The Rocket That Wasn’t There

JWise Photo of the Day

Contrail from a rocket launched in New Mexico

It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s the telltale sign that a rocket was launched earlier this morning. For a moment, we thought these were clouds but quickly recognized that at that altitude, we were looking at the contrail of something far higher than any plane or Superman. We’ve seen this type of phenomenon one other time in the east but that time, we were lucky enough to catch sight of it while the rocket was still traveling aloft. The same happened with a rocket or two in the west, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California Coast, while today’s rocket had to be launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, about 360 miles (579 km) away as the crow flies. This means the contrail is likely around 80,000 to 100,000 feet (24.4 to 30.5 km) above sea level. We tried finding out what type of rocket and mission was conducted as these details are often shared, but not for this mysterious event. About 10 minutes later, there was no sign left of any of this.

A Much Needed Break

JWise Photo of the Day

Sunrise in Phoenix, Arizona

Today, I finally put the record of our travels to the Maritimes behind me as I finish the last blog post covering that extraordinarily long vacation. Now begins the proverbial vacation from vacation, where I intend to avoid any hint of productivity and allow my brain to lay fallow. The two posts prior to this one were not written until the 28th of October, and this one I wrote on the 30th of October following my successful two-week sabbatical from harnessing words. In celebration of giving some free time to myself (oh hell, I guess all of my time is free and full of indulgence should I be honest), I’m here to celebrate this spectacular sunrise welcoming me to another beautiful day in Sandland, Arizona.

Sarcasm

JWise Photo of the Day

Homeless sign in Phoenix, Arizona

Job loss, medical debt or health issues, mental health challenges, family crises or breakdown of support systems, housing costs becoming unaffordable, domestic violence, or substance use disorders – this was the list that Claude AI provided me to “Describe the situation of someone who might be holding a cardboard sign next to the road” (that was my prompt). It started its answer by explaining how “human beings experiencing hardship” could find themselves in this position and then produced the list of potential contributing factors.

Two homeless people recently died in the span of a few days, not a one-minute walk away from where we live. One was an overdose, and the other was a man stabbed to death by another homeless man. A day does not go by that I don’t see at least 15 homeless people, some who look barely alive while others are dragging obvious ailments around, such as broken feet that have healed with a foot now pointing in the wrong direction or open wounds. In front of fast food restaurants, bus stops, drug stores, and gas stations, the indigent struggle to survive the harsh environment of living outside. Often, those I  overhear talking about this situation appear to have strong beliefs that these human beings are simply victims of their own poor choices, but they most often attribute addiction and laziness as the reasons underlying their impoverishment. The secondary factor is that the government is giving them welfare and everything else they require, making it easy for the homeless to choose a lazy lifestyle, as though they are out on the street for no other reason than they really like holding cardboard.

Hypatia Returns

JWise Photo of the Day, TimefireVR

Hypatia from TimefireVR returns

Maybe this is not the greatest of screencaps, but what it represents is important. Hypatia, the VR title my company created, is back online and has been for a few days. I thought it was dead and gone because it had to be shelved by Harry (Turkvolt), who’d taken it upon himself to keep it alive when everyone else abandoned it. From 2014 through 2017, TimefireVR created an explorable, non-violent world where creativity and community were the hallmarks of our effort. Well, VR was a tough marketplace to crack. We spent nearly $5 million trying to realize my dream while Facebook spent $10 billion; we never really had a great chance, nor did they, for that matter. It’s now a decade after my first stumbles and mistakes in paving a path into an unknown world of possibilities. I had tapped a number of people who were able to hone their game development skills, make friendships that exist to this day, and help create a virtual environment that was wholesome but, ultimately, a failure. I miss this world. I miss Robert’s music, Rainy’s contributions to the art, Jay’s amazing 3D work, Jason and the other coder’s incredible efforts to do things on an extraordinarily small budget, let alone the two dozen other people who toiled against the odds to build Hypatia. And then there’s Harry, who brought the broken bits forward, modifying the code where needed, allowing the world of Hypatia to see the light of day again. I have a deep respect for his efforts and dedication, thanks Harry.

Farthest Drive of My Lifetime

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Our odometer after an 11,000-mile drive from Phoenix, Arizona to Newfoundland, Canada

Yesterday was the completion of an epic 36-day adventure that had me embark on the longest drive of my life at a total of 11,040 miles (17,767 km) across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Massachusetts, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Over the course of this vacation, I ended up sharing some 63,500 words and 849 photos, though I wouldn’t get caught up until October 21st when the last vacation post was written, and I started this recap.

The highlights and major points along the way were as follows: Caroline at the airport, endless fields of corn, Bocce Club pizza in Buffalo, surprise airshow, Caroline won a huipil, speedboat and boating on the St. Lawrence River, lighthouses, Fort Ticonderoga, Green Mountain Spinnery, lobster rolls, waterways, the seashore, cairns, ferries, friendly Canadians, sunsets, bridges, coffee, rain, roadside fruit and veggies, beachcombing, flying a kite, our pillows, Bay of Fundy, apples, Fritos, sunrise, moss, lichen, islands, fishing villages, trails, Balancing Rock, Kejimkujik National Park, old security guard, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Peggy’s Cove, Damson plums, beef jerky, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, beavers, fens (bogs), soft serve, maple walnut ice cream, waterfalls, rocks, thrombolites, yarn, Tablelands at Gros Morne National Park, caribou, partridgeberries, reflective ponds, the colors of fall, cod tongues and seal meat, causeways, Terra Nova National Park, forest walks, Muskoka chairs, ruffled grouse, butterflies, mushrooms, flowers, foxes, UNESCO Geosites, wild blueberries, fossils, Mistaken Point, oatcakes, Eastern Hyper-Oceanic Barrens, tiny cottages, covered bridges, narrow roads, signs for moose, and more lobster rolls.

After 58 days of traveling and writing, this block of my life dedicated to such an extraordinary experience moves into the past. I’m happy it does, as I’m a bit depleted trying to write anything else describing things encountered in America and Canada. I need a break from all things vacation, so much so that we are canceling a planned Thanksgiving tradition of traveling to Oregon. Now for something completely different.

The End of a 36-Day Drive

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Sunrise on Interstate 40 in New Mexico

I’d already been driving for well over an hour when I pulled off the freeway for gas, and to capture the sunrise I could only see in my rearview mirror. Leaving Tucumcari shortly after 5:30 meant no return visit to Kix On 66, which Caroline and I visited last year because they don’t open until 6:00. That was okay, or so I thought, as I’d be passing Santa Rosa further west, where we’d had the best breakfast burritos ever at Lulu’s Kitchen On Route 66, except it turns out that they are closed on weekends; I’ve been foiled. Option number three would be a winner, too: I’d hold out to the other side of Albuquerque and grab a truly great green chili burger at Laguna Burger at the Laguna Pueblo. That didn’t work out either, as they were still serving breakfast at 10:30 and wouldn’t make me a burger.

Interstate 40 in New Mexico

It wasn’t until I reached Gallup, New Mexico, 310 miles (500 km) away from Tucumcari, that I’d get a Navajo variation of the green chili burger at Earl’s Family Restaurant. I skipped looking at the menu and asked if they had a green chili burger; I was assured they did, so I told the server to bring me one. I was surprised when, under a heap of cheesy fries and green chilies mixed with Fritos, I found the burger underneath it all, served open-face. My other surprise was looking around me at the approximately 100 Navajo customers; I appeared to be the only white guy and knew I was at the right place.

Lupton, Arizona

Reentering the Southwestern United States is a powerful reminder of just how different the landscapes are, with the effect on the senses best being realized when approaching slowly on roads instead of flying in.

Lupton, Arizona

Another great benefit of a slow approach is that, at some point, you can tune in to KTNN – The Voice of the Navajo Nation on AM 660. But then today, I learned something fantastic: KTNN is now broadcasting on FM radio at 101.5, though that will do nothing for you unless you are within range of their signal, so if you go to KTNNonline.com, you can tune into what is being listened to over parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Even if you don’t like Country & Western or Powwow music, pay special attention to the ads and when the announcers come on, as they often speak Navajo mixed with a bit of English.

Near Payson, Arizona

Somewhere along the drive home between Heber and Payson, I let Caroline in on the secret that I was only about two hours away from her.

AZ 87 a.k.a., the Beeline Highway north of Fountain Hills, Arizona

It was back in Adrian, Texas, where the first glimpse of the Southwest came into view, but it’s not until nearly reaching Phoenix from the north that you’ll encounter the mighty saguaro cactus. Something else about this landscape is that you may not appreciate it as much when you are living here as you will after being gone for an extended period of time and then returning to its stark ruggedness.

AZ 87 a.k.a., the Beeline Highway north of Fountain Hills, Arizona

While romanticizing the desert, I still find it impossible to do the same for the city I’m about to drive into. I’m on the edge of Fountain Hills, and the temperature at the end of September is still burning at a mid-summer heat of 116 degrees (46.6 Celsius). While that is a heavy reality check, I’m only about 45 minutes from getting home to the person who will be genuinely happy to see me, just as I am to see her. Our vacation is officially over.