ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Wednesday 4 January 2012

NO WIND TODAY (04/01/12)

It is another dull day. We have had a good wander but nothing much to show for it. The ponds on the nature reserve were devoid of birds. One can usually find entertainment with blackheaded gulls but even they were absent today. There were a couple of seals in the Tees but on the opposite side to me. I walked round and they had vamoosed.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA  Not a bird in sight. The two towers are the Middlesbrough lifting bridge and the tiny blue structure to their left is the Transporter Bridge.

Since the civil engineering works associated with the whitewater course have finished one can once again access most of the Tees Barrage.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI have posted pictures of it several times. If only because it’s two steps from the camper when I stay here. A year ago it was better at night as it was illuminated. Have a look HERE if you are interested in more of the same. They seem to have stopped lighting it up which is a pity as they have installed these Archimedes Screws. Presumably to generate electricity or maybe just for the green look……….Or more likely the green grant. A pipe from here through a turbine has to be more efficient. Politicians have to be able to see stuff working even if it is millennium old technology. Daft useless bats they are….one and all!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA   I’ve never seen them running. Maybe they are pumps not generators.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA  They are also red not green. They are also very difficult to photograph as they are surrounded by a heavy mesh fence. The fence you will be pleased to hear is green! I have mixed feelings about these alternative energy generation systems. This seems preferable to the wind farms that are such an eyesore and rarely seem to be running at anything like fifty percent capacity. They are always white and not green so are an awful blot on the landscape.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis little channel is a fish ladder. I show it because it is now accessible and, whenever the fish are using it, could be a good spot for both the poacher and the photographer. The green netting is not continuous. I don’t know whether it’s there to stop the fish jumping out or the poachers jumping in. It runs from the tidal Tees on the north bank into the fresh water Tees above the barrage. How the fish find it is a mystery. They must be damn good navigators, it’s only a foot or so wide.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The rams that control the gates that control the water.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Looking upstream. The boom is doing it’s job collecting carbon neutral fuel.

Not a bad walk today but the light is awful. It only hailed once for ten minutes so it could have been a whole lot worse.

I found the link to the old post using POSTVORTA. It really is quick and the more information one gives it the quicker it is. I had a word with Mark who invented it and he is happy to do your blog. He says, that once you register, his software sorts it all out…………give it a whirl it’s free. I’ve had it since the summer and only just started using it. Recommended by Adrian it is…………..so perhaps no recommendation at all!

I was away to Scotland tomorrow but still have stuff to sort. I’m going to do my bestest.

I hope to see you from pastures anew tomorrow.

17 comments:

  1. Fascinating stuff Adrian. Quite an education today.
    I must admit none of these so called alternative green energy efforts do anything for me. They all seem a complete waste of time and money.
    It just makes governments look good; but we all know different.

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  2. These sound very interesting. I've now got a lot of stuff to read upon!! Good luck with tomorrow's weather and pictures!

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  3. Oh my, the last image brings back many memories for me. In a previous life I worked in the pulp and paper industry. When I started, I worked on the river driving logs. What an adventure that was!

    Thanks Adrian!

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  4. Great post today, love the images as well. Your posts are always very interesting. Have a great day and catch you in Scotland.

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  5. Wonderful to see Adrian and thanks for the link to your old post..
    Raining cats and dogs + in Manchester today..

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  6. Fascinating post Adrian. I've been in touch with Mark. He's really helpful, and was very quick to respond. I'm hoping to put Postvorta on my blog too.

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  7. Great post, love your shots!
    Lots of rain here too, but no wind.

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  8. Ah yes. I remember it well for two reasons. One was that the last photos were so spectacular with the lights and the other was that the lights and their reflections formed a lemniscale (sp?) ie an infinity sign. Never say that I don't learn things from you Adrian!

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  9. Informative post, Adrian. Looks very like the Tawe Barrage we have here in Swansea. No rain here at the mo, but very windy. It's either one or the other, or both!

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  10. Great post Adrian, very interesting. There's a lot of engineering gone on there, it would be nice to see those screws actualy working though! Do they?...[;o)

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  11. Interesting post, thanks Adrian.

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  12. Keith, I would love to see the screws running.

    Ruby, thanks.

    Daniel, it sounds a great job.

    Andrew, the weather is grim.

    Katherine, it is a good programme. Mark always seems to have time. I guess he doesn't sleep.

    Mette, thank you.

    Graham, LEMNISCATE...not a bad memory you have.

    Jeremy, the days of good light are few and far between.

    Trevor, I assume they do. I can't imagine them being very efficient though.

    Gillian, thank you.

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  13. I could imagine the screws would be fine for lifting water but very inefficient at generating power. I like to watch the local wind farms, takes the flatness of this area of Lincolnshire.

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  14. Great shots, Adrian. Those turbines are fascinating, and if they really do generate power that's a lot to think about. I'm not sure it would work here, though. Our rivers are much smaller.

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  15. John, they are inefficient in either direction. they rely on Newton's theory so must work both ways....equally inefficiently. Wind farms want demolishing here and now. Awful monstrosities they are.

    JoLynne, any water that flows to the sea could be used this is a joke. Put a couple of turbines in a shed a mile downstream and then we are cooking.

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  16. Plenty of action going on here. Nice shots despite the light.

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