Eastern Sierra

Eastern Sierra
Eastern Sierra snow October 2010

Friday, January 11, 2013

Windmills and clouds the next day






Yesterday was cloudy and VERY windy.  In fact, some gusts were recorded up to 60 mph.  According to the news, a tree blew over on a car down at the courthouse in Indio.  So, of course, I headed back out to the windmills.  This time, however, I went the "back road"...out Dillon Road and off the Interstate (Interstate 10).  There are just too many wires in the way on the interstate.  Dillon Road travels right through one of the windmill farms and provides close up views of the turbines.  I had NO IDEA they were so noisy!  When I stopped to photograph one of the giant ones, I could hear it clanking away!  And, when I drove up Painted Hills Road above North Palm Springs, the noise was almost deafening!  I don't know how the residents there stand it!  Anyway, here are photos from yesterday.  It was snowing in Yucca Valley by afternoon (I was up that way about noon) and I'm sure it snowed during the night.   :-)  You can tell how much the wind was blowing in the first photo...look at the plants that are swaying!  On my way home, the sand was also blowing (unfortunately) and when I stuck my camera out the window to snap a photo, a gust blew dust ALL OVER me and my camera!  I'm hoping that it didn't damage my polarizing lens!  :-(  That would be bad!  I'm sure my windshield got pitted, too...:-(  So, SPARE PARTS, be careful when you drive up there this weekend!

2 comments:

Gaelyn said...

They're almost sculptural but I wouldn't want them in my back yard. Why can't we use solar instead.

desertsandbeyond said...

I could NOT believe the noise from these things! Actually, the big ones make less noise than the smaller ones. I drove up Painted Hills Road, which is off Highway 62, going to Morongo Valley. There were a bunch of the smaller windmills near houses and honestly, it would drive me INSANE!!! I don't know how the homeowners put up with them! :-( By the way, the homes were there FIRST. I know because my parents used to take me there with them on weekends to a house up there and that was back in the 1960's.