Farms of the Future

Posted on September 5, 2010 by anthonycaferro

Windmills everywhere along the shores of Lake Erie in Southern Ontario. I counted well beyond 100 before giving up on an actual total. New energy is really growing, i saw plenty in Wisconsin and Michigan as well. Wind is plentiful in Great Lakes country and wind farms are the future.

Oddly, I know of only one wind farm on the US shores of Lake Erie. Seven windmills stand on the old Bethlehem Steel property in my hometown Lackawanna NY. The only urban wind farm in the nation, since Lackawanna is a city as opposed to town or village etc. The strange part of all of this is that apparently there was and still is controversy surrounding these windmills.

For some reason citizens of Lackawanna have come out against the wind farm, even after they were approved and built. They’ve cited them as eyesores (as opposed to the old steel factories still standing!), expressed concerns for birds (huh?!) and “noise”…..and as far as I know, successfully blocked expansion; so there won’t be anymore built further down the shores as was originally planned. Talk about short term thinking; I thought this was a progressive region of the US.

Posted in bicycle touring, on the road | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Bridge and The Border

Posted on September 4, 2010 by anthonycaferro

I had to give the suspense one day to marinate….

Appropriately, the rain came down in buckets just 25 miles from the bridge. I get to the US customs office. Ring the bell. No response. A few agents walk in and out, not even looking my way. Ring it again, no one let’s me in. More agents refuse to acknowledge my citizenship or presence, despite a few “sir can u help me out here”‘s on my part. Finally after twenty minutes waiting in the pouring rain, one officer acknowledges me, walks in, puts down his dinner, let’s me in and gets me moving.

Amazing.

Posted in bicycle tour cross country raleigh soujourn, bicycle touring, on the road | Leave a comment

100 Miles and Runnin’

Posted on September 3, 2010 by anthonycaferro

I woke up this morning with just 100 miles to the border. I also realized there was gunfire everywhere. After realizing that no, this wasn’t Compton, I did recall the sign where I snuck into the woods last night: Conservation Area. Conservation is code word for hunting, and the hunters woke up before I did!

I broke camp and cruised out, hoping my frail rim can take a cue from NWA, aka “the most dangerous group alive” and get a little “gangsta” all the way back to Buffalo.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment