Jim Reed is basically compatible when given a cup of coffee, a newspaper, and forty-five minutes silence when he gets up in the morning, therewith explaining his life-long nickname of "Bear." At age fifty-three, he vaguely remembers serving tons of bacon, eggs and creamed beef during his twenty-one years of military service, none of which, thankfully, created causalities upon the sons and daughters of America's finest parents.
Somewhere near the age of fifty, he gave up his quest for material and financial wealth after realizing that Donald Trump's hand firmly holds all five aces. Happiness is now found in the following endeavors:
- Prowling and absorbing the Southwest in search of nature, uniqueness, color and inspiration.
- Being secluded in the small office/study/computer room of his Northeast El Paso home.
- Pampering and over watering his pet Mexican Elder.
- Reading and falling asleep in the comfortable chairs at Barnes & Noble.
- Outwitting his computer's Spell Check and wearing out its Thesaurus feature.
- Trying to understand why obese people overload their trays at all-you-can-eat cafeterias and then select Diet Coke as their beverage.
- Reading and contemplating the works of his favorite poets: Robert W. Service, William Butler Yeats, and Kermit T. Frog.
Jim is graciously allowed to serve as Facilities Manager for El Paso's Bank CNB, therewith sustaining his wife Annie, dog Mookie, grossly overweight cat Zinger, and numerous questionable, yet legal, habits.
"Jim, no one ever accused you of not having imagination."{$.EM$}Richard Vorba
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Faster and far more realistic would be a visit to Sunspot, located fifteen forested miles south of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, nestled between lovely tall pines and perched at the edge of Sacramento Peak . Here the Observatory's numerous telescopes bring the sun's activity to the human eye for study and observation.
Sunspot combines information, scenery and serenity in one small area. Stop at the Sunspot Astronomy and Visitors Center for an educational display of sun and star related exhibits along with photos of the area's history. Pick up the brochure to learn about the first telescope built in Sunspot, the Grain Bin Dome, a telescope mounted inside a Sears and Roebuck mail order grain bin in 1950. The brochure will also act as a tour guide for your walk around the small area encompassing the Vacuum Tower, Evans Solar Facility, Hilltop Dome and Scenic View platform. On Saturdays from May to October, you can take the informative guided tour at 2 p.m.
The Scenic View platform is one of the area's best features. When its not raining or overcast, as it was on the Saturday I visited, you can see for many miles up and down the Tularosa Basin, from the glow of White Sands to the northeast and beyond to a broad expanse of the deserts, mountains and mesas to the south. The combination of the 9,200 foot elevation and almost waterless and pollutant free air aids in the telecope's obtaining sharper and clearer pictures. Scenery is a pleasant byproduct of Sacramento Peak; you can actually look down upon cloud formations from above. If you see storm cells to the north or overhead, heed the posted warning to stay off the platform as the entire area is understandably a magnet for lightening.
Just a mile down the road from The National Solar Observatory is Apache Point Observatory , where you are invited to the Astrophysical Research Consortium, of which New Mexico State University is a member, to stroll the grounds during daylight hours. Like Sunspot, the Apache Point Observatory also offers stunning views from the platform of the 2.5 meter telescope.
The trip to Sunspot contained a note of dismay; some of the area's tall pine trees have been destroyed by pine beetle infestations and are being removed. The beetles seem to attack trees in clusters and then move on, says Mary McGraw who lives in Sunspot and works at the Visitors Center.
Even on a rainy day, a trip to Sunspot is worthwhile. You'll get to meet helpful people like Mary McGraw, see educational displays on the sun and other stars, gaze in awe at the sun from enormous telescopes, and enjoy unmatched mountain scenes and views. And, it's much easier than a 519.4 year trip in your car.