Pipeline under construction: Seismic crew ahead

Driving across Western Texas, I was reminded of how I used to think that someday I wanted to cross an ocean on a ship to get a sense of how big it actually is. Now I'm not so sure about that. Without landmarks to gauge speed by, how would I really get a sense of the ocean? I'd know how long it took, but would I really be able to perceive speed and distance? I have enough experience with flying to get a sense of how big an area is by how long it takes to fly over it in a commercial airplane, and I definitely get a sense of it by driving, but I'm not sure I could really grasp speed and distance if all I can see in every direction for days on end is ocean.

Western Texas feels kind of like the ocean for a little while. I only drove about 3 hours to get from Pecos to San Angelo, but while I was in the desert with no towns in sight, it felt huge. I have a map of Texas that lives in my mind and I know how little of the state I actually saw compared to that whole map. What I did see (other than dirt, dust, and drought-tolerant plants) was mostly various kinds of structures related to the oil industry.

At one point I came over the top of a hill and saw a mesa in the distance, and saw a place to pull off so that I could take a picture. Sorry about the photo quality -- I didn't feel like getting out in the wind to take the photo, so it's through the windshield. Here's the bigger view:

And here's a zoom in on the mesa:

Did you know there's a big new oil pipeline being built in Texas? I was surprised, but I drove by signs announcing it. You can read about it here: https://www.constructionequipment.com/new-texas-adjustable-pipeline-system-2018 In the area where I saw signs announcing the pipeline construction, I saw other signs alerting motorists to the presence of a "seismic crew" ahead. I know what "seismic" means as it pertains to an earthquake, but I didn't know what a seismic crew is, so I looked it up and found this: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-seismic-crew.htm (If you don't want to read that, a one-sentence summary is that they set off explosions and observe what happens with various kinds of measuring devices.)

Driving through this area brought up some disconcerting feelings for me. I'm very aware that at the core of what makes my current trip possible is affordable gasoline, and what I see happening in Western Texas is clearly related to that. Perhaps in the long term, being disquieted by what I saw on this drive will be a good thing. Perhaps it will have raised my awareness in a way that leads to something good. For now, all I can say with certainty is that I'm uncomfortable with what I see, and that I'm not ready to change much about my behavior based on that discomfort.

On to something a bit lighter...

At one point I drove through a town called Big Lake, Texas. Given the absence of any detectable lake in the area (and in the spirit of how Iceland and Greenland got their names), I'm guessing there is another town somewhere in Texas called Big Mirage, and that it's right by a big lake. 😀Actually there is a dry lake bed close to Big Lake that occasionally has water in it, if it rains enough in a short enough period of time for there to be significant runoff. Historically, this lake has been an important resource in the area for animals and people, even though it's only a seasonal thing, if that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Lake,_Texas

I will stay for a couple of days in San Angelo to lay low while some winds blow through, to do some sightseeing, and to get a bit more of a feel for the area I'm traveling through.