January 2, 2008
The Ultimate Timewaster
Here's an abandoned windmill outside of McRae, Georgia. The blades still freewheel at the slightest breeze, even though the farmhouse is long gone and the well done probably run dry.
The wheel's still spinning, but nobody's home. There's an apt metaphor for someone. Perhaps some poor displaced soul without a job or a homestead. Just a suggestion, of course.
The more I pass that windmill in my travels, though, the more I like it. I don't know shit from windmills, but it looks like an old Aermotor out of Chicago, the Googlage informs me. I didn't climb it to find out. Those things are supposed to be pretty basic, and indestructible, however. Cheap to rebuild, should one want. So I figured, why not buy that bastard? I'm sure Key wouldn't mind a disassembled windmill in her backyard. Hell, who wouldn't boast of such a thing?
Then, too, I'm always only a well-drained bottle of Wild Turkey away from becoming a full-blowed survivalist. I wonder how a windmill would perform up in the mountains? Given a decent sized meadow, there's probably good wind up there.
The well might be a problem, I guess. Who knows how deep you have to dig up there? You might hit a good fault at 100 feet, it might be 400 feet. You might not ever hit water. But if you did you wouldn't need an electric pump, either.
This looks like a good project, in that it is quixotic, wasteful, probably incredibly expensive, fails all cost-benefit analyses, and has the potential to turn a backyard into a garbage dump. Perfect. Therefore I have to look into it, what with the free time on my hands. I need to find the owner of that old farm. I don't know if the thing would leak, but at least it turns. Then again, I haven't taken it apart and reassembled it. That might fuck it up royally. And the tank? Likely old cedar that rotted through in 1968. Might have to replace that whole thing.
I really should run this by all concerned parties, but that would queer the deal, wouldn't it? Yes it would. This will have to be a stealth project. Yessir. And now that I've posted it I've set the bar reasonably high for failure. Here we go!
When I was growing up in Nebraska, we had one of those things on a hill behind our house. Used it to fill the stock tank. It worked very well. I liked the sound it made.
Posted by: Peggy U at January 2, 2008 9:55 PMYou can pretty easily hook it up to a little generator and charge storage batteries. I'd buy two bottles of wild turkey, get the windmill, steal four PRIUS's, and use their batteries to build a power storage facility in the hills somewhere. You don't need no water pumped, you got wild turkey. A guy skinny as you don't sweat much. You can shower in the truck stops if you need.
Posted by: og at January 3, 2008 11:20 AMDear Don Quixote,
Sounds like you have found a new project. Good luck.
Posted by: LeeAnn at January 3, 2008 3:55 PMGood deal. Go get it. I collect Russel Wright "seafoam" dishes. Don't have to much invested, but this is what I like.
Hey, you aint gettin any younger! Enjoy life to lthe fullest.
I sure the HELL do.
Gotta collect something, like Don says. I collect dust. And to some extent, things with penguins on them.
Posted by: Peggy U at January 3, 2008 9:49 PM... do not mention penguins, Peggy, just trust me on that..... it is a greater horror than you can possibly imagine......
I think there was a windmill in this movie, and the fool that climed it at the wrong time... didn't fare so well. Is that you at the end of the line lookin' round like WTF? You got mad hoop's skills in this flick dawg, but rebuildin' the windmill got somebody's ass shot... Your call man... You did take an ass whippin' from Homey when he stole you Zippo and you tried to "take it back"... There's very few things in life you can "take back"... No matter what MS Outlook tells you in the help file. I'd let the bastard rot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLD2iZWHLAM
You go price yourself a new one here and then decide.
http://aermotorwindmill.com/Products/CompleteMills/Index.asp
Snatch that relic up and haul ass. Parts are available. I love the sound of an Aermotor - nothing else like it in the world.
And take any old wood, too. Those artsy types spend a fortune on it...
Posted by: LauraB at January 4, 2008 9:13 PM... make it work, man.... hell, I'd help put it up, but I am afraid of heights......
Posted by: Eric at January 5, 2008 8:17 AMDBT 40 Watt Club Thursday night, dog.
Posted by: rankin' rob at January 5, 2008 9:34 AMOg is really onto something. Min-windmill powered tasers! An idea who'se time has come. Or use it to power the TV to see OSU rout LSU in the biggest Ohio victory over the SEC since the Races at Phllipi.
Posted by: Cappy at January 5, 2008 10:28 PMIt's beautiful. I love it. I can see why you covet it.
Oh and happy new year.
Posted by: Libby at January 5, 2008 11:17 PMOnly in your dreams, Cappy. LSU will put the big claws to the OSU Blackeyes.
Maybe next year.
With the wind in the winter up here in the mountains you could prolly run your electric meter backwards with one of those thingies. I say, go for it...but see if the property owner will pay you to haul it off before trying to buy it.
Posted by: Rosie at January 10, 2008 6:45 PMNow that I live on the Range Complex of Argghhh! and have three stock tanks... you better move quick, or I might nip down there and get it before you do...
Posted by: John of Argghhh! at January 16, 2008 2:30 PM