This, That, And The Other Thing
Mostly local...again...still...
I'm encouraged by the worldwide reports that if you're triple vaxed, getting Covid is now usually milder than the seasonal flu. But I'm waiting for the Omicron surge to die down and hospital beds to free up somewhat before hitting "execute" on my California plans; they may just fall away this year. Still have fingers crossed for summer European travel.
And, you know, not dying.
Bonnie posing in front of a neighbor's garage.
She turns ten this year...such a classically pretty bike.
Ginger under the winter desert skies...
Ran when parked...
Sophia collecting some murals and museums...
"Really, I'm sure, it's just a flock of seagulls!" 👀 This is the Titan Missile Museum Discone Antenna.
What is that, you ask? From Wikipedia:
A discone antenna is a version of a biconical antenna in which one of the cones is replaced by a disc. It is usually mounted vertically, with the disc at the top and the cone beneath.
Omnidirectional, vertically polarized and with gain similar to a dipole, it is exceptionally wideband, offering a frequency range ratio of up to approximately 10:1. The radiation pattern in the vertical plane is quite narrow, making its sensitivityhighest in the direction of the horizon and rather less for signals coming from relatively close by.
This particular antenna is now able to be used by Ham Radio operators:
The nearly 80 feet tall Discone was built by Collins Radio Company in the early 1960s and installed at its present location becoming operational 15th of July 1963 by the USAF until the site was deactivated in 1982. The antenna, since then, had been used only a few times by the Green Valley Amateur Radio Club for special events. Since 2007, the antenna has been used on a continuous basis by the Green Valley Amateur Radio Club and HAMS from around the world.
You just never know what's buried in the desert...
At the very start of the pandemic, Kitt Peak, one of our Sky Islands, closed the road up to the observatory. This was March 2020:
Since that time, the road has remained closed and the observatory closed to the public, although research teams continue to work there. The Kitt Peak website, however, recently changed its message, indicating that the observatory is still closed to the public, but making no mention of the road closure. Hmmm, let's find out...
Sadly...
While the gate was open, there were two Tohono O'odam Rangers checking anyone trying to go up the mountain. The tribe is still on lockdown...they own the land...so the road remains closed to everyone except those working at the observatory. Oh, well.
In my last post, I mentioned that Pima County had, at long last, decided to repave Arivaca Road, a beautiful, twisty, ribbon of tarmac just south of Tucson. A go-to destination for Motos and bicycles alike. That repave, along with the reopening of the local cafe, now renamed Tumbleweed, was much anticipated and driven by a local petition.
After spending $9 million of our taxpayer dollars, the road has started to fail literally days after it was completed.
Pima County spent nearly $9 million on a road project in Arivaca. Almost as soon as it was completed, potholes appeared and immediately needed repairs.
How sad is this? Having ridden it end-to-end today, I can affirm that there are many, many, many of these gestational potholes, especially on the eastern side of the road. Some have already been born, some of those have been cold patched, and some of those have already had the patch fail. To be fair, overall it is still much improved over the rippled, broken, potholed mess of the previous surface.
But still, what a waste. Wait until the monsoons hit, the road will be toast. Toast, I say!
Cheers!
