Thursday - still in Idaho Falls

Sorry I missed yesterday's post. Lots happening; lots to tell.
First off, Margaret is getting better. We went for a ride today around Idaho Falls. She has made the turn and is getting significantly better. Life is good - thanks to "modern" medicine.

We extended our stay in Idaho Falls through Saturday night. So unless something else happens, we should be outa here Sunday.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was a hoot. Since Margaret spent most of the day sleeping, she encouraged me to go for a jaunt. So it was off to Craters of the Moon National Monument. I don't know who came up with the name - it doesn't look anything like craters on the moon. But of course, when they (whoever) came up with the name, we hadn't landed on the moon.

Anyway, I learned more about vulcanology in 30 minutes at the visitor center than in my previous 60+ years. The Idano grin (look at a relief map of Idaho and you'll see a giant arc reaching from Wyoming to Washington state which is primarily the Snake river valley). From the southwest corner of Idaho (at the Oregon border) northeast to Wyoming (Yellowstone) there is a rift valley. Relating the short version, there is a hot spot under this rift which melts the crust causing a collapse - a caldera - in the surface. About 10 million years ago, this occurred at what is today the Oregon / Idaho state line. About every 2 million years, there is another collapse (effectively moving northeasterly). Craters of the Moon was about 4 millions years ago. The next big event should be in Yellowstone. But it could be another 400,000 years (plus or minus).

Craters of the moon is lots and lots of lava formations. I went into two cinder cones and looke down at the bottom (water collected). Vast acres of lava in various forms. If you look into vulcanology, you'll see that there is lava blown out, lava oozed out, and cinders blown out. This amounts to lava tubes, lava flows, hard lava, smooth lava, and more than I, as a tyro, could begin to accurately describe. I got some ok photos which I'll try to share.

On the way to Arco, ID, I passed a "museum" called EBR-1 at the Idaho National Laboratory. EBR-1 is the first nuclear power plant in the world. (EBR-1 is Experimental Breeder Reactor number 1). Arco has a banner in town proclaiming they are the first town in the world to be powered by atomic energy. The museum still has the light bulbs the scientists used to demonstrate they had created electricity!

On the way into the museum (out in the middle of the desert prairie), I was at the side of the road (photo op). A young man - probably security service stopped to see what I was up to? He was from Williston, Florida (small world). He asked if I was going to the museum. He said to pay attention to the two large objects outside the museum. They were / are atomic engines designed to power an aircraft. The program was cancelled by Kennedy but the engines are still functional (they ran them just before I got there)!

Margaret got to tour Idaho Falls - downtown, waterfront, and shopping centers. She's talking about manicures and pedicures tomorrow, so she must be getting better.

This afternoon was spent cleaning the toilet. Ah, the RV life! I hope I don't have to do that again anytime soon. Another story for sharing with a tall cold one.

Margaret is still coughing (ugly sound) so I'll close this. Sorry to have missed yesterday (when it was still fresh in my mind.

The saga continues...
Wayne