that is a retirement community exclusively for retired mail carriers.  Nalcrest was designed by and continues to be operated by the Nalcrest Foundation, Inc., a branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers, the union representing United States Postal Service city letter carriers. It was the brainchild of William Doherty, the first United States Ambassador to Jamaica and NALC President from 1941–1962. 

The community consists of 253 acres, 153 acres of which are developed into 500 garden-style apartments. The remaining 100 acres (0.4 km2) are undeveloped and includes a manmade lake of 15 acres around which the community is developed, and that is connected to the 7,500 acre Lake Weohyakapka.

We have friends who spend the winter there, and this is the third year we have visited.  It’s an interesting place with many friendly people from all over the US and Canada.  But you won’t find any dogs or cats.  Evidently the story about dogs and mail carriers not getting along is true. 😉

Nalcrest, Florida
Postcards

Postcard From Lake Placid, Florida

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Mural depicting Melvil Dewey, creator of the Dewey Decimal System and instrumental in bringing the railroad to Lake Placid Florida, known as the Town of Murals

Known as the Town of Murals, Lake Placid has over 40 murals dedicated to scenes, important events and notable people from the town’s history.  More to follow later!

Mural depicting assistance by local mechanic Swain Bowers to three tourists who turned out to be Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Harvey Firestone in Lake Placid Florida, known as the Town of Murals
Lake Placid Florida, known as the Town of Murals