By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor

Once again I needed to “make essential travel to facilitate commerce related to critical infrastructure.” *** So I loaded up some tools and headed down the highway. For me I find the semi-arid coulees to be relaxing and soul-resting. Unless someone or natural events disturbs the area, it otherwise will remain nearly identical to what it was ten or twenty years earlier. Wildland fire seems to be the main cause of change and even in that example only a few years are needed for restoration. Time moves at a lichen’s pace.

Click on each photo to enlarge.

 

Here follows an old U.S. Highway long since abandoned for such purpose, though it remains a county road presently. Like the flora it retains much of the old; that is construction of seventy or so years prior. The tarmac and signage is current, but the barrier cables and posts remain. I was glad to see that when the need arose, damaged posts were replaced with similar hardware and not a tough but rather Spartan Jersey barrier or guard rail. If one wanted to maintain an old highway in its true virtue the county could post antique-style signage, complete with “marble” type reflectors. Yet it was nature, as usual, that took center stage.

Their relationship became glacial and erratic–so they split.

But these were more symbiotic, after developing a lichen to each other.

Can nuns and cardinals mark danger? Depends on your navigation skills I presume.

Time to break out the boat I suppose, and continue my mission to only engage in extremely necessary travel. ***

Photos (c) 2020 Darren Smith

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*** And if you believe that, I have some real estate just for you.