Wind Farming

We drove straight up the windy state of Illinois, passing near Bloomington where one of the largest wind farms is located. Wikipedia states that spread over 22,000 acres, there are 240 operating wind turbines; each is 270 feet tall, with three 85 foot long blades. In all, they are said to produce enough electricity to power 120,000 homes  In the first picture below, there are 32 turbines.

We also saw these in other states in the mid-west. While the generators are hardly attractive, I can see their value. I was interested to read that the company pays land-owners 5,000 per year per turbine and pays a property taxes to the tune of $500,000 per year, which goes to the local school districts. I might not have been far off the mark when I was thinking they look like a bunch of Mercedes symbols twirling in a field.

Paducah's Murals

We got off the interstate to go dockside in Paducah, Kentucky. It sits just east of where the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi. There we found a series of perhaps 20 large murals painted on the flood walls depicting the city's history.

The city was founded and named by General William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame. He named it after the Indian nation of Padouca. Through the open door, there is a glimpse of the Ohio River.

At one time, Paducah was the strawberry capital of the world. School let out so that children could help with the harvest. A child is depicted in the field as the Strawberry Queen looks on.

Open gates in the wall permit vehicles to drive close to the water, but can be closed when necessary to help contain the rising river. 

By one of the unpainted flood walls, was this model of a prefab storm cellar. I had never heard of such a thing, though B said he had seen them advertised before.

Road Trip

B and I have just returned from a 3,000 plus mile road trip from Florida to Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri before heading back home. We did this all in just ten days. As you might guess I took a few pictures and will be sharing over the next week or so.

We spent our first night with welcoming family in Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville is an island of beauty in a state that gets a lot of negative publicity and we always enjoy our visits there. This time, we got a brief tour of downtown and into some really lovely, old neighborhoods. We walked around near the courthouse where there is a centuries-old spring that reportedly looks pretty much the same as it did in early photographs. It appeared fairly deep and there were large koi swimming around in the cool water. It  has inspired the creation of a handsome and popular urban park that follows the stream as it flows from this spring.

On Sunday morning, we continued up I-65 to Nashville, where we stopped in a McDonald's for a cup of coffee. It was in an upscale area of office buildings and shops. The exterior was "fancy" with the half columns and other architectural details on the outside. On the inside, the employees were a mixed bunch that might benefit from going to "team building" workshops;  the music that was playing loud was head-banging hard rock. I did mention that this was in the country music capital, didn't I? B and I both came out bewildered. It was the strangest McDonald's we were ever in.

We decided to check out the lodge at Barkley State Park in western Kentucky for our lunch. The park is located on one of the largest man-made lakes in the country. This picture is from their webpage. 

The spacious dining room is called Windows on the Waters. I took these pictures from the deck outside the restaurant.

It was a good stop.

We made our way back to the interstate by use of The Trace, which is the road that runs the length of the Land Between the Lakes, a national recreation area of 170,000 acres wrapped by 300 miles of mostly-undeveloped shoreline. I have long been curious about the area, and perhaps it needed much more exploration to reveal itself, but it was pretty much a rural road through unspectacular woods. Oh, well: sometimes, you gotta go, to know.

Mailbox Monday: Nasturtiums

This is the last of the series of California mailboxes. A number of years ago, I accompanied my sister on my first trip to the Pacific. We spent our first night in northern California and I remember being amazed at the size of the nasturtiums growing in a box right at the bay water's edge: they were enormous!

A Labor of Love

I was asked a while back if I would acquire and arrange some flowers for  a luncheon honoring two retiring teachers at my school. The request was for two large arrangements and six pint Mason jars.

I was fortunate to be able to cut from the gardens around the school, having asked permission from the individual teachers who tend them. All of the hydrangea, yarrow, buddleia, dusty miller, artemisia, and fennel came free from school. So for a mere $25, I was able to fill in with Publix flowers and they turned out nicely.

I have an old soda bottle crate that is perfect for carrying the Mason jars. They looked so pretty tucked in and ready to go that morning.

Cheerful Crooner

While we work in our vegetable garden we are often serenaded by this brown thrasher. Many times times he remains unseen in the  top of a very tall, very dead pine. But one evening, I had seen him flying with a mate, or more likely, a prospective mate since he continues to sing. She flew off, but I watched as he landed in his usual tree and the sun was just low enough for me to be able to see him. Thrashers are cousins to mockingbirds with similar voices.

Good luck, fella. It is getting a little late in the season for finding that special female that will appreciate your lovely song.

Mailbox Monday: Sunset on Sunset

This is one of the California mailboxes that my son sent me. The address appears to be Sunset and they painted a sunset on their mailbox.