While in New Mexico, we stayed at the lovely home of some friends in Santa Fe. The 360 degree views from the hilltop house were stunning with the Santa Fe and Sangre de Cristo mountains to the east and the Jemez mountains to the west. As the sun set to the west, the lights of Los Alamos would begin to twinkle beneath the Jemez ridgeline.
I found myself thinking about Los Alamos quite a bit. This was the place where the first atomic bomb was developed and tested. We visited the town on our way back from hiking in the Jemez Mountains. Unlike neighboring Santa Fe—where adobe homes and businesses are the rule—the architecture of Los Alamos is all metal and glass. Very modern. Los Alamos calls itself the “Atomic City”— a moniker I understand is taken with pride, but I can’t help but feel a bit conflicted about it. The work done there might have helped to end the Second World War, but it’s also ushered us into a far more dangerous world.
Panasonic GX8, Lumix 14-140mm lens @ 69mm, ISO 1600, f/8, 1/50” exposure.
John Hadden Photography 