Dawn

On a clear day, dawn in Alamogordo, New Mexico, is breathtaking. The first glow of light starts behind the Sacramento mountains in the east - distant, low and jagged. The red, orange and pale magenta streaks flow north and south along the chain as far as the eye can see, until everything is swallowed by the horizon. As the sun begins to emerge above the mountains, the San Mateo Mountains become visible in the west. Between the two chains is high plains, very flat and covered with all kinds of low, rugged looking patches of grass, cactus and other hardy and determined vegetation. The area is streaked with red dirt gullies from when the rains do come; some are as deep as eight to ten feet and snake across the terrain in all directions. It's a bit odd to think we are only 10-12 miles from the White Sands US missile range.

We were lucky last night in that we were able to stop at a picnic area just north of Alamogordo in Three Rivers, NM, along US54 - very much in the middle or nowhere. The stars were a sight to behold. No light pollution to obscure the grandeur. Some of them were so large and bright that it seemed you could reach out and touch them. The Milky Way was very clear and well defined. The absolute darkness was a little unnerving; it was difficult to see the truck from more than about 15 feet away.

I tried taking a few pictures, but I couldn't get the camera to do justice to any of what we saw. It helps to be in the right place at the right time.