Pasture Neighbors.

The Power of Wonder, Part 3.

I have always been inspired by this 1950s promotional photo from the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation.

I talk about why I enjoy this photo in this blog entry.

Today, as I drove along US 30 from Sidney to Ogallala, Nebraska, I noticed a few power lines following along the route anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 miles north of the highway. The largest of the lines is a 345kV high voltage transmission line providing service to this part of Nebraska, officially known as the Keystone-Sidney line, operated by the Nebraska Public Power District. I stopped and took the third in a series of my photos in tribute to this 1950s photo above.

If you follow my Pixelfed or Instagram feeds you’ll notice a post a lot of infrastructure photos, and probably more powerlines shots than most people. My mom will tell you that I was fascinated with powerlines as a very young child, and that fascination endures 50+ years later.

So many men of my vintage post selfies and party shots and the like. I’m too busy being a Geek in Awe.

The first photo was taken in May 2016 in Upstate New York, about 50 miles of the Capital District.

The second photo was taken in May 2020, southwest of Chicago.

Small town life:

The sound of spring around here is an interesting mix of chainsaws, wood chippers, birds, and cars with busted exhaust systems.

Between the electricity company bitching about trees getting close to their above ground power lines, the town worried about lawsuits, and insurance companies worried about wildfires, it's mostly wood chippers for about two months, .

Alley
Mexico, Missouri, USA

Powerlines...
#photography #powerlines

I've just been discussing a radio site with a 50m tower with the civil engineer on my team.

He has just returned from a site visit where the supplier is starting tower footings 9 metres from a energised 33KV overhead power line! He issued an immediate stop-work. The supplier is responsible for site selection, acquisition and all paperwork.

I'm trying to comprehend the sheer fuckwittery and lack of any intelligence from the supplier selecting this location.

„Phone & Beverages“ (2009)
Photo Dietmar Bachmann
Koh Samui

I don’t know if it’s still there today. In the age of mobile phones, the owner of the drinks stand next to it has probably also had to rethink his business.

Good Morning! Giant spiderwebs... foggy sunrise (Colour shot, the sepia is natural) #photography #landscape #urban #streetscape #monochrome #ClassicMono #fog #powerlines #EastCoastKin #PhotographersUnited

_The Evening Post_, 1 April 1925:
A DANGEROUS BUSINESS
That good housekeeping rule as to a place for everything and everything in its place is particularly applicable to the ancient art and sport of kite flying, and in general it may be said that the place for kite flying—at the present time in tremendous vogue—is out of town, and especially well away from overhead electric power cables. This, mere annoyance to linesmen who are called upon to waste time, and energy in clearing lines is one sufficient reason for the unpopularity of the sport, but parents should remember, if youngsters will not, that kite flying near cables carrying 3000 to 11,000 volts may be extremely dangerous; under certain conditions the child might receive a very severe shock.
A definite warning as to the danger which follows interference with power lines is given by notices placed on the Hutt River pipe bridge, but there the warning is given to fishers, who may, so run the notices, receive a fatal shock should a wet line be thrown across the high[?] power lines across the river.
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19250401.2.99

Alpena County Central Dispatch: There is an extreme ice emergency. If there is a down line in your yard that is not actively on fire or arcing stay away and contact your power company. Only call 911 if there is flames/arcing/smoke etc. Source: 202100,MI Alpena County Central Dispatch