Research and Travel Home

Posted Sat May 14, 2005 in Travel

The term “exquisitely exhausted” would apply to me this morning! I arrived home not too late, about 2200 last night, after a second day of intense meeting.

It is good to be home, but I am also thankful for the meeting. I could not have completed the text for the project modifications without the research team. I needed their insight and input, and help writing the text. It just would not have gotten done without them.

We have a set of clear objectives and a plan to achieve those objectives. We have appropriate budgets that will allow us to execute the work. Now it is up to the sponsor to decide on the merits of the work.

The drive home was good, even though I was tired. The sun broke out about 1700 and played “peek-a-boo” with me until sunset. A cluster of thundershowers played tag with me as I drove through the west central rolling hills south from Sweetwater.

The clouds were beautiful in the late afternoon sunlight. One of them might have made a good image, but I could not find the right place to stop in time. I missed the peak image and that is too bad. I think it would have been a keeper.

It was a fully-developed shower with a broad, spreading anvil. The high clouds overshadowed the lower convection, shining white against the duller grays of the lower clouds in the setting sun. The shower was also huge—it might have required a wide-angle lens to capture the entire structure.

Some days I wish for a view camera and a couple of lenses, just to capture the richness of the texture of these storms. There is so much detail there it cannot be captured with a small digital sensor or negative. Maybe one of these days I will acquire the equipment and the skill to use it. I think there are still plenty of uses for real film.