The Columbia River Gorge is a magnificent thoroughfare. Every time we drive it, I try to imagine what the Columbia River must have been like in its wild, undammed state. I also try to imagine being a pioneer in a covered wagon (or more likely, on foot
beside a covered wagon) inching west, seeing the land change. Going east is interesting; returning west to the mountains and tall trees thrills my soul.
On our drive home yesterday, I took photos through the car windows – some even turned out. :-)
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| Rick thinks the wind turbines are ugly, but I like them – and what they do! |
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| The smooth folds of earth remind me of heavy fabric. |
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| There are lots of bridges over the river; this one looked best to me in b/w. |
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| I didn't realize the deck was up on this bridge until I downloaded the photo! |
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| I love reading interpretive signs and learning new things! |
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| When the trees start soaring, so does my spirit. :-) |
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| Travel knitting. Wish these were an FO, not still a WIP! |
I hope you enjoyed the journey.
That's it for today from . . .
22 comments:
I'm with you and Rick on the windmills, too bad they haven't figured out how to make the blades out of a clear material, then they could paint the bases to match the terrain and they would not look so ugly. Your WIP is getting close to FO. Take care.
That IS beautiful country side. And the hills/mountains do look like folds of material. I'm with you--- I like the windmills. they could paint them black or grey so they would blend in more. We should have these turbines all up and down the coast line!
Very nice knitting! You've probably already said, but - - - Gloves?
I'm with you on the wind turbines - for what they do. I don't think the esthetics are bad either - maybe they remind me of a spinning wheel!! Relaxing.....
I imagine, too, sometimes, what it would have been like back before the white men came - or when the first settlers arrived in an area. Larry thinks I'm nuts, I think. Of course, maybe it's because my family has been in this country so long, that they saw some of this land uninhabited and it's in my blood! (And have you ever seen a windmill farm at night? They all have blinking red lights on them and, if you didn't know what they were, you might think you had stumbled on some secret government installation or something! It's quite cool!)
I don't like the wind turbines. They are all over the hills down here in California.Some folks get upset about what color a building is painted here, but don't mind covering our beautiful hills with these ugly white "politically correct" monsters, killing birds by the hundreds and telling us that we must harness the wind power because it's free and safe. I guess that the end justifies the means. Go Greenies!
Sorry!
I love the hills that look like folded fabric. Beautiful!
so glad you had a nice trip.....that road is wonderful to travel isn't it!!! when we head to the ocean...MY spirit soars!
wishing you all a wonderful spring....
Miss Hope from the cozy cottage
yes, the journey was nice and the photos beautiful. I'm with Rick, don't care much for turbines and think of all the birds they kill because, most usually, they are in migratory path patterns. we're having that argument, again, in our county; Big Corporate wants them on our highest mountain and locals say NO.
I'm with Rick in thinking the wind turbines are ugly --- too futuristic. The scenery there is hauntingly beautiful, but I, too, prefer seeing trees. Thanks for the journey!
I do believe I have a pair of fingerless gloves in what looks to be the exact same color as those you are knitting!
If the blades were clear, the birds would really have trouble with them... I would rather see turbines (you can farm under them) than a power plant spewing smoke into the sky. I think they're rather majestic.
I like the gorge too. I've driven from The Dalles west a number of times, and it's fun to watch the ecosystems change. I like the trees, too, and miss them.
I drove over the bridge at Hood River/White Salmon with my horse trailer once (twice - it was a round-trip). It was almost the scariest thing I've ever done. I don't know how the semi's do it!
I think most of us are guilty of crying "NIMBY!" (Not In My Back Yard) when the truth is, NONE of the commercial power sources are beautiful or benign. There is nothing beautiful about the pump jacks populating the plains or the oil derricks in the seas, and the birds killed by oil spills vastly outnumber those killed by wind turbines. Shall we talk about the enormous scars upon the land (not to mention loss of habitat for beast and birds, and poisonous byproducts that kill species) caused by surface coal mining? We remodel the landscape with hydro-electric dams, and although the visual results are more pleasing and can even be beneficial re flooding, there is again loss of habitat and life. We love our modern conveniences, but too often turn a blind eye to the devastation caused to fuel such lifestyles. Because of this, an off-grid lifestyle appeals to me very much, but I do not have a like-minded husband. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course, and we all have our own aesthetics, but it seems disingenuous to criticize the effects of wind turbines without comparing them in appearance and impact to all other forms of commercial energy.
I did enjoy the journey, and Michelle... I have only seen real mountains one time in my life!!! (and still never the ocean!)
What a beautiful part of this completely beautiful country! Thank you for taking us along for the ride - and I agree on the wind turbines. There is no asthetic in power production, truly. But, as long as we demand our 'things', they are a fact of life. We have them here, in the Berkshires, and I have to be careful as I drive along and watch them - I can get mezmerized and not watch the road! Lovely blue on those fingerless gloves - which are probably FOs by now.
Suzan, they are fingerless mitts for one of my GYBP winners. I really like this pattern – easy, unisex, well-fitting, and since they are knit from the fingers to the wrist, you can knit till your yarn runs out if you have a limited amount!
Yes, we did see them at night! I must admit I like them much better in the daylight. :-)
Karla, I hope you will stop by Boulderneigh again sometime when you take a trip to the coast; it was so nice to meet you that once!
That's the bridge we take when we go horse-camping at Mt. Adams – I HATE it!!!
Mary Ann, I wish I could wiggle my nose and transport you here. I'd take you to the beach, into the mountains, and all over this beautiful area; plus we'd have a wonderful time visiting!
I WISH they were FOs, because I have more to make!
Like Laura says below, clear blades would make them more deadly to birds, unfortunately.
Yes, they ARE rather mesmerizing; the spinning wheel comparison is apt.
Gorgeous pics! I saw the 'smmoth folds of earth' one and thought...'Where is the rest of the sphinx?
I understand your husbands feelings. I'd hate to give up my cell phone, but the last time I visited the farm where I was raised, it was sad seeing three cell towers from the back of the place.
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