I know that these are cropping up all over the world.
This was a planned trip that I organized
for some of the residents of the assisted living
building that I worked for before retirement.
This is the entrance to the farm.
It is located on a steep ridge, just above the Columbia River.
Look at the photo of the men installing the tower.
I wish I would have had someone else take a photo of this blade,
so that you could see the size.
At the far end where it connects to the gear box . . .
it is 5 foot in diameter.
I am 5 foot 4 inches . . . all I had to do was duck my head and stand inside.
125 feet long.
This photo shows the gentle curve of the blade.
We were greeted by a wonderful young couple . . .
while he showed us a film and answered question about the windmill farm,
she served us coffee,tea and cookies.
Here is our bus . . . it looks like we are parked on top of the world :)
There is something very tranquil and clean about these.
I am sure that some people think that they are ugly . . .popping up everywhere,
I am not that person . . . I see a beauty in those white blades against the blue sky.
This is an iron sulpture that from the freeway . . .
looks like a heard of wild horses along the ridge.
This photo could have been better,
but I took it from the bus window while traveling down the freeway
and tried to zoom in on it.
I know that this is not my normal post,
but I thought you might like seeing it.
If you get the chance to tour one of these centers . .
go for it . . . it was quite an interesting trip.
Until my next post . . . Toodle-loo
&
Happy Thanksgiving
Connie :)
What interesting photos. We see many of the 'wind farms' in England, and they are not always popular.
ReplyDeleteI do not know all the pros and cons of the windmill farms, but I am for clean energy. They also have a very calming affect . . . quite, clean and strong . . . standing in rows slowly turning in the wind. There is a beauty to them :) (that's my opinion . . . but I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion)
DeleteTime will tell . . . as to whether they are a good thing or not.
Have a lovely day and thank you so much for stopping in and visiting.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
I agree with you completely. I love wind farms they always make me smile. I have to confess though, I recently spent 4 years at university, at the age of 42-46, studying for a degree in environmental science and a masters in sustainable environmental management so I might be slightly biased. I firmly believe they are a good thing. Sadly a lot of people won't agree with me.
ReplyDeleteKindest Regards
Kay
In time they will prove themselves . . . whether good or not. Every time there is a change . . . there will be people who oppose. Change isn't always easy and sometimes it is very costly. These are costly, but if they prove to last and be durable, then I'm sure many doubters will change their opinions.
DeleteHave a wonderful weekend.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
Connie,
ReplyDeleteI have seen these windfarms documented on TV. It's very interesting, and I think they are rather peaceful looking. The horse sculpture is really something. Is it on someone's private property, or a park?
Happy Thanksgiving!
Amy
Hi Amy, Here is a link to some great photos of this sculpture. http://undependentmedia.com/travelsgrandfather.htm
DeleteI think you might like it.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Connie :)
Hello Connie! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Yes, this is a different post for you, but I like it! I'm not sure how I feel about those windmill blades yet......I do like their color white...I do think they look serene in an odd way but I think that is more of the surroundings. I will say, I like them much more than CELL TOWERS!!!UGH!!! Anyway, I'm going down the bunny trail.....You have a wonderful heart and obviously give to others.....Blessings.......from one sweetie to another~~~~Roxie
ReplyDeleteHi Roxie, I'm glad that you found this interesting. The tour was very informative and very surreal . . . and yes a lot of that was being so high that the view went on for over a hundred miles in all directions. Mighty breathtaking :)
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving.
Connie :)
Hey Connie, I've seen wind farms in California from the road but never up close. They don't bother me aesthetically at all (just look like new age windmills to me). I really enjoyed the tour. Thanks for taking us along. LOVE the iron sculpture of the horses ... just amazing! Happy Thanksgiving! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Beth, and thanks so much for stopping in.
DeleteHave a wonderful Thanksgiving :)
Connie
we have a new development going in near us called Wind Walk. It will be a wind and solar powered community. Should be interesting to see it being built.
ReplyDeleteHi Andrea, it sounds very interesting. You will have to post photos as it's being built.
DeleteHave a wonderful day
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
These are absolutely beautiful ... my daughter often comments that she would love to have one on a piece of farm land somewhere up in Orange County New York. I just have to have her see these pictures. Thank you so much for sharing. One step towards clean energy ... that's all it takes ... the first step.
ReplyDeleteLove and Light,
Jan
Hi Jan, I was at Lowe's a couple weeks ago and they have this new home unit that sells for around $4,000. I didn't research it, but at that price . . . after not too long, it sounds like it could possibly pay for itself in electric bills. I really don't know how they work or how they store power. Like, if it is not windy are you without electricity (if this is your only source)?
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
I agree with you. They are beautiful and almost sculptural looking against the sky. Thanks for sharing these photos.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, Thanks for stopping by . . . I love company :)
DeleteConnie
They are pretty amazing aren't they. I would have enjoyed that visit to see them up close. The size of the blade is mind-boggling! These gigantic windmills do have a certain beauty and even a touch of design elegance I think. We have them here too, out in the desert on the way to Palm Springs.
ReplyDeleteI agree . . . the simplicity of their design is quite elegant and beautiful against the blue sky.
DeleteWe had a lovely day for touring, the sky was perfect and those billowy clouds . . . pretty amazing. :)
Happy Thanksgiving.
Connie
They seem graceful to me. My brother works on a wind farm, maintaining the machinery, and has to climb the stairs to the top... Great workout!
ReplyDeleteI'll bet his leg muscles are in tip top shape :)
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving
Connie :)
I have never seen them so close...
ReplyDeleteBlog about life and travelling
Blog about cooking
Maybe you can find a farm that gives tours. They are pretty amazing.
DeleteThank you for sharing this with us. I saw from a distance one of the first wind turbines had been installed in Dorset last week! 127 turbines on one site sounds a huge number! The sculpture of the horses looks fantastic. I hope the residents enjoyed the trip you had organised.
ReplyDeleteSarah x
Hi Sarah, That was the number of turbines while we were there, but they have plans for that many more. It is a huge farm.
DeleteHave a lovely weekend.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
I am so thankful that we have some alternatives to coal. Every time we can harness wind or solar, we save a mountain in West Virginia.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in to visit. Solar and wind are certainly a cleaner source of energy.
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving:)
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
Thank you for showing the pictures. I love to see those pictures, to see how and where you live.
ReplyDeleteAmerica has so much largeness.
Hope there is enough wind for the windmill farm... here the wind blows around the house, I love that!
Have a great day, Henny
We live in a very windy area, so it is a perfect spot for these farms. This one is about 35 or 40 miles from where we live.
DeleteHave a happy weekend.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
I've always thought that wind turbines are very sculptural, I really like the look of them. The ones I see round here though hardly ever seem to be moving and I wonder just how much energy they produce.
ReplyDeleteThe wild horse sculpture is fantastic!
That's a great question. I do know that they are geared down to a place where they do not move as fast as the older windmills of the pasted. So, if you are just looking at them, they may appear to not be moving, but if you watch them for a while you'll see that they truly are. Then of course it depends completely on the wind :)
DeleteThanks for this inquiring comment, you have me wanting to look into these new inventions more deeply.
Have a lovely day,
Connie :)
We see these farms on our trips back and forth to Colorado- they do seem to be building more and more.
ReplyDeleteI'm into alternative power! Would love a windmill someday!
ReplyDeleteI love the horse sculptures! I had to read what you said twice before I realized they were not real!!
It is a very cool sculpture. Coming from Seattle . . . first you go through green and lush mountain passes and ski slopes . . . then . . . a beautiful valley and farmland . . . next you cross the Columbia River . . . climbing up from the river, you look to your right and there on the crest is a heard of wild horses (it is a very realistic and beautiful sculpture). It is a monument to the wild horses that roamed our part of the country, not so long ago.
DeleteI hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
This has been a common site for all of us Texans. These sweep across the prairies more than the oil rigs that are also in abundance. I love those horse statues! Wish I had them running across my meadow!! Hope this finds that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Have a great week ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you . . . we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Your daughter and granddaughters were here. Our oldest is at that delightful age where we got to take some "missing two front teeth" photos :) They didn't stop her from enjoying a big Thanksgiving dinner. We had a marvelous visit with them, even put up the tree, so that they could help decorate it with us :) Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that your Thanksgiving was wonderful, too.
DeleteYour blogging sister,
Connie
Beautiful photos of the wind turbines. I thought those horses were real!
ReplyDeleteDorothy
We cross country ski near wind turbines, and the size of the blades are just amazing to me! Beautiful photos Connie!
ReplyDeleteHi Connie! I really enjoyed this post, and the background information. I was entranced by these when we went to Washington in September, and took a bunch of pictures, though I haven't posted them yet. They fascinated me! Thanks for the post, your pictures are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.