Today is a supremely windy day. High gusts sweeping across the prairie, tearing through the town like townie streakers overturning newspaper boxes and kicking up panic and trouble while the wind-cops chase after them with their billy clubs and megaphones. This is our fire escape. I had plans to put a bunch of potted plants out there today, but that was before I realized how windy it was going to get. Now I don’t know. Too much wind can kill an herb garden. Maybe I’ll build a windmill and put it out there instead.
Last week at (Unitarian) church, a physicist explained that, over time, wind power competes very well (price-wise) with coal-power. It’s just that in the short run, coal is way cheaper. That’s the thing: The system is set up to accommodate fossil fuel, which means that the system opposes clean, renewable, economical wind power. Why? ‘Cause, with wind, the right people don’t get rich. (Can we please hurry up and find a way to make these oilmongering people rich off of wind, solar, and other sources of power? As soon as we do, that’s when we’ll start to see some real change down here in the poor part of town.) Craziness.
Today we bought two bicycles. They were old, but in great condition. One of them has a big, broad bicycle seat on it that makes you feel like you're sitting in an old Ford Fairlane or something, instead of on a powder blue Schwinn. I bet if I tried to go for a bike ride right now, I wouldn't even be able to pedal against the wind. That's how bad it is out there right now. Totally beautiful, cloudless day. Extremely high winds.
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