Sunday November 16, 08
Road Runners…..we’ve seen two run across in front of us but no camera fast enough.

Today was another great day….a true gift. The object of our exploration today was the Biosphere habitat just north of our campground and Tucson. It was built as an experiment to see if people could completely live self sufficient in an isolated and enclosed environment, raising their own food and making their own oxygen supply from vegetation raised inside the locked-in environment. Just the buildings alone were impressive and the tour fascinating. Space Biospheres Ventures began construction in 1986 and Human inhabitants were enclosed inside in 1991 and another group in 1993 – each group intending to spend 2 years isolated in the Biosphere and working to feed themselves, do maintenance and scientific experiments while inside. In July of 2007, the University of Arizona assumed management of Biosphere 2 and today it is open to public tours and study by university students and scientists from all over the world. Inside is a miniature ocean with the correct sea salt balances, fish, coral reefs, ocean plants and animals. There is a rain forest, a desert, an agriculture growing area, and quarters for the inhabitants that lived there. When the doors were unlocked and it was time to enter Biosphere 1 again (our own planet), they had learned a lot and were weak from hunger and lack of enough oxygen. The climate was not as warm as planned because of two bad weather years (El Nino’s) and the crops did not do well and so the food and oxygen was not enough for them. The “lungs” of the Biosphere 2 impressed me the most of all. Two white dome-like structures, each as big as a stadium and air alone holding up a huge 16 ton stainless steel dish shaped disk fastened to heavy rubber diaphragm. The whole thing acted like a huge lung and kept the air pressure even at all times in Biosphere 2.
Check out this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_2

David and Lisa Johnson and two of their three daughters and his parents invited us to attend David’s sermon for the students of University of Arizona. For his sermon, David touched on politics and Bible verses and announced that it was a one way conversation because he would have everyone fighting over their views and wrecking the place if it were opened up for discussion. It was definitely a college atmosphere and coffee of Starbucks variety was served beforehand. Afterwards they took us out to a Sauce pizza restaurant with their specialty in thin pizzas and unusual salads. Afterwards we had Gelatos for dessert next door. There are hundreds of restaurants in Tucson area and as many shopping malls, even though the economy crunch has slowed the building of them down to none almost. We are making an adventure with them tomorrow to Tombstone in the bus….and dinner tomorrow night at David’s mothers (India fare).