From the deck of my sister's house in Los Alamos, New Mexico, we could see the Jemez Mountains. The afternoon sun glistened on the peaks, as wisps of clouds floated overhead. In the valley below, ponderosa pines lined ridges with deep green. Snow covered the ground, highlighting the edges of jagged rocks on the cliff faces. In the distance eight or ten puffs of steam rose from buildings at the government lab, the white billows drifting slightly south in the light breeze. The backyard scene was postcard perfect.