California is full of strange and interesting places...
 |
| P/C Google Maps (image from 2021) |
... sure, you know about the golden beaches and the snowy mountains, and you might even know a bit about the deserts of Southern California. But there's a lot of history hidden away in the dry reaches of the southland.
One of those places is Rosamond Lake, a dry lake bed in SoCal, a part of the Antelope Valley. It's really, really flat and most of the time it's just dry / dry / dry. And that makes it especially useful for something you might not guess.
Our SRS Challenge for this week centers on Rosamond Lake. Can you figure it out?
1. What is the story (stories?) with Rosamond Lake? What makes it particularly interesting?
This isn't too hard, but a kind of fun Challenge. Can you figure out what the story is here? What did you do to figure it out?
Let us know. Next week I'll have some background for you!
Keep searching!
This challenge on Rosamond Lake was particularly engaging, and it led me down a very personal rabbit hole!
ReplyDeleteMy initial search began with a simple Wikipedia query for "Rosamond Lake." Almost immediately, I saw the reference to Edwards Air Force Base.
Being married to someone who was previously in the Air Force, I called out to my husband to see if he had any knowledge of Edwards. While he had never been stationed there, he certainly knew of its significance. He confirmed its critical role in the launch and operation of spy satellites for the military and the CIA.
This is where the personal connection deepened: my husband was a former manager of a photo lab that developed film (yes, film!) from these very satellites and reconnaissance planes.
So, in addition to discovering the well-documented stories of test flights, first flights, and record-breaking aviation achievements associated with Rosamond Lake and Edwards Air Force Base, I was able to forge a truly unique, personal link to this search challenge by simply asking someone else if they knew. It's a great reminder that sometimes the best "search tool" is a conversation with someone who holds a piece of the puzzle!
Thanks to Gemini for the rewrite of a draft of my comment. :-)
Interesting! Thanks for sharing
DeleteMadonna...
ReplyDeleteused a a filming/backdrop location ~28 years ago & other times
https://youtu.be/XS088Opj9o0?si=OJwtPHfhK1TGBZIx
airstrip
https://youtu.be/_qTfv0Ne0Y0?si=U7A_sKVBpyvAvp7C
https://phys.org/news/2011-02-brotherhood.html
"The flatness of Rosamond Dry Lakebed is remarkable, with a curvature of less than 18 inches over a distance of 30,000 feet. The use of these lakebeds dates back to the 1930s."
https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2000/ofr00183/
https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article/828690/can-you-see-me-now-lakebeds-restriped/
""It's actually pretty difficult to land on the lakebed because it's so flat and featureless. When you're landing at a normal airport, you kind of unconsciously know how big houses are so you get a mental idea, without even thinking about it, how high you are," said Sampson, recalling his own experience with landing on the lakebed."
earlier -
https://scvhistory.com/scvhistory/dd1890.htm
https://cdn2.picryl.com/photo/1904/12/31/vehicle-desert-queen-sailing-on-a-dry-lake-at-rosamond-in-the-mojave-desert-f869ec-1024.jpg
https://edwards.isportsman.net/PiutePonds.aspx
https://www.lancastermoah.org/single-post/our-desert-was-once-a-green-oasis-archaeology-and-paleoindians-within-the-av
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/rosamond-dry-lake/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/doneastwest/51288614827/in/datetaken-public/
sharks in the lake -
https://www.edwards.af.mil/News/Article/829002/lakebed-creature-re-surfaces-in-time-for-halloween/
re: the previous AI "hotness" - moving to hardware options:
ReplyDeletehttps://rb.gy/azrq7m
it's all so flat... it makes one feel taller.
ReplyDeletehttps://i.imgur.com/jIY6x2h.jpeg
never know who you will see on the lakebed... maybe he was a friend of Louise or it was his 'Dobie'?... all 'frozen' now.
ReplyDeletehttps://i.imgur.com/nrjfSRL.jpeg
(couldn't decide)
https://i.imgur.com/lts3FDh.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/cSpGePr.jpeg
https://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2022/11/04/high-desert-hangar-stories-a-spiritual-journey-like-no-other-base-chapel-travels-across-the-desert-to-new-home/
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=734098783317171&id=133468870046835&set=a.133478773379178
(courtesy of Gemini:)
"Rosamond Dry Lakebed, a vast and seemingly barren expanse in the High Desert, has a spiritual side for some, particularly those who find solace and inspiration in the vastness and beauty of the desert landscape. The vastness can evoke feelings of peace and quiet reflection, while the stark beauty of the desert environment can inspire a sense of awe and wonder.
Here's a more detailed look at the spiritual aspects associated with Rosamond Dry Lakebed:
Spiritual Reflection:
The quiet and open space of the lakebed can be a conducive environment for meditation and reflection, allowing individuals to connect with their inner selves.
Connection to Nature:
The desert landscape, with its unique beauty and challenges, can foster a sense of connection to the natural world and a feeling of humility in the face of nature's power.
Sense of Wonder:
The vastness and seemingly endless horizon of the lakebed can evoke a sense of wonder and awe, reminding individuals of the vastness of the universe and their place within it.
Historical Significance:
Rosamond Dry Lakebed has a history of spiritual importance. For example, the Office of the Chief of Chaplains in 1942 documented the movement of a base chapel across the desert, highlighting the spiritual journeys and traditions connected to the area.
Symbolism:
The desert itself can be seen as a symbolic space, representing challenges, transformations, and the journey of life. Rosamond Dry Lakebed, with its unique features, can further enhance these symbolic associations for some individuals."
https://digital-desert.com/rosamond-ca/#google_vignette
"frozen" time...
That's a classic and profound question that photographers, philosophers, and even scientists have grappled with for decades!
In a literal, scientific sense, no, photography does not freeze time. Time is a continuous dimension, and a photograph is simply a capture of light at a specific, extremely brief instant. The world continues to move and change immediately after the shutter closes.
However, in a metaphorical and perceptual sense, photography absolutely "freezes" a moment in time. Here's why that idea resonates so strongly:
Capturing a Fleeting Moment: A photograph isolates a tiny fraction of a second, something the human eye can't truly do. It allows us to examine details, expressions, and relationships that were there for only an instant. This makes the fleeting moment feel permanent.
AI doing 'Frozen':
https://i.imgur.com/pCbhzNp.jpeg
fwiw - the prompt was to show ants playing baseball...
ReplyDeleteafter a couple iterations (without further inducement, it came up with them playing on the Red Planet - with the UAV Ingenuity, nicknamed Ginny watching) wild, imho
https://i.imgur.com/pH2VRh9.jpeg
had it 'try again' (only prompt)
"Okay, here's another image of ants playing baseball, this time in space on a small asteroid!"
https://i.imgur.com/MzYthJ2.jpeg
it may not be creativity or imagination, but wild pattern amalgamation and noise augmentation.
Searched [Rosamond Lake unknown facts]
ReplyDeleteFound about Gold Rush that made boom, among other facts.
With this link, learned about meteorites and what that means
Classification: L
Discovery Type: Found
Condition: Valid
https://meteormaps.com/rosamond-dry-lake-meteorite/
Out of topic. Connected with other SRS Challenges
DeleteToday I watched a lifer. That's a new bird for me. And after getting help with the identification, I read about them.
And there, I read about Brood parasitism. It's really interesting.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_parasitism#
I searched [parasitism site:searchresearch1.blogspot.com] after no results with brood parasitism
It's a good new addition to those Challenges
ReplyDelete"on a dry lake bed an aircraft may land in any direction."
interesting side story:
"On May 21, 1962, X-15 pilot Neil Armstrong, who later became a Gemini and Apollo astronaut, flew a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter to Delamar Dry Lake in case it would be needed for an upcoming X-15 flight. The F-104 was damaged in the landing attempt at Delamar when the landing gear began to retract. Armstrong got the plane back in the air and diverted to Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas."
a different lake, but a familiar craft...
https://ethw.org/w/images/c/c1/108._X-15_Crash_at_Mud_Lake.jpg
https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/x-15-accident-mud-lake-nv/
details -
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/mud-lake/
https://ethw.org/First-Hand:The_X-15_Project_-_Flight_Testing_-_Chapter_12_of_the_Experimental_Research_Airplanes_and_the_Sound_Barrier#Bent,_But_Not_Broken
crash on video
https://youtu.be/STBE7JpQMeA?si=0KAtSE53RK27TqvR
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delamar_Dry_Lake
https://www.talesfromthedesert.com/portfolio/delamar-dry-lake/
a NV "Mud Lake" in Lincoln Co.,NV...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delamar_Dry_Lake
earlier... (may be a different Mud Lake? Winnemucca?)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mud_Lake
Dan, a wellness check - is it something dire or are you marooned in Newark?... in the middle of Rosamond Lake doing ground truth?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the check... but all is well. It was finals week last week and everything got super busy. Will push out the blogpost very soon. ;-)
Delete👍
Delete