I Like Traffic Lights

When I was little, I thought Mr. Rogers was cool because he had a traffic light in his house. Of course, I know now that I was looking at only the set of a TV program. Plus, when you ponder it, it probably was barely noticeable under all of the lighting. Have you ever seen a signal when someone is replacing a bulb or the lens? If not, consider how bright it has to be to be visible in broad daylight, for long distances. That’s a heck of a nightlight to have in your living room!

I like living in a part of the country where it’s warm enough to stand outside in early October and not even wonder if I just might want to take a jacket.

I like living in such a big country. We are blessed with wonderfully varied topography, climate, natural resources, soils.... I could go on. I have been to many states (I’d have to refer to my master map to see how many, but I think about 3/4 of them). I have seen much of the country from highways. Imagine how much more there is that I didn’t see. Imagine how much there is in your own state, which you haven’t visited yet or even know about. I grew up in southern New Jersey, near Philadelphia. On a good day, with light traffic (probably impossible nowadays), we could cross the bridge in under half an hour. In approximately two hours, we could reach New York City. In about three: Washington, D.C. Can you believe that it takes me three hours just to make it from Las Cruces to Albuquerque? I wonder how many eastern states could fit within New Mexico’s borders.

I like railroad crossing gates. They are simple yet extremely useful. Not to mention they’re all stripedy and ding-dingy. Actually, I like almost everything related to trains. I miss cabooses (cabeese?). One of my dreams is to have a restored caboose in my living room. (Of course, I’d have to live someplace with a large living room.)

I like breezy days.

I like food -- too much.

I like watching the sunrise over the mountains. I first experienced it in Alamogordo nearly twenty years ago. Now I can watch every weekend from my very own veranda. It never ceases to amaze me.

I like living in a state with towns named Fruitland, Zuzax, and Truth or Consequences.

I like watching the moonrise over the mountains, too.

I like paper clips. Who on earth realized that he could twist a strand of wire around itself, so that you can use just one item to hold papers together, rather than two? My mind isn’t that practical. I can’t think of who dreamed up the stapler, either.