The Best Use For Windmills I

Think of a use for these huge monstrosities because when everyone finally realizes what a disastrous white elephant our Liberal government bought, and the subsidies are ended, the companies that installed them will disappear like rats in the night. The first wind turbine I ever saw was on the Dutch island of Curacao about 1985. It has been over thirty years since the first ones raised their ugly heads in places like Holland and USA and the costly problem of getting rid of them has yet to be resolved.

Here's my first of a series of ideas to re-utilize these technologically amazing monuments to stupidity. What do you think?

Can you come up with other ideas to utilize the structures when they are deemed junk? I need your input. Let me know and I'll create an "artsy" pic to post here. I'll even send you a print if you wish.
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"Wynne" Powered Stir Spoon

As an on-going fulfillment of my moral obligation to the preservation of the world as we know it, I am proud to unveil my newest concept in "green" energy conservation. In the spirit of brotherly love and socialistic entitlement I have decided not to patent this idea but to present it to Kathleen Wynne and the masses as my gift to Humanity.

Ta-dah! I'm sure to cause quite a stir (no pun intended)  with this unique, non-emission, small carbon footprint, soon-to-be indispensable kitchen gadget. The one-and-only wind powered stir-spoon.

"Yes!"

In honour of our Ontario Premier I christen thee "The Wynne Powered Stir Spoon".
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Have a Happy Holiday.

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Ten Year Old Picture Archive

I was going through some old pictures and came across this shot of our cruising gang. It was a picture-of-a-picture that was digitally photo-pirated from the Photo Gallery on the cruise ship. I don't remember which ship but it was Holland America, Eastern Caribbean March 2006 I believe maybe the Maasdam.

L to Rt, Back row: Pete, John, Barry, Tim. Mid: Donna, Wendy. Front: Cheryl, Holly.

I checked my calendar and the itinerary was an 11-Day:
Fort Lauderdale, At Sea,  At Sea, Aruba, Curacao, At Sea, Dominica, St Thomas, At Sea, Half Moon Cay, Fort Lauderdale. 
Probably taken on the first formal night since nobody looks too sunburned yet.

Here we are later in Curacao still not too red yet... Ten years ago.


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A Figment Of My Twisted Mind... A Steampunk Taxi.

Click pic to enlarge.

Another picture of something that never existed. Maybe I have too much time on my hands?

Here's the road building steamroller  that sparked my imagination.

You might remember my Port Stanley, pile driving, dredge driver from one of my other Artsy Portfolio pics. To see my Port Stanley pictures CLICK HERE.
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How About A Generator For Your Basement?

Just a thought... from my somewhat vivid imagination.

"Steampunk Standby Generator"    This one is worth clicking on to enlarge it.

My "artsy" Steampunk picture for today. The scene doesn't really exist but it looks pretty cool don't you think? Enlarge the pic and then look for my favorite spot; the nice wooden chair beside the hub of the flywheel.

I used a picture of the long-abandoned "City Hall" subway station in New York City and added machinery from a 1906 "12,000 horsepower compound pump, Calumet and Hecla stamp mill, Lake Linden, Michigan." originally in black and white from a Library of Congress collection from Detroit Publishing, colouring and combining the pictures in Photoshop for your enjoyment.
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eBay Babies

"eBay Babies"

This hauntingly eerie picture originally started out from eBay as a "for sale" collection of dolls heads. I manipulated it and will now call it my sinister looking "artsy" picture for today.

Click to enlarge

Grotesque, "artsy" picture 2 shows more doll parts from eBay. Now you have "the rest of the story".
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Our Annual Visit To Aylmer To See The Swans

We drove the 40 minute journey to Aylmer and were rewarded with a view of over 1200 Tundra Swans.(formerly called Whistling Swans)

Every year in March and April these amazing birds migrate from the southeastern coast back up to the Arctic, taking a rest stop in these ponds where they are fed buffet style, about 23 bushels of corn per day.

I asked the knowledgeable volunteer how they count the birds. He told me: "We count all the feet and divide by two."

Volunteer Pud Hunter (yup, that's  his name) explains the migratory characteristics of these beautiful birds.

Read more about Tundra Swans CLICK HERE.
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I Love Paddy's Day - It'll Be Grand!

May you die in bed at 95 years, shot by a jealous wife!

When we drink, we get drunk.
When we get drunk, we fall asleep.
When we fall asleep, we commit no sin.
When we commit no sin, we go to heaven.
So, let's all get drunk, and go to heaven! 
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My Dear Aunt Erma, From My Imagination 1907...

A sitting at Crystal Beach with Aunt Erma in 1907, My "artsy" pic for today.

Aunt Erma in the photographer's booth posing for her pictures. Smile Erma.

Looks like Aunt Erma never found Miss Ellnor Metzloff's address and a stamp. Oh well, she wasted one of her cards but it's too late to worry about it now. Too bad because a post card stamp was only 1¢ back a hundred years ago. But then again if she'd mailed it, I might never have found it on eBay. Ha ha.

Here's the original card I found of Aunt Erma.

P.S. Love your hat Aunty!

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Warmest Place In Canada Today, and Sunny Too

Wow!

Spring is nigh.
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We Get Older And Closer To The Grave... Cars Are No Exception.

My senior Buick Rendezvous has been showing a few signs of its old age lately. From arthritic wheel bearings to creaking, grinding brakes, to noisy exhaust flatulence to cancerous rust spots and now dripping fluid in the form of antifreeze. I have recently been dealing with each of these ailments in hopes of keeping my fourteen year old  (that's 70 in car years) alive and running. Her mileage at 196,000 km (122,000 miles) is not terribly bad and she runs almost like new, so I have little reason to abandon her yet. After all, a dealer wouldn't pay much for her on a trade-in even though she was a top-of-the-line CXL model that listed at nearly $40,000 way back in '02 when I bought her. Since GM made this car with the same body style for seven years from 2001 to being discontinued in 2007, she really doesn't look quite so old. Her luxury, all-leather interior with high-end options and all-wheel-drive make it very comfortable. Gas mileage has always been 20 mpg in town and 30+ highway with its 3.4 liter 6 cylinder engine. I always said I liked this car better than the heavier and more pricey and thirsty Cadillac Escalade I kept for only 3 years previously. Read about the Rendezvous CLICK HERE.

Always use a jack stand and a jack. I put the wheel under too, just to be extra safe.

Part of the grinding noise came from this old wheel hub bearing assembly but also the worn-out brakes.

New brake pads and rotors are part of the program.

Just as we humans age and our bodily systems start to give up, this old car is surely aging, albeit somewhat gracefully. New brakes and bearings are cheaply fixable. The exhaust leak turned out to be only at a joint so my local muffler shop charged me a modest $80 to sleeve it and weld it. I'm still searching for the source of the antifreeze drip and the rust cancer (an ultimate show-stopper) is "watch and wait" for now.  Only time will tell how long I can economically continue to prolong its life. As long as its ailments are relatively minor and as long as I can repair some of the problems myself, I can hopefully, keep this old friend out of the boneyard for another year.
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Dangerous Times!

My scary, "artsy" pic for today.
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Benzy Loves Water.

Benzy always showed a great interest in running water.

Every day he comes running when I go into the bathroom for my morning shave.

  It was no surprise that he loved his new fountain water dish from the Giant Tiger.

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Benzy Discovers Fire.

"Hey! This is nothing like the TV."

I doubt any of us remember the first time we saw fire, so it was amusing to see our eight month old kitten discover it for the very first time. He was good with it but very curious. I was afraid he might lurch toward it but the heat must have warned him.  Anyway, a small spark ember popped out and he approached it carefully. I don't think he actually put his nose right on it but he appeared to intuitively understand that it would hurt if touched. The world must seem to be an amazing place for a little creature even when confined to the interior of a human home.
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