Off Topic mostly, HD and I just got back from our first long vacation road trip in 15 years. Drove from Missouri to SW Colorado, Moab Utah, back via Taos New Mexico. Went to Canyonlands but road was closed and we could not ski all the way to Upheaval dome, which is either a salt dome, or a meteor impact (that allowed a salt dome to push upwards). This seems to be a stark scientific controversy so I should look into it, but will probably lose interest as I need to read more on what I do.

Arches Nat. Park was beautiful in the snow. We were going to camp because HD wanted to, but days are too short, it was too cold, and I am getting soft so we did not camp.

Taos is in Rio Granfe rift. I have to look into this, but I think this rift started 30 or 40 million years ago, and is still active, but at very slow rates. We visited the 1000 year old Taos pueblo during a dance. Adobe is probably terrible in quakes. I recall that 20 years ago I hear that 25% (??) of the population of Lone Pine or one of those little towns in Owens Valley (California) were killed during the 1874 (?) quake, because of Adobe construction. Don't know if the wood in Taos Adobe makes it stronger than the mud construction that killed 40,000 (?) in the Bam (?) earthquake.

Lots of "?"s on my names and dates here.
Chris