How satisfying to hear the sound of water in the depths of winter... We stopped briefly near the bridge at Almonte on the way home from the highlands today, and the Mississippi river was on a tumultuous roll, plunging over the rocks in great streaming torrents and roaring along as if it had never heard the words "winter" or frozen".The sound of the river roaring in Mississippi Mills (Almonte) has been all too absent in the last several months. The Mississippi River Power Corporation, owned by the town, is in the midst of constructing a brand new 5 megawatt generating station downstream from the existing facility - the new installation will be capable of generating 19 million kilowatt hours of energy per year, and it will be as "green" as they can make it.
I've been watching the project with interest because once upon a long ago time, I wanted to own a small independent power generating station of my own - I had visions of myself spinning and painting in an old stone mill house studio, playing a good cello near the water, quaffing claret by a mill pond stocked with trout and graced by herons at twilight. That dream will have to wait for another lifetime...
The river at Almonte has been one of my favorite places for years, particularly in winter. The spray drenches the trees for quite a distance around, and water freezes rapidly into some of the most spectacular icicles I've seen anywhere. The rocks below the falls are covered with ice and snow, and the photo opportunities are endless. Needless to say, a visit in January is something of a damp undertaking, but it's also magic.
6 comments:
Such an interesting ambition. I would never have thought of running a power station as a career. But you would make it an art, whatever you chose.
Your dream makes me smile.
I can see you in my minds eye.
Sounds like a wonderful dream.
It was very cold in my woods at Roundrock today, but the lake was not frozen, and I always love seeing the sparkle through the trees.
Your picture captures the power and the beauty of the river.
For me, water defines my life. I live near the ocean on a bay and in area that receives copious amounts of rainfall (about 85") per year.
I can certainly imagine that hearing the roar of water amidst the cold grip of winter would be an exciting and pleasurable experience indeed!
That is such a beautiful photograph, I love the sound of water whether it's a small stream, a big river or the ocean.
Post a Comment