On the road Again

Seems like we were hardly home before it was time to leave again.  We are doing a short trip up to Colorado to see Jim and Doty before they head back to Lower Alabama.  We are spending a night on the grounds of the US Air Force Academy on our way up, mostly so Tom can check out the golf course.  We have a pine forest location, but occasionally you see gliders or tow planes flying overhead.  We are just a stone's throw from the stadium, but it is everything seems far away and remote from our tucked away corner.  The office has signs warning of bears in the area!

ETA-7 pm update:  We have discovered the train tracks run somewhere about 1/4 mile east of the campground.  Not that much noise from the train wheels, but you do hear the whistle, which the train HAS to blow going through the base because they have bears and cougars and it supposedly scares them off the tracks.  Not sure how often they run, but so far we have had three trains in six hours, and the office has a notice in their materials that 'the Air Force has no control of the timing or frequency of the trains'.  Well, OK, we have endured worse noise in cities, and we are only here for one night.

 I had forgotten what daily life is like onboard a military base.  If you don't know, 'colors' is played at the end of the day, and all movement comes to halt while the flag is hauled down and the anthem plays.  Our idyllic camp spot is maybe 50 yards from a 75 ft tall pole (hidden among the trees) and colors is played at full volume out of one of perhaps a dozen speakers.  That is fine, just a little loud, but you want the sound to carry as far as the next pole, which I think must be at least half a mile away. Could be more.  Taps is supposedly played at sunset, and I am not sure what time they do Reveille in the morning.

Then the lovely blue sky turned grey with thunderclouds.  We heard some thunder, and about two minutes later comes this announcement, again at full volume.  "Attention this is USAFA command, lightning has been spotted within a five mile radius.  You are directed to take shelter immediately.  Command OUT".  Well, OK, I kinda thought the cadets, some of the smartest people on the planet, were smart enough to figure that out themselves from the thunder, but maybe the announcement was for the visiting public.  Except the announcement came on again every time there was a thunderclap.  

The sky has now cleared, and I can see blue sky peeking through the fluffy white clouds once again.  The rain has stopped, and the trees have stopped swaying.  Storm is over, and we know it for sure because the pole just screamed "Attention this is USAFA Command.   All Clear.   Command Out."

I keep giggling every time the pole yells "Command Out".   Tom is wondering if there is cutoff time for announcements, but he doesn't have earplugs and I do.  ☺️