電子報編輯器:FCKeditor   排版設計:周俊雄


 

休閒
 

Facebook Twitter Plurk
首頁>休閒>賞風景 學英文 來自潘念庭老師家鄉的好山好水--新墨西哥州
賞風景 學英文 來自潘念庭老師家鄉的好山好水--新墨西哥州

佛光電子報-賞風景 學英文 來自潘念庭老師家鄉的好山好水--新墨西哥州

 

賞風景 學英文
  來自潘念庭老師家鄉的好山好水--新墨西哥州
    
Nice Views from Southwest
Pennington Shares NM Images
 
By BOOKER CHOU (周俊雄), September 9, 2009, Yilan
 
Dr. Robert Pennington (潘念庭) has been a full time associate professor in department of communication of Fo Guang University since August 2008. He has mailed me many photos from his hometown at Las Cruces in New Mexico in this summer. Dr. Pennington is an amateur photographer but he likes to share photos with friends. Especially, he wants his friends through his works to know the beautiful scenery of the NM deserts and forests.
 
New Mexico is located in the southwestern region of the United States. The state's total area is 121,665 square miles (315,110 km2). The landscape ranges from wide, rose-colored deserts to broken mesas and high, snow-capped peaks. New Mexico has little water, its average precipitation is only 15 inches (380 mm) a year and its surface water area covers only 250 square miles (650 km2). Despite New Mexico's arid image, heavily forested mountain wildernesses cover a significant portion of the state, especially towards the north.
 
Dr. Robert Pennington and his Taiwanese wife, Carol Pennington (張素貞), like to hike and to bike at those beautiful forests and deserts. They would like to invite us to visit NM in the future.
 
The followings are Dr. Pennington’s photos and illustration. Let’s enjoy them.
 
 
This is my photograph that is similar to "Moon and Half Dome" by Ansel Adams. I hope you enjoy it.
 
 
 
The Organ Mountains is southwestern New Mexico formed 30 million years ago. Volcanic pressure fractured the earth and pushed up granite and quartz. Those same forces are still active today. But now, they push up water to create springs. Here on the northeastern face of the mountains at any time of year, you can see the glint of sunlight reflecting off high mountain spring water. And if you hike up into the canyons, you can find spring-fed pools. These provide a stark contrast to the desert a few hundred meters below.
 
 

This is a photograph of a western diamondback rattlesnake. I didn't want to try to get a close-up. As the sign says, leave them alone and they'll leave you alone.
My neighbor's cat alerted me to the snake's presence by getting the snake to rattle. Then the cat stayed nearby, watching the snake closely until it left my territory. The snake did not like the cat's presence.
These snakes eat rabbits and other rodents, so they are good to have around as long as they stay away from the house. Usually they do. But you have to watch and listen for them just in case they come too close.
In the spring when the mornings are cool, snakes will come out onto roads and driveways to warm themselves. In the fall when evenings get cool, they come out for the same reason.
Cats, roadrunners and even other non-venomous snakes usually keep them away, as my neighbor's cat did.

 
One of my summer projects was to build a small roof attached to the side of my house. Sometimes, the desert gets very heavy rain, and some water would come underneath the back door. So I wanted to build a roof that would keep the rain away from the door. Also, Carol wanted a covered place to sit in the late afternoon and early evening. What I built will keep the rain away from the house and give Carol a covered place to sit. The attached photograph is the result.

 
 
 
The rock hard, inflexible granite will endure for hundreds of millions of years. The almost intangible clouds that yield to the slightest breeze may last hundreds of seconds. In between, the sturdy wood that still bends to the strongest wind will stand for more than a hundred years. The soft pine needles, easily bent by hand, will fall to the ground after hundreds of days.
 
 
Dry creek, high desert in NM.
 
 
 Here is a moth (White-Lined Sphinx) feeding on a thistle flower.
 
 
Even with all its geologic and human history, most people enjoy New Mexico because its greatly varied natural beauty. Only 25 kilometers--and ten degrees Celsius--separate the scorching desert from this verdant mountain glade where herds of deer often roam in the Lincoln National Forest.
 
 
 
The Lodge Resort has been serving guests for more than 100 years. Movie stars, government officials, artists and even gangsters (perhaps one who left his car down the road) have come to enjoy the mountain air 9,000 feet above sea level (almost 3,000 meters). Many come to golf. Many for a romantic escape. Many come for the excellent restaurant, Rebecca's. Recently, a professor and his wife came all the way from Taiwan to enjoy lunch at this table.
 
 
An abandoned building appears to be a failed business. But the appearance deceives. This business was so successful that it moved to a much larger building a few hundred meters down the road. This building stands to remind us how a successful business begins--modestly.
 
 
 
New Mexico has many stories and storytellers. Not all of the storytellers are human. This car recalls an era when a car was a luxury, not a convenience and certainly not a necessity. Why is it here? Perhaps the driver decided that traveling by train was more convenient and then never returned. The train has not returned either. The last train came through this place more than 60 years ago.
 
 
 
Besides its ancient geologic history, New Mexico displays a wealth of human history. Though only a little more than 70 years old, this building features an architectural style known as Pueblo-Revival inspired by structures built by indigenous people of northwestern New Mexico hundreds of years ago. The style is still very popular for new homes and other buildings.
 
 
Here on the trail you can stand alone, just as this ponderosa pine tree, in quiet, timeless solitude. You sense that this is the only place, the only time. So turning to continue along the trail is very difficult. But you do. And you come to many more places where you would like to stand and stay forever. When you reach the end of the trail, you feel that you have been gone a lifetime. You promise to return another day and spend another lifetime.
 
 
 
The Organ Mountains are so enjoyable that even the rocks are happy to be here. In the lower right, notice the smile on this boulder.
 
 
 
Many animals make their homes in the Organ Mountains -- mountain lions, bob cats, ring-tailed cats, foxes, rattlesnakes, tarantulas, many kinds of birds, lizards and more. Bighorn sheep live just a few kilometers north in the San Andres National Wildlife Refuge. Some of those sheep visit the Organ Mountains. Whenever wild animals are around, you must be vigilant and careful. Usually, if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. Most often, you will not be aware of their presence because they blend into their environment. Here is a lizard that wears the colors of its surroundings. If you did not see it move, you very likely would not know it is there.
 
 
 
Hiking in the Organ Mountains can be dangerous. Some trails have a gentle slope and an even surface. But even those have the hazard of the hot desert sun. Other trails are steep, narrow and uneven. They rise 400 meters or more in less than 4 kilometers. Large rocks require hikers to pay attention to their steps. Still, many people attempt these trails poorly prepared. They usually give up and turn back before they go very far. From time to time, though, we read about a hiker who needed rescue or a hiker who died. This is not a walk in the park! Be careful, and your caution will reward you with breathtaking scenery.
 
 
【佛大電子報第13期/2009年9月18日】
 

 

 

Copyright from: Fo Guang University
No.160, Linwei Rd., Jiaosi Shiang, Yilan County 26247, Taiwan(R.O.C.)
佛光大學校址  26247宜蘭縣礁溪鄉林美村林尾路160號

投稿信箱:
secretary@mail.fgu.edu.tw