Driving to St. Jo, on a weekend jaunt to visit a few wineries, we passed miles of windmills.
These modern wind harnessers are nowhere near as charming or old fashioned as the ones my children and I would drift around, chickens running loose under our feet.
In those days we examined the inner workings, the hows and wherefores of inexhaustible energy and soaked up the aura of converted windmills in the Kentish countryside.
Wind Turbines, as the windmills are now called, are not completely new to me. For years during visits to my parents in Broadstairs with the family I’d see them gracefully marking the North Sea horizon.
Rising singularly from the deep they gave a mystical illusion of Orcs or Minotaurs brandishing laser sharp blades as if threatening to stride across the waves and declare war on whoever stood in their paths. Sancho and Quixote would have been forced to surrender and let these giants pass.
Soon, further north at Dogger Bank in Yorkshire, there is to be the largest off shore wind turbine farm in the world.
The engineers have said that one half turn of these wind-powered generators will provide enough electricity to keep a house running for a day…and the wind blowing across the North Sea turns their sails many times more than half a revolution a day.
As we passed more and more of these modern windmills I mentioned to Hubs that I was rather drawn to their almost supernatural forms,
they’re not old fashioned but they are other-worldly.
Towering above the tree-line they mark the dichotomy between high tech and nature.
A reminder that progress knows no bounds.
Later over a glass of wine,
we enjoyed the fruit filled landscape of vineyards in the company of two of the birds who inspired the name of the winery, Blue Ostrich.
And we relaxed as old-fashioned and other-worldly joined hands to bring charm to our day out.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
No comments so far!
Leave a Comment