We’ve spent the last two days in a part of New Mexico that is so remote there is no Internet. You can’t even pick up a radio station here in the Gila Wilderness. That remoteness is one reason the VLARAO was built out here. In case you don’t already know, that stands for Very Large Array Radio Astronomy Observatory, a collection of 27 gigantic antennae that pick up radio waves from deep space and convert them to images. Those of you who read The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy know I’m an astronomy buff, so touring the VLARAO was exciting. One discovery they have made is that the gas stream from the Magellanic Clouds is about 66% longer than previously believed. Bet you were wondering about that.
On Saturday, I had a signing at Hastings in Roswell. As in all other signings I have had at a Hastings, they were well prepared for my arrival. They had plenty of books, and had my poster prominently displayed – this time in the middle of the front door. Unfortunately, sales were poor. Very few humans and not a single alien. I think the reason is that they are primarily a video and music retailer. There is always a staff member who knows the book side of the business, but they don’t attract many readers. On Sunday, we had a joint signing at the Deming Arts Center where I sold 30 books and Lai had her first sale at a signing. Given that her book retails for $109.00 on Amazon, we aren’t expecting many sales in small town New Mexico. I was pleased with my sales but even more pleased that they are now stocking my books in their small book-selling area.
From Deming we went to Glenwood and then the nest night to Magdalena, stopping at famous Pie Town for slices of their lemon meringue and apple crumble. The little village and the restaurant, called Pie-O-Neer (groan) has been a landmark at the Continental Divided since the dustbowl days of the 30’s.
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