New Mexico: The Pecos Basin, Guadalupe Mountains and Sacramento Mountains

[Bosque Bill]

There is a new adventure posted on Bosque Bill's Backroads travel & camping blog:

Part 1: The Pecos Basin, Guadalupe Mountains and Sacramento Mountains
http://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2015/09/southeastern-new-mexico-september-2015.html

Part 2: The Observatories on Sacramento Peak
http://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2015/09/sacramento-peak-observatories-september.html

Remember to click on an image to see larger versions of the photos - highly recommended!


I hope you enjoy the posts and thanks for checking them out.

 

[highz]

Another most excellent trip report, Bill!

You blew my mind a little with the tidbit about odes being optimized to see in polarized light. Do they make use of the Brewster angle in their wetland environment?

Enjoyed seeing your pics of my backyard. Yes, there's no question in my mind that you are an engineer, with that pic of the manipulator arm at the SDSS cartridge bay. That little beast has moved tens of thousands of spectrograph cartridges from the bay to a cart over the years. It will soon be replaced with a modified fork lift arrangement, affectionately called a "wookie" that will eliminate the need for a cart to move the cartridges to the telescope. Here's a link to a video of the manipulator arm, cartridges and telescope in action.

 

[GroovyDad]

When you mentioned that your dragonfly mug was broken, I remembered that I had seen some very beautiful dragonfly pottery from the Ephraim Faience pottery. I included a couple of links for you to check out. It's a little pricey, but worth a look.

http://ephraimpottery.com/product/sign-of-peace-tile/

http://ephraimpottery.com/product/dancing-dragonflies-bowl/

http://ephraimpottery.com/product/dancing-dragonflies-urn/

http://ephraimpottery.com/product/dragonfly-trio-vase/

http://ephraimpottery.com/product/mission-dragonfly-vase/

 

[Bosque Bill]

When you mentioned that your dragonfly mug was broken, I remembered that I had seen some very beautiful dragonfly pottery from the Ephraim Faience pottery. I included a couple of links for you to check out. It's a little pricey, but worth a look.

Those are indeed beautiful pieces, and I do love quality pottery. Thanks so much for providing the links and reading my post.

 

[Bosque Bill]

Another most excellent trip report, Bill!

You blew my mind a little with the tidbit about odes being optimized to see in polarized light. Do they make use of the Brewster angle in their wetland environment?

Enjoyed seeing your pics of my backyard. Yes, there's no question in my mind that you are an engineer, with that pic of the manipulator arm at the SDSS cartridge bay. That little beast has moved tens of thousands of spectrograph cartridges from the bay to a cart over the years. It will soon be replaced with a modified fork lift arrangement, affectionately called a "wookie" that will eliminate the need for a cart to move the cartridges to the telescope. Here's a link to a video of the manipulator arm, cartridges and telescope in action.

Thanks so much, highz.

I don't know how much research has gone into Odonate vision. Odes in general have not been studied extensively. We know way less about them than many other families. Little is known about migration or populations. Some efforts in citizen science, such as record keeping at OdonataCentral.org, is (are?) trying to answer some of these questions.

I learned about them using polarized light when at the Dragonfly festival a few years ago when it was cloudy. One of the experts explained that was why they don't fly when it's overcast. I later learned that some odes can become confused by the clear coat on automobile paint and think the car's hood is water and try to oviposit on the hood ;-)

Thanks, too, for the link to that fun and informative SDSS video. (I especially enjoyed the bow after she placed the used cartridge in the bay.) Amazing, too, how much light El Paso emits to the night sky. Sigh. I've updated my post to include the link to that video as there might be other astronomy/science geeks who would enjoy watching it.

 

[craig333]

Thanks for the trip report. Can't say I know much about astronomy but I still find that stuff interesting.

 

[takesiteasy]

Another good report. I enjoy seeing the photos of the dragonflies. Thanks!

 

[N'kwala]

Great reports & photos. Thanks.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Great trip Bill.That solar map is cool.There is something like that in Eugene Or. along the river walk.Sure gives a reality to the distances out in space.
Thanks for all the wonderful photos,especially the dragon flies.
On our trips I have only managed to get a good shot at one.It was in BC Canada while on a grizzly watching trip out of Telegraph Cove.
Even got some griz shots.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

Bill, another fun adventure and thank you for sharing more of your territory with us. We enjoy your love of the dragonfly family and how it opens up a new world for us. Impressive astronomical facilities in the Sacramento Mountains!

 

[longhorn1]

Bill, thanks for posting another great report. The dragonfly pictures were amazing.

 

[Bosque Bill]

Great trip Bill.That solar map is cool.There is something like that in Eugene Or. along the river walk.Sure gives a reality to the distances out in space.
Thanks for all the wonderful photos,especially the dragon flies.
On our trips I have only managed to get a good shot at one.It was in BC Canada while on a grizzly watching trip out of Telegraph Cove.
Even got some griz shots.
Frank

DSCN3074.jpg

Cool. Thanks. I don't even know the ID of that BC bug - not one we have around here, I don't think. Thanks for sharing. Glad you got the griz, too.

 

[Bosque Bill]

Thanks to craig, takesiteasy, N'kwala, ski, and longhorn. I appreciate that you've read my report and let me know thought it was a worthwhile way to spend your time! (Hope I did't miss anyone.)

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Bill, loved your report and photos! I've been through that area a number of times but didn't know about the dragon flies or the solar lab. Thanks!

 

[Grand Whazoo]

Boy, Pecos Basin, Great Basin, so many basins I've never seen. I was in the Wash Basin last night, briefly. Yes, fabulous dragonfly pictures, what amazing creatures and I'm so glad they don't get any larger. Good pictures all around and a very worthy trip report from where I sit. Thanks mucho!