The Mountains Shine

The Mountains shine

they smell of pine

and leave me feeling

so

sublime

   I've just made a week of encapsulation in these mountains. They loom in the background at every turn, sometimes hiding behind ominous clouds, other times protruding forcefully towards the heavens demanding attention. A couple of us hiked up one of the smaller ones surrounding the park yesterday. It was a pretty steep ascent but it felt great; there were many jokes along the way and the occasional snowball fight. We chattered back and forth getting to know each other and keep ourselves motivated to push through the muscular burn threatening to drag us back down the mountainside. Reaching the top gave me my first feeling of exaltation that you see in so many commercials, when the person throws his/her arms in the air and the camera swings around in panoramic view. We found a plastic jar with paper and a pencil inside and each signed our names, sealing that moment in time, rock and memory. Now it's sealed in the digital world. 

   I read an article on Digg.com about Kindle book sales finally surpassing hard-copy sales. I suppose most people thought that it was inevitable; I personally haven't ever read a Kindle book, but hey, I'm still using a 5 year old laptop. I think that I would like it, though, especially with websites that make so many classic books available for free online. Although, there is something about holding the book, smelling the paper saturated by years of page turning, looking at the front matter and keeping it on a shelf  to illuminate the house like other pieces of artwork that is invaluable. There were many comments about this article that expressed a fear of the digitalization of the world and how so many things would be lost forever if they were permanently stored online and something drastic happened like a reversal of the poles and subsequent destruction of the electromagnetic field.-- which leads me to my latest kick...missionscience.nasa.gov. This website has opened my ignorant eyes to the invisible world around us and the crucial and magnificent importance it holds. The discovery of electromagnetic waves and their utility really blows my mind; and I consider it to be one of the greatest human achievements. The government accomplished its goal of helping me develop an interest in science that had laid dormant for some years now. Thanks, but screw Texas cops and revenue earning tickets in general.