Welcome to September!

Well, things will really quiet down now. Slowly, the migratory birds (including hummingbirds, insect-eating birds, and bugs) leave. The goldfinches will change colour. Kidlets back in school. Tourists go home and line-ups in town cease. We're back to business. I put my feeders out. We haven't seen bear since July. 20 I think I'm good. (Famous last words!) They've a regular habitat and eating patterns by now.

August weather was dry. 

We're still in a mild drought. My weather data over the years reflects an ebb and flow of heavy rains or drought. The meadow is still lush, as the evening dew wets the weeds. We've had deer, raccoons, and momma turkey, with only a few babies. I'm thinking the coyotes have been eating well!

PERTH SENIOR'S COMPLEX

There is a massive build in town. I've been taking photos since April, 2018.


In town gardens are thriving. I like this house. They work hard on the gardens. I keep meaning to pop in and tell them. It's eye candy as we drive by.

Sen. John McCain

Yesterday we watched Sen. John McCain's funeral. It was very moving. The music was amazing, many hymns and anthems I've sung when I was in a church choir. We both wept. However, when I saw this priest taking a selfie with Pres. Bush, I snorted. Pres. Obama just walked on by.

Almonte Hydro Dam

The Almonte Hydro Dam is being completed. I've been taking photos since September, 2014.

Almonte Hydro Dam 

Bala Falls Hydro Dam

Doug Ford is the Ontario Premier (brother of the late, infamous mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford).
The big news was the Druggie Ford, as they call him, has set us back many years in terms of cancelling our modern Health & Phys. Ed. and Indigenous Peoples curriculum, money for school building maintenance, and yet he didn't make any of these planks in his platform public before being elected. What is truly, truly funny, is that he whipped up from Toronto to Bala (200 km) during the election, and promised them he'd cancel the hydro project. Some of the locals don't want the project completed. Especially the family in the cottage directly opposite the dam!

Now, as you can see, the rebuild of the Bala Falls hydro dam is well on its way to being done.  I began covering it in 2008. Ford has gone from a campaign visit promising he'll cancel it, to saying he can't –as it will cost $100 million. Not to mention that there would be a big hole there! I think I'd like to visit it!

SwiftRiverEnergyLtd@BalaFallsHydro

It's coming together, piece by piece. Each component is carefully designed and custom fabricated in a marvel of engineering and construction artistry. #balafalls #hydropower #madeincanada

11:01 AM - Aug 29, 2018

Progress at Bala's power plant. pic.twitter.com/QeoFkBpkm0

— SwiftRiverEnergyLtd (@BalaFallsHydro) July 31, 2018

The Almonte Hydro Dam

We visited the Almonte dam, the refurbishments are coming along. You can see the development through my page here. I've watched it for years, they began working on the notion of the project in 2012. There was some controversy, Almonte Hydro Dam Progress.

They are making progress. The stone building was a mill, now they are condos. The adjacent, 2-story part are more condos. The building on the far left, I'm not sure about!


What I noticed is that the bridge is falling apart. They have reinforced it on the side where the water hits. The bridge is closed to foot traffic, although people sneak around it, I think.

The redevelopment would increase the amount of power generated in downtown Almonte from 350 kilowatts at the current site to 995 kilowatts. There would be a new powerhouse containing two turbines and a type of dam that allows water to pass overtop.

It makes sense to harness the power of the water, despite the numerous protests! ISn't it powerful?



There was flooding one year. Flooding in Almonte Hydro Dam 2014,