Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Turbines on tuesday/ blog award!

I got to see something very exciting for the farm Monday afternoon.

I had missed the first two out of three blades of the wind turbines going up on the farm because by the time they had the base up and were ready to put the blades I had to run to school.

I walked Indigo back the lane with my camera in hand I was not going to miss this one. Indigo was excited as usual to go for a walk. She seems to enjoy our little adventures on foot we do.

I got halfway back the lane before one of the workers in a truck pulled up behind me. As usual the person in the truck started asking me questions about Indigo and if he could feed her or pet her. It turns out he was the safety man who had to check everything to make sure it was in place to begin lifting.
As you all know I can just about talk to anyone about anything. If I could get paid to talk I would be a millionaire in a day or two. I just never shut up.
I talked to the man for a wile he said he was from Newbrunswick. Theres a lot of workers, crane operators, semi truck drivers and craftsmen from all over the world that are working on this project and projects all over Canada. So far I have met people from Ontario here to Nova Scotia and P.E.I, a crane driver from Texas, truck drivers from Alberta, Quebec and one peculiar little woman from Ireland and a whole other slew of people I couldn't remember from all over.

One lady who foresees the general laborers and makes sure they are not goofing off. She has a son and husband back home in Nova Scotia. She gets a couple months off a year. You could tell she missed her family. We talked for a wile as she could not drive down the lane in her truck because of the crane being assembled. She hopped out of her vehicle to pet Indigo and tell me about her uncles horses back home that she also missed. She reminded me of my good friend Mindy in Florida except she was barely 5 foot tall and Mindy is 6 foot something. I see this lady from time to time and we always stop to chat and she stops to give Indigo mints.

All the workers are very respectful of the farm and us walking/riding/driving the horses down our lane they have made their own. I enjoy talking to them and asking them a million questions, they are probably sick of me.

The little crane is actually the one to start lifting the blades there. This big crane is a 450 tonne crane. The safety man said their BIG crane, which is not here, is 700 tonne. Crazy.

Theres two trucks on the other two blades that hold them steady. I guess it pays for the company to have 4 wheel drive in the muddy fields.

It's quite amazing how skilled the crane driver is. He literally moved the blades within a quarter of an inch of where they needed to line up to bolt the blades on.
I thought it was funny as I walked back by the big crane driver opened the door and beastie boys were blaring from inside. I guess they have put up so many of these it's easy work?

Theres a few people waaaaay up in the generator. One guy kept on poking his head in and out the end of it. (click this image to see the guy poking his head out)

Once they were done and I got tired of looking at this massive structure in awe I started walking back with Indigo. Heres a worker under the turbine by the base for size comparison. Now this was funny. He is looking up. If you haven't looked up from the base of a turbine before, do brace yourself. This guy was looking up and I was walking towards him taking pictures of the crane. He takes one step back to steady himself, stumbles and falls right on his butt in the mud all in one fell swoop. I couldn't help myself, I laughed really good. He got up, brushed the mud off himself and scurried to the other side of the base.

I also got an award, twice! How lucky I am people think so much of me. First I got it from Mrs.Mom then from .

I am to tag 15 people (technically since I got this award 2 times it should be 30?) and tell 7 things about myself. Hmmm what to tell?

1. I love candy, baked goods and other sinful, awful food. I have such a sweet tooth it's mad. I just can't resist.

2. I have blisters on my hands today from cleaning Indigo's shed out by myself. I also was too warm so I did this in a t-shirt. What have I accomplished? Going coatless outside for more than 5 minutes in 2010, making a new mountain of manure and entertaining Indigo (She friggn ate my broom AGAIN! AGGHH!) She had her big white butt in all my business. I would go to throw a fork full of sh*t and she would be standing there, peeking at me from around the door and get hit chest on. Of course she had to come peek through the other door I had open and see what really is on the other side of the shed. Nosy, nosy, nosy, pest.

3. I love Egyptian history. This weekend my best friend and I are taking the train to the big city of Toronto to see the King tut exhibit at the AGO. Her and I get into way too much trouble this is guaranteed to be a silly, random, exciting trip to remember. Will likely blog about it later I am so excited to go I can't even begin to explain.

4. I like the number four because it's even. Odd numbers are hard for me. I am terrible at math, terrible, terrible. Yet I am a whiz at science. Get that? My favorite/lucky number is 11. More times than any other time a day when I look at any digital clock it is something eleven. I mean many times a day. Maybe it's a sign?

5. I have played piano, flute and guitar. My piano teacher I got very bored with. I wanted to learn how to do theory as I played. She was kind of an oldschool. I may someday go back to it. Flute I hated. I learned to play it, half heartedly. I really wanted the violin and still want to learn how to play. Guitar, I still have two although I do not play much. Horses started taking a money making role at that point in my life so unfortunately I haven't played in a wile. I don't think I could ever sell them though even if I do not play particularly well or often.

6. I do not aspire to make a million dollars in life. In fact I never want to make or have that much money, ever. I often think of what I would do with a million dollars and well first I think of a farm of my own but then I think about the greed of others that comes with having such money.
I want to make enough with my own two hands to have a nice little farm. Possibly a trail riding place, still do carriage rides/weddings and maybe some boarders. Of course I would not have stalls, all horses would live outside and be horses like nature intended. Horse came before the barn did after all. I don't think I could ever live inside a town for very long. I get city sick staying at friends places in the city for a day or more.

7. Gee I had a really hard time thinking of seven things. Oh the last one, right. I am an extremely outgoing person. I guess it has something with being a Leo or whatnot. If you can't keep up, better quit now. I rarely ever actually get tired. For instance it's 2:30ish am here and I have to be up at 6 am. No problem!

Tag, your it! Since this award has been circulating so much I tag everyone who reads this who hasn't got it. I seriously want to see links to your award too! Seriously, seriously.

10 comments:

Jen said...

Wow, those turbines are huge. I am the same way when someone asks me anything about the horses (it's a dicey business, as I can talk about my favorite subject for ever :o) Congratulations on your award!

Fantastyk Voyager said...

Wow, they are huge! my mom and I were talking about them the other day. She said she watched a program where the guys were training and standing up on the little platform. From a distance you don't even realize there's any place to stand. I couldn't do it though! Scary!!

Achieve1dream said...

Cool I'm a Leo too!! I'm outgoing as well and used to be that energetic. I think if I started eating healthier and exercising again I could get back to that, but it's hard. I liked hearing your seven interesting things about you. I've done the award already on Chrome's blog. :)

~from my front porch in the mountains~ said...

Wow, those turbines are huge up close! I love stuff like this...and I am like you, always asking a million questions! But, that is how we learn, eh?

My horses could never live outside! They love their "apartments" as I call them. Their safe space. Usually after 5-6 hours of being outside, they are all standing at their respective gates, bellowing to come back in!
And we have way too many Coyotes for them to stay out at night!
But, every horse is different!

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Those turbines are so impressive. Equally impressive are the huge cranes. I'm so amazed that they don't tilt right over with the way they looks so unbalanced when carrying something tons more heavy then they are.
The guys who ride the turbine as the crane lifts it up into place are so brave! It's scary enough standing on one when it's in place, but when it's moving? Crazy!

lol! On the guy falling over backwards. I bet I'd do the same thing.
I watched the Dirty Jobs episode with the cleaning of the wind turbines and was amazed at how high up they were and how they actually climbed stairs inside of the thing.
How exciting you got to watch it ebing put together, too.

Have a blast at the King Tut exhibit. Egyptian stuff is cool!


~Lisa

Millie-jane said...

I agree with #6. I never want to have that much money. I just want to have enough.

I lol at the "poking head out" comment.

I just spent an hour and a half catching up on blog reading. How lame am I?

lisa said...

We have been really seriously been looking into wind power for our home. I am tired of paying big bucks for my electricity. We are trying to get all kinds of pricing and pros and cons of different ones. Great pictures, really gives the idea on how big they actually are!

Millie-jane said...

guess who gave you an award???

SoraSoul said...

Cool pictures! You were tagged by me as well so that'd make three =)

Love your horses and view on bits as someone who would love to avoid one all together I am training my filly to accept a bit because I would like to do Dressage eventually and just in case I ever sell her I feel it would be to her best interest.

I have only ridden with a bit a couple times though as she's extremely soft with just her halter =)

Air Jordan said...

Great article and it's so helpful. But I just can't see any picture in your blog. Is that my computer problem? But I can see other s' blog pictures.

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