Things of the day

Standing on the beach at the Point around lunchtime today

We live in all we seek.  The hidden shows up in too-plain sight.  It lives captive on the face of the obvious — the people, events, and things of the day — to which we as sophisticated children have long since become oblivious.  What a hideout: Holiness lies spread and borne over the surface of time and stuff like color.

~ Annie Dillard, For the Time Being

Riding to the Point

I hopped on my bicycle and rode down to the Point today.  It was a lovely day, perfect for a bike ride.

Hand(s) on

As I rode to the Point, I tried to imagine what it would look like with 600 ft. tall wind turbines scattered across the landscape.  I’ve seen them off in the distance on mountaintops, and I thought they were beautiful.  They might be beautiful here, too.  I don’t know.  It’s hard to picture it.

Then I rolled by one of the big houses, and remembered that there would be no turbines out that way. That’s where some of the money and the good views are around here, but it is also considered one of the Chesapeake Bay critical areas.

Passing one of the estate-like driveways that line the road.

M and I watched the documentary film “Windfall” recently (thanks, ChrisB, for mentioning it).  The film has an obvious bias, but what struck me the most was just how similar the situation is here to the situation in the documentary.  If you want a good look at what communities go through when Big Wind Energy tries to move in, I highly recommend this film.  (Netflix has it on DVD.  Not sure if they have it streaming or not.)

Tree-lined driveway to a big house.

Our Planning & Zoning Commission met again last night.  I could be wrong, but I suspect some of them are going through the motions.  There are some who have a conflict of interest, but that’s not unusual for this type of thing.  As depicted in “Windfall,” in rural and agricultural areas like this, it’s usually the big landowners who are willing to take on the thankless job of being on commissions such as this.

My guess, and it’s only a guess, is that the County Commissioners will probably go along with the wind farm developers.  When greed and money are involved, things usually swing that way, especially in politics.

A little curve

I am troubled by many things when it comes to this issue, including the opposition to the turbines.  They seem to have some money behind them, too.  I wonder where it’s coming from, and will ask the next time I get the opportunity.

Another beautiful, tree-lined drive

I am troubled by how much is hidden, whether it be money or the confidentiality agreements that the leaseholders have likely signed.  It seems to me that if federal and state tax dollars are subsidizing the wind farm, then everything should be open and disclosed to the taxpayers.

I suspect that without those subsidies, the project would die a quick death.  We’re talking big business here, not people who are overly concerned with climate change.  (The Christian Science Monitor, August 24, 2014, states:  “Although the industry is booming right now, helped along by a wind-production tax credit between 2008 and 2012, the expiration of that credit means that there’s little business in the pipeline beyond next year. Already, US turbine manufacturers are turning to overseas markets to replace anticipated lost business domestically.”)

The guineas live around here. I usually hear or see in them in the trees to the right, but there was no sign of them today.

I didn’t spend the entire ride thinking about wind turbines.  In fact, the thoughts about wind energy were fleeting, like the wind itself today.

On the beach at the Point

I walked around on the beach at the Point, enjoying the view and the beautiful day.  It’s been a while since I’ve been out there at a time other than sunset.

Looking through the grasses

How fortunate I am to be within bike riding distance of this pretty place on earth.

 

I took Lulu, my point and shoot camera, with me on this trip.  I went out for the exercise as well as the views, and didn’t want to spend a lot of time stopping to take pictures.  I can do that another time.

Pilings

That’s about it from me for today.  Thank you for stopping by, and cycling around the neighborhood with me.  Do you have any plans for the weekend?  I’m not sure yet what we’ll be doing.  Probably getting ready for next week.  We have friends coming to visit, something I’m really looking forward to, and we need to get the house in order.  We’ve been spending  a good deal of time on outdoor work, ignoring a lot of the indoor work.

A walk on the beach

Be good, be kind, be loving.  Just Be.  And have a great weekend!  🙂

Two in the water

Today’s joys:  A lovely bike ride; watching a box turtle cross the road near the Point; the strength and health to exercise; time at the Point, all to myself; the way the sand on our driveway has finally packed down enough that I can ride along it, and don’t have to walk my bike out to the street (or back to the house).