and Dave Elkinton on that day? The day I first saw purple dead
nettle (Lamium purpureum).
There it was-a planter in front of the DNR Operations Center jam-packed
with pagoda-layered leaves in shades of mauve, lilac and lavender.
Beautiful. I was with Karen Bird walking into the building for, as I
recall, the spring 1978 Highlands Conservancy meeting. After the meeting,
I asked a couple of DNR people if I might take a plant home. I knew Mary
Moore Rieffenberger from our Mountain Weavers Guild, but it was my
introduction to Joe. His response was, "That? It’s a damned weed!" He did
identify it. So I took a start of the alien home and over the years sang
its praises as ornamental, bee forage, cover crop, food and medicine, sent
seeds up to Richters Herbs and moved some to my "new" house in 1998.
Back to May 15th. I spread the plants around, picked up the Highlands
Voice and the rest of the mail and came in for lunch. "Good.," I said,
"I’ll read part of this now. Great! They’ve changed their minds! And
there’s Yimby! Finally. What?? Energy hog?? Hunh?
Some years ago, I and, no doubt, many others began saying "Yes! In my
backyard" to focus on energy independence. Back on September 11, 2007, I
began calling and writing Conservancy members requesting, asking,
imploring, begging (etc.) you to come to the AAUW Dodds-talk, the Randolph
County Commission’s public forum, and The AES presentations in Elkins and
Belington and then later to write the Public Service Commission to protest
the AES siting certificate application for the proposed Laurel Mountain
giant wind turbines. I made up a little quiz which some of you and
hundreds of others have received.
On September 13, I began pushing for a positive, affirmative position to foil the
big energy companies. The world has the conservation, design, and construction knowledge
and application skills to survive very nicely with a "Yes!
In my backyard …" approach. We do not need giant wind
turbines |