Sunday, May 20, 2018

Geo-Learning

It goes on daily.  

Or at least I try to learn something daily, whether it be Geology, Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Photography, Botany, History,...

(Whisper, whisper,...this is to partially-offset what has been forgotten over the years.)

Yesterday, it was the Vulcanology-related use of "boca" (Spanish for "mouth").  My first exposure to the term was at Capulin Volcano in northeastern New Mexico in the summer of 2015.

There is a good resource available, "High Plains of Northeastern New Mexico: A Guide to Geology and Culture", New Mexico Bureau Geology & Mineral Resources; Scenic Trip Series, Number 19.  (2005) Muelhberger, Muehlberger, and Price.

(Screenshot below from this source.)


High plains of northeastern New Mexico : a guide to geology and culture

Originally, I purchased this book while planning a 2009 summer vacation for my first wife, son, and me.  After visiting relatives in NW Oklahoma, the plan was to go a bit "beyond there", as finances and time permitted.

But "as we make our plans, life happens".  As the summer of 2009 approached, my son in-law had a job interview in NYC and my daughter didn't want to be left alone at home with a 3 month-old son.  So she planned to drive her SUV with my wife and I rented a Plymouth PT Cruiser for my son and I to caravan to Oklahoma and back.  [The "NYC gig" lasted for about two years, deemed to be good for a short bit, but too expensive.  So they came back to Georgia.]

On the 2009 journey, as 3 month-old Ben was not used to be in a car seat for long distances, he screamed incessantly, frazzling my daughter, the new Mom.  Frequent stops were necessary, as she didn't know if he was hungry, wet, dirty, or just dissatisfied with the car seat with his vocal protestations.  We got to Oklahoma to see the inlaws and so they could meet their first great-grandchild.

Not wanting to be on the road for longer than needed, the NM trip was nixed.  And my absorption of the book was no longer needed.

As we planned to go by Dallas on the way back to see more relatives and frequent "Ben stops" were necessary, once we got to I-35 south of Oklahoma City, my son and I were able to take the short back road (US Hwy 77) through the Arbuckle Mts. and I did get some "geo-photos" and a few rock samples (pictures in a later post), before we hooked back up via cellphone.

After returning to Georgia, the book went back on the shelf until the tumultuous summer of 2015.  In the interim, my only thought about the discarded plans were "I want to visit Capulin Volcano, someday".

(Story to be continued on "Itinerent Geologist", soon.)