JUST A RUNNIN ON THE BEACH TODAY
It was the color blue that saved me this morning. Up until 9 a.m. we were under a damp heavy overcast & I had resigned myself to another long boring day inside. Finally, with sunlight beaming through our Pine trees Pheebs & I hustled our buns outside. Kelly was already off running errands in Goderich. Cranked up the Jeep, threw the cameras in, loaded up the little Bugs & off we went in search of whatever. And whatever is just what we found.
SURE WILL BE NICE TO SEE ALL THESE BARREN TREES LEAFED OUT AGAIN WITH ALL THEIR VARIOUS SHADES OF GREEN
Our travels rolled us south out of Bayfield. About 10 minutes after we left home I thought we had driven into Orson Wells, 'THE WAR OF THE WORLDS'. First saw a tall crane boom way off by itself in an open field. Thought that an odd place for a farmer to construct a barn. Another mile down the road I saw what appeared to be large arms reaching into a cloudless sky above a forested horizon. It was here my ‘War Of The Worlds’ thoughts quickly took shape. In that movie flashes are seen on the Planet Mars & a short time later meteorite like objects strike the Earth. From those impact points grew large metal Alien machine like Monsters standing up over the horizon. And that is what I saw this morning. Large metal Monsters looming on the horizon where large metal Monsters had not been when I last drove through the area. I was a bit startled by what I unexpectantly saw. Of course the word Monsters depends on which side of the rural fence one is standing on & for many in our area they truly are Monsters indeed.
WHAT COULD BE GOING ON WITH OUR NORMALLY PEACEFUL COUNTRY ROADS & WHAT’S THAT STICKING ABOVE THE HORIZON IN THE RIGHT OF THE TOP PIC?
Of course it is large wind turbines I am talking about. Those ones you typically see stretching for miles upon miles down in the wide open spaces of Texas & other States in the area. Our scenic Huron County landscape is quickly being transformed into something that has turned farmer against farmer, neighbor against neighbor & friend against friend. I counted 6 turbines completely finished & standing. Over the next half hour or so criss-crossing some country roads (Centennial & Pavilion) I saw another dozen Monster machines in various stages of construction.
LOOKING SOUTHEAST FROM THE GOSHEN LINE
THE DARKER BLUE LINE ABOVE THE HORIZON IS LAKE HURON
On these quiet country back roads I also became suddenly aware of increased traffic. Dump trucks, heavy equipment haulers, numerous white pick-up trucks, a heavy duty tow truck, road graders, Terra Gators, Backhoes, a large fuel truck, men in orange suits, safety cones, flagmen, & outdoor blue portable washrooms. These usually peaceful picturesque serene farm fields were abuzz with human activity. New gravel roads crawling across muddy fields ended at large turbine construction sites. And I have a feeling this is only the beginning of the massive & controversial wind turbine project in our area. For sure our beautiful South-Western Ontario countryside here in parts of Huron County is not going to be the picture postcard it once was. .
WATCHED THESE FELLAS WORKING AWAY AT GETTING THEIR BACKHOE OUT OF THE MUD
WINTER FROST COMING OUT OF THE GROUND & RECENT RAINS HAVE MADE A REAL QUAGMIRE OF ROADS & FIELDS
USING A CHAIN SECURED TO HIS HYDRAULIC BUCKET A SECOND FELLOW WINCHED THE OTHER GUY OUT
TERRA-GATORS HAULING HEAVY SPOOLS OF CABLE & A CRANE HEADS INTO A SITE TO DO SOME HEAVY TURBINE LIFTING
CAME ACROSS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BASE OF OPERATIONS…NEVER SAW ANY OF THIS WHEN LAST THROUGH HERE IN THE FALL
From the wind turbine surprise Pheebs & I headed ourselves down to the lakeside town of Grand Bend. A wave to Winnie as we passed Ron's RV lot & headed for Tim Hortons. 
BY GOLLY I CAN SEE WINNIE IN THE FRONT ROW AT THE FAR END
A small coffee to go & we headed down the Bend's main drag to the beach. I had brought a Morning Glory muffin from home & we sat in the Jeep watching Lake Huron's waves rolling in breaking against the pier.
COFFEE & MUFFIN WHILE ENJOYING THE GRAND BEND HARBOR VIEWS
I knew where Pheebs & I could walk on a quiet stretch of beach just north of Grand Bend so that's where we headed. Pheebs loved running through the sand dunes & along the beach beside the water being very, very, careful not to get her paws wet. Despite wind coming in across Lake Huron it was a fine morning with sunny skies & a warming sun. Pheebs just raced around a hundred miles an hour all over the place.
I HAVE LOTS OF OLD MEMORIES & STORIES FROM THE LATE 60’S HERE IN THESE SAND DUNES ON THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON
Another 5 miles or so north up the lake I knew of another spot where Pheebs could get out for a second run. Both these beach stops brought back a flood of memories for me. This was the area we sometimes hung out as young teen-agers in the early 60's & young adults in the late 60's & early 70's although the way many of us lived our lives didn’t have a whole lot to do with being adults. The second beach stop was one of the first places I brought Kelly when we met back in the summer of 93 & it is the memories from that time forth I prefer to remember. 
SLOW DOWN, MEMORIES AHEAD
LAKE HURON IS SLOWLY ERODING AWAY THE SHORELINE
OH THE CRAZY STUFF THAT WENT ON ALONG THAT SHORELINE OH SO MANY YEARS AGO 
Noticed a weather front coming up from the South-West so we headed for home. By the time we reached Bayfield we were again under overcast skies but no matter, we had already had ourselves a nice sunny morning Jeep ride ambling our way through the countryside followed by a Tim Horton's coffee & a walk along the beach. It was just the Spring tonic Pheebs & I were needing & the 3 hours of sunshine we had sure went a long way into picking up my spirits & re-charging my tired batteries. We even managed to get another utility trailer load of yard waste back to the recycle area before calling it a day.
SURE HAD ME A TIRED LITTLE BEACH BUM ON THE WAY HOME
I like TIOGA GEORGE'S attitude about his changing future. Not looking back & lamenting the fact Miss Tioga & the majority of his possessions are no more he has seized the opportunity of change to look ahead & embrace the positive aspects of a new lifestyle. Atta boy George, keep the wind in those sails.............
TOM figured the best way to deal with one of his long time fears was to step right up to it & strap it on. He hadn't planned on that but after riding a roller coaster named The Hulk 11 times in a row he later found himself standing in front of 2 tall towers. A decision had to be made……………. And a rough night for RETIRED ROD as he used a Purell spray bottle to do battle with an unseen enemy in a sometimes darkened no electricity strange No-Tell Motel room.
Back in the 60's Johnny Horton had a song called, 'North To Alaska' & many folks have since heeded Johnny's words & done just that. Latest adventurers currently in the process of pulling plans & equipment together to make that very journey are Montana's very own Mike & Janna from TIN TEEPEE/LOG CABIN.
WITH A WHIRR OF MALLARD WINGS
A few reader questions from Wednesday night’s post regarding our soon to arrive Triple E Commander. No problem getting into any of the boondocking sites we have ever been to over the years with a longer 36 feet. Our problem will be squeaking through McDonalds, Cracker Barrel, & smaller gas stations. We didn’t have too many problems with our 33’ Damon in most of those places but our length did tangle us up a few times here & there. With the usual amount of hollering & swearing from me we were always able to untangle ourselves unscathed. I can’t answer the question yet about enough power on the mountain grades with this rig but we always have the option of unhooking the Jeep if we run into any problems. No matter what engine size, length, or how fast I am peddling, the Diesel bangers still blow our shorts off going up hill. And yes we are seriously considering leaving earlier this year & traveling across Western Canada before dropping south to Arizona.
GROANER’S CORNER:(( An 18th-century vagabond in England, exhausted and famished, came to a roadside Inn with a sign reading: "George and the Dragon." He knocked.
The Innkeeper's wife stuck her head out a window. "Could ye spare some victuals?" He asked.
The woman glanced at his shabby, dirty clothes. "No!" she shouted.
"Could I have a pint of ale?"
"No!" she shouted.
"Could I at least sleep in your stable?"
"No!" she shouted again.
The vagabond said, "Might I please...?"
"What now?" the woman screeched, not allowing him to finish.
"D'ye suppose," he asked, "that I might have a word with George?"
Just remember when you get out Dogpound way we have a spot for you!
ReplyDeleteI hate the wind turbines. Useless, ugly and a killer of birds, bats and who knows what else! IMO!
ReplyDeleteScenic views of the past are slowly disappearing pretty well anywhere you travel whether it be across the North American Continent or abroad those ugly monsters are now waving their arms everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
I wish someone would come up with some research proving the theory about turbines killing birds and such. Also maybe the people that are hating turbine farms so much would rather have a 500 megawatt coal fired electricity generating plant in their back yard.
ReplyDeleteI not a fan of the turbines either.....but those monsters on wheels were quite impressive!
ReplyDeleteSo glad Pheebs had her beach time!
Those scenes with the wind turbines and the mess they are making, is like what has happened to my hometown of Sidney, MT with the oil boom. I really don't even want to go back there to even visit anymore. So much crime and drugs now. Definitely a war going on.
ReplyDeleteWe noticed miles of those Turbines being set up along HWY 402 when we returned to Ontario this spring too. I know it sure does devalue the farmers lands. I wonder how much more efficient the turbines are as opposed to solar panels.
ReplyDeleteLove the dunes and lake around Grand bend too. Like you I have so many memories of pretty wild times way back when...
Same thing going on in our beautiful neighborhood. Neighbor/friend pitted against neighbor/friend putting up those huge, ugly turbines in one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's been the only news in our little local paper lately--has caused a huge controversy. Thanks for the link Al!!
ReplyDeleteOH NO! I don't like these windmill farms either. To much disturbing noises and shadows. Not to mention what they do to the migrating birds...:((
ReplyDeleteI will echo what most everybody else says..those wind turbines remind me of the story of Don Quixote. I hate them. I like the attitude of looking forward and not behind..I am in a bit of a blue funk here lately, and the gray and cold weather doesn't help!! Gotta get my act together and GET OVER IT!!
ReplyDeleteWind farms are preferable to strip mines or tracking.
ReplyDeleteI know there is a problem for the birds, and I hope that can be solved in some way, but I think the turbines themselves are interesting and once the building is over much of the construction mess will be removed.
Some might think that, roads, farm fields and buildings are a pollution on the land. Leave it all as untouched wilderness!
Any RVer who complains about collection of energy resources should hang up their keys and move to a dark cold cave.
We use the rule and heat and light with the electricity. We have to accept where it comes from, just as this of us who eat meat need to accept the fact that meat ones from animals that are killed.
Just my two cents worth.
I love the header photo.
ReplyDeleteWe visited the Windmill museum in Lubbock Texas. We got to walk inside a wind turbine. They are HUGE up close. Really neat experience.
The turbines are very ugly. From what I have been told they are also not as efficient as one would think. There is no reason we should not be harnessing the power of nuclear given todays standards and what we have continued to learn and perfect.
ReplyDeleteAND, RVers have a VERY SMALL tiny carbon footprint...
I would far rather see wind turbines than oil wells. I loved the parts of Lake Huron I could get close to last summer. I think way too much of all the Great Lakes shores are in private hands and can't be enjoyed by the public.
ReplyDelete