The Wednesday Walkers ventured out to the native Aeta village of Iram on the far side of Olongapo for yesterday’s hike. We last visited Iram in December 2023 for our annual charity outreach. A lot has changed in less than a year. A massive construction project is underway to build a solar panel farm. The panels will be placed near the top of the surrounding hills, and new roads and infrastructure will be required to accommodate the solar farm. I have no idea what impact this will have on village life a little further up the road, but hopefully, they’ll get reduced electricity rates (assuming they are even wired for power).
The path we walked to Iram. There and back was just shy of 6K.In the beginning…Heading for the hillsWhere rivers collideOver the walking bridgeThe straight and narrow you hear so much aboutThe new bridge and road leading to the hilltop solar projectThere were hundreds of these crates containing solar panelsA guard told us this hillside would be the location of the solar farm. We could see some panels have already been erected up top. We just walked on by. Yes, having more power sources is a good thing, but it is sad to see the natural beauty of this area destroyed. We’ll see how it looks when they finish.The new road ends and the hard life begins. Jim and Mike helped push that trike up the hill, but there was only so far he could go.Onward we rambleOn the outskirts of the villageWho’s up for a river crossing?Deep enough to get my wallet wet. I had my phone in a baggie.A natural archwayAre you shitting me? ANOTHER river crossing. Oh well, once your feet are wet, does it really matter?Scott promised it was the last crossing of the day. He kept his word.A cookie delivery for the hard-working locals on laundry day.A goat on a rock and a fat man walkingAlmost like a stroll in the parkThis woman followed us to make sure we found the proper path. I rewarded her with something to suck on.Back in the village againAnother cookie deliveryThis guy remembered me from the outreach last year. I told him we’d be back in December.The rocky commute the locals endure dailyI’m a bit of a litter coinsurer, but this is the first time I’ve encountered a speaker in the wild.This made me think of Kevin KimLollipops for the laddieA Sari-Sari storeWe’ve come full circle; time to head back the way we came.School in sessionA nice new bridge for the solar farmMore construction suppliesI’m done horsing aroundBack to the car and ready for the ride home.
It was a good hike. I’m looking forward to seeing how much the solar project progresses between now and December. Someone has invested a lot of money, so I expect they will want to have some power to sell as soon as possible.
This was the afternoon sky as seen from my patio yesterday:
Seems like the trip to Kon Tiki on the beach is a good plan
Here’s the view when we arrived at Kon Tiki less than an hour later:
Hmm, let’s see how long it takes to get hereComing down in sheets across the bayOh, and that point of land in the center is the hill I tried and failed to climb on Saturday.It took that rain 30 minutes to reach us. Once the curtain was dropped, we were good. We shared some chicken fajitas, then made a dash to the Green Room for our nightcap during a pause in the rain.
And that’s how the Wednesday went down.
I posted a meme about the pet-eating story from Ohio and caught a lot of flak from my leftie friends saying there is no “evidence” that has happened. Well, if you listen to what the media is calling unconfirmed instead of what the residents are saying, maybe so. The fact is the government dumped a shitload of refugees in a small town without support. That was Kamala’s doing. I’ll go with what Vance says.
Choose your future wisely
Today’s YouTube video is from vlogger George, who takes us for a stroll on the old Navy base.
And here’s a bonus short my Fil-Am friend, Maksil, sent me. I think the obvious answer must be yes.
To the humor we shall go:
That stinksIf you say soA dangerous cave!
I’m going to visit the pulmonary doctor this afternoon for a consultation on what may be triggering my recent bouts of breathlessness. After that, who knows?
8 thoughts on “In the village”
We’ll see how it looks when they finish.
I trust that solar will become more efficient as time goes on, but for the moment, I’m not all that impressed. You’re at the mercy of the clouds and the dust, and it takes energy to clean the panels. The panels themselves, as I’ve written before, are a nightmare to dispose of; the resources needed to make solar panels require damaging the earth, and the overall bang for the buck isn’t that much. I’m not saying I’m against solar energy; we’re simply not there yet. I wonder when we will be. Probably not in my lifetime.
Solar panels are widely used in South Korea. They create their own microclimates and microenvironments. This strikes me as both good and bad. In the meantime, you’re right: the panels uglify the landscape. I hope that, as we study more closely how nature stores, converts, and uses energy, we’ll create increasingly efficient and less polluting technology. Meanwhile, we’re stuck in the current maturation phase. (I keep hoping for fusion to happen, frankly.)
Oh well, once your feet are wet, does it really matter?
For those of us who are prone to blisters, yes!
I’m a bit of a litter coinsurer
Co-insurer? I don’t get your meaning. You provide insurance to litter, along with other parties? Or are you saying connoisseur (“kah-nuh-SOOR”)? Never seen the word spelled out, I gather!
This made me think of Kevin Kim
Abandoned gloves are a global thing.
And here’s a bonus short my Fil-Am friend, Maksil, sent me. I think the obvious answer must be yes.
Git yerself unmarried and make Swan an honest woman!
I’m going to visit the pulmonary doctor this afternoon for a consultation on what may be triggering my recent bouts of breathlessness. After that, who knows?
Good luck with that. I hope something can be done about it.
Generally, I think solar is a positive. But, as @Kevin points out, still a ways to go. Efficiency of solar panels is still relatively low. But just like computers, etc. I think that the pace of improvement will be pretty rapid.
Yeah, solar panels aren’t pretty, but if I had the choice between living next to that or next to a chemical or power plant, it would be an easy choice. (And if the choice was living next to a solar farm or not having electricity, a pretty easy choice also. LOL)
I had 2 t-shirts made using the Trump image you posted on 16 July. wife insisted hot pink for 1 of them. Looks fantastic.
Wear it proud!
Brian, I agree that solar energy has positive aspects, especially if technology continues to improve. It would really be cool to distribute those panels to the poor and powerless to light their houses. Maybe someday.
It was astounding to see the resources going into this project. Just the bridges and roadwork to the hilltop are amazing. I’m curious how they’ll build the actual solar farm. If it is only up top on the ridgeline, it may not look so bad.
Kev, yeah, I hope the technology improves and becomes more efficient. This is the biggest power project I’ve seen since moving here. And if they maintain it the way they do the roads, it won’t function long. Maybe it will be run by a private company. Someone has already invested a ton of money in this, so the motivation to get a return on that must be strong.
I’ve been fortunate not to suffer blisters when walking in wet shoes. When it was raining the other day, my wet shorts rubbed my thigh raw. That was painful enough!
Regarding connoisseur, I know the word but can’t spell it. My attempt was so bad that when I clicked on the red correction line, it offered “coinsurer,” and I stupidly accepted that obviously wrong suggestion.
Even if I was divorced, I’d never marry again. I’m a bitter old man.
When it was raining the other day, my wet shorts rubbed my thigh raw. That was painful enough!
I wear Spandex biker shorts for my inner thighs. People have suggested Vaseline and various other lotions and salves, but those rub off and need to be reapplied. Spandex, by contrast, is forever.
It’s rare that I get soaked enough to rub me raw, but thanks for the
Spandex tip!
We’ll see how it looks when they finish.
I trust that solar will become more efficient as time goes on, but for the moment, I’m not all that impressed. You’re at the mercy of the clouds and the dust, and it takes energy to clean the panels. The panels themselves, as I’ve written before, are a nightmare to dispose of; the resources needed to make solar panels require damaging the earth, and the overall bang for the buck isn’t that much. I’m not saying I’m against solar energy; we’re simply not there yet. I wonder when we will be. Probably not in my lifetime.
Solar panels are widely used in South Korea. They create their own microclimates and microenvironments. This strikes me as both good and bad. In the meantime, you’re right: the panels uglify the landscape. I hope that, as we study more closely how nature stores, converts, and uses energy, we’ll create increasingly efficient and less polluting technology. Meanwhile, we’re stuck in the current maturation phase. (I keep hoping for fusion to happen, frankly.)
Oh well, once your feet are wet, does it really matter?
For those of us who are prone to blisters, yes!
I’m a bit of a litter coinsurer
Co-insurer? I don’t get your meaning. You provide insurance to litter, along with other parties? Or are you saying connoisseur (“kah-nuh-SOOR”)? Never seen the word spelled out, I gather!
This made me think of Kevin Kim
Abandoned gloves are a global thing.
And here’s a bonus short my Fil-Am friend, Maksil, sent me. I think the obvious answer must be yes.
Git yerself unmarried and make Swan an honest woman!
I’m going to visit the pulmonary doctor this afternoon for a consultation on what may be triggering my recent bouts of breathlessness. After that, who knows?
Good luck with that. I hope something can be done about it.
Generally, I think solar is a positive. But, as @Kevin points out, still a ways to go. Efficiency of solar panels is still relatively low. But just like computers, etc. I think that the pace of improvement will be pretty rapid.
Yeah, solar panels aren’t pretty, but if I had the choice between living next to that or next to a chemical or power plant, it would be an easy choice. (And if the choice was living next to a solar farm or not having electricity, a pretty easy choice also. LOL)
I had 2 t-shirts made using the Trump image you posted on 16 July. wife insisted hot pink for 1 of them. Looks fantastic.
Wear it proud!
Brian, I agree that solar energy has positive aspects, especially if technology continues to improve. It would really be cool to distribute those panels to the poor and powerless to light their houses. Maybe someday.
It was astounding to see the resources going into this project. Just the bridges and roadwork to the hilltop are amazing. I’m curious how they’ll build the actual solar farm. If it is only up top on the ridgeline, it may not look so bad.
Kev, yeah, I hope the technology improves and becomes more efficient. This is the biggest power project I’ve seen since moving here. And if they maintain it the way they do the roads, it won’t function long. Maybe it will be run by a private company. Someone has already invested a ton of money in this, so the motivation to get a return on that must be strong.
I’ve been fortunate not to suffer blisters when walking in wet shoes. When it was raining the other day, my wet shorts rubbed my thigh raw. That was painful enough!
Regarding connoisseur, I know the word but can’t spell it. My attempt was so bad that when I clicked on the red correction line, it offered “coinsurer,” and I stupidly accepted that obviously wrong suggestion.
Even if I was divorced, I’d never marry again. I’m a bitter old man.
When it was raining the other day, my wet shorts rubbed my thigh raw. That was painful enough!
I wear Spandex biker shorts for my inner thighs. People have suggested Vaseline and various other lotions and salves, but those rub off and need to be reapplied. Spandex, by contrast, is forever.
It’s rare that I get soaked enough to rub me raw, but thanks for the
Spandex tip!