Someone yesterday asked me if I had seen the new wind farm going up

[Skidmore]

a few miles down the highway to the west of here, and then rolled their eyes while inserting a bit of exasperated scorn in their voice. I told them I hadn't been out that way for a bit but that one was going up here was welcome news. I told this individual that last month we driven had through the wind farm near Elgin, IL, and it was impressive. Giant fans sprouting out of the prairie. Here, if there is one thing we have in abundance, it is the prairie wind, and if windmills to pump water and supply limited power were good enough for the pioneers who broke land on the prairies, it should be good enough for us.

Eyebrows were raised and in the pregant pause you could see something being absorbed. Yes, I told the room (by now everyone was listening), I think we are privileged be charting a new frontier in energy. I expect to spend more time giving support to anything but fossil fuels in this area. BTW, we have a group working to get passenger rail services returned to rural Iowa. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to catch a train into the nearest city to shop or go to work or go out for dinner? Wouldn't it be able to connect to another depot and not have to drive to Chicago or St. Louis?

[aquart]

1. You don't have trains?

Yikes.

[Skidmore]

2. Not passenger trains.

Those lines disappeared many years ago. Depots were torn down and tracks ripped up in many rural and not so rural towns. We were doing our part to keep Detroit happy.

[Wednesdays]

3. I guess they think windmills make the landscape ugly

Hey, but this is SOOOOOO much more beautiful:

[mainer]

4. I'm good with wind farms, but I wish they wouldn't light them at night.

We have some windmills in Maine, but I think there's a law that they be lit up at night (for aviation safety). So you end up polluting the night sky with bright lights.