It is a pleasure to imagine yourself far away in time and place from the drab uniformity of modern America. And it is easy to do so here. Why, we might as well be watching "El Cid"! Other than the Fortress of old Quebec City, I don't know where you can experience anything like this in the north.
This fine old church was starting to redeem a day that had not started so well. We found plenty of fine, high-altitude land and beautiful old ruins. But there was barely a grocery store to be found--or a wireless internet signal.
So we continued on our way, to the old imperial outpost of Santa Fe. Halfway between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, I suddenly realized that my worries about staying high were over. I hadn't checked the weather this morning because there was no internet. So it was pure pleasure to watch a thunderstorm develop. Ahh... clouds! I love them more than anything.
But the look of this storm brought back some memories. You see, the West has the best climate in America, and the most boring weather. But today's weather reminded me of storms back in the midwest. The furthest clouds were like a featureless, grey sheet. Rain, no doubt.
The nearest clouds were distinctly separate and lower. No rain here. Then I saw motorists stopping on both sides of the road. I glanced out my window and saw this:
A twister! I had lived in Tornado Alley for over twenty years in my youth, and had only seen one scrawny, funnel-shaped cloud that never touched ground--never even brought fifteen minutes of fame to a deserving mobile-home court.
This tornado was raising a dust cloud, but it was unpopulated land, fortunately.
What was that old quote from Virgil's Aeneid? 'With chances various, through all vicissitudes, we make our way.'
