Saturday, September 11, 2010

She took me to the Moon



This will be the third attempt to get our visit to the Craters of the moon on the blog. When I think something to say, I think I have already told that. I hope what I say is not a repeat. I am including the city name of Blackfoot, because that is the type of town name I would like to be from. I love the Indian nation's names. Blackfoot, Shoshone, Apatche, Cherokee, etc.


The weather was rainy and very windy. All the territory is charred. (not chard, which I have learned is a vegetable, thanks to Cher, of Cher Shots) This lava bed is over 65 miles long and about that wide.






I took my hearing aids out (they are not water proof), got an umbrella and started up into one of the craters, I was nearly blown off with the Umbrella. I had to remember to hold it into the wind. Inside the crater it was still raining but calm.










I apologize because I have no idea where these pictures will end up in relation to my typing. But the next few pictures are from inside the crater. One shows the blow hole where the Lava came up thru for this crater. The actual formations are not too pretty, but very interesting.
Many of them look like the coals some of you used to empty out of the coal heaters.






Some of the lava is shiney, other parts are as chunks of unburnt coal I have one hill here that is nothing but small black cinders and gthings grow out here.
The air temp reaches 130 degrees while the ground and lave reach 150 degreees, yet something lives.



















As we left I shot a contrast. This beautiful hill behind the farm land of potatoes or sugar beets.







Also all around the area you see dosimeters. These give a continous digital readout, reading the local radiation. Radiation hazards are real here, not from the Craters of the Moon, but from the many nuclear plants in the vicinity. There are (and have been) so many Nuclear sites on this plain (over 50), plus a nuclear labratory. I think the government is wise.
I am sorry for such a scanty report. I doubt if we will comeback, but it is worth you time if you are in the area. The Forest service has some excellent movies depicting how most probably this all happened.
The Indians say a Giant snake squeezed a mountain so hard that it erupted and the snake could not escape. The reason for thsi is some of the lava looks very much like a giant snake, the lava is cracked in the design of a rattler.
Thanks for coming by the log.
Nite Shipslog
PS:
A hint. Today we had a snowball fight at the Teton Pass over looking Jackson Hole Wyoming.
We have been seeing snow on the mountains around us for a couple days. Time to head South.

9 comments:

shirl72 said...

WOW you are on the moon. Get a parachute next
time you do your surverying. What craters and
they look scary. Did you think you were Mary
Poppins.

Shirl

jack69 said...

Hey folks, on an earlier entry I had a picture of what I called an underground Barn. One of the locals here read the blog and e-mailed me to say that is not an underground barn, but a 'Spud House' to keep the potatoes. Makes sense. So as much as it pains me to admit, I was wrong. BUT I bet if it is empty or no longer used, If Shelly-Marie and the girls in the Texas herd were here they could go inside in the winter. HA!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Snow already??? That would be the time to go south for sure. I often think that if I got the chance Ohio wouldn't be my choice of a place to spend the winter, but usually we don't get much snow til after Christmas here. That is early enough for me.

Paula said...

Shelly Marie and the herd didn't need to be inside today. We had a hot one. I've heard of swiss chard or is it swisschard but I have no idea even what it looks lke. Oh and we have a Bigfoot, Texas in our county but it is named after an indian fighter.

betty said...

that is such a beautiful area with the Teton Pass! I enjoyed our visit to Jackson Hole we did one time! seems like you guys had an interesting time exploring the crater!! are you planning to head into Montana?

betty

Lucy said...

I don't care what they are, those pictures are interesting. I was surprised that those places with roofs are spud containers. They looked like barns or houses. What is Swiss Chard?

Dar said...

I laugh at your travels today, craters, the moon, snow, and spud houses....how fun to travel with you. Swiss Chard is a lot like spinach but sweeter, in my opinion, and grows in a single leave with a stalk similar to Rhubarb...Check out Cher at CherShots...she has a picture of it in her garden and processed...and she's my and Mel's sister.
BlessYourHearts

Cher' Shots said...

I turned on the computer and had to check out where Jack and Sherry were taking me today. Thanks for yet another great adventure. "hugs from afar"

Anonymous said...

Looks like a place older than earth. Impressive indeed. It must have been interesting as well for all the senses being that close. Please have a safe road ahead and a good start into the new week.
p.s.: years since last I saw snow outside of me fridge.