Here are a couple pictures from the trip, follow the link for a few more:

From Cahaba River Canoe Trip – Feb. ’09

From Cahaba River Canoe Trip – Feb. ’09

According to this AP story

Alabama Power Co. is exploring the option of making electricity solely by burning wood or other “biomass.”
Under a study to be completed in the second half of this year, the state’s top power provider is looking into converting a coal-fired generating unit at one of its facilities.

Among the sites under consideration is Barry Steam Plant in north Mobile County.

The amount of power involved would be 70 to 80 megawatts, according to a description of the project recently released by the city of Mobile. That’s a fraction of the company’s total output but still enough to light thousands of homes.

…

“I think it’s more of a pre-emptive effort,” Adam Snyder, executive director of Conservation Alabama, said of the Alabama Power study, adding that he considers it “a great move.”
Along the same lines, Georgia Power Co., another affiliate of Atlanta-based Southern Company, is seeking regulators’ permission to convert a small coal-fired plant to biomass, said Anne Blair of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, another advocacy group headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn.

…

“I think they are doing a good job in terms of anticipating what is likely to be coming down the pipeline at the federal level and simply diversifying their energy mix,” said Blair, who is the alliance’s program manager for diesel and biofuels.

One of the new items of the Energy & Environment Agenda of the Obama administration is to “Ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.”  It will be interesting how utilities without access to abundant wind or solar resources comply with new energy regulations.

More on biomass at WikiPedia.

More on biomass at Alabama Power’s Biomass Energy page.

I’m glad to see he’s still alive and well and chewing up the sticks laying around the back yard.

Mt Rushmore and the Black Hills, SD

The Badlands:

Badlands, SD

Devils Tower, WY

Water Works Board Admits Mistake Incorrect Bills Affect Thousands

Last Edited: Friday, 23 May 2008, 1:28 PM CDT Created: Friday, 23 May 2008, 1:28 PM CDT

BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WBRC-TV MyFoxAL.com) — The Birmingham Water Works Board says it made a mistake, sending out incorrect bills to as many as 15,000 customers.

The Water Works Board blames a billing glitch for the error.

FOX6 News has talked to viewers who have received bills for as much as $18,000!

Hear from shocked customers, and more from the Water Works Board on how it plans to correct the problem, tonight on FOX6 News at 5:00 and 6:00.

Alabama Power, in partnership with Auburn University (AU), is researching how renewable biomass can be converted to gas and used to generate energy.  The unit will be on display in the Alabama Power Headquarters Visitor Parking Lot, at the corner of 18th Street and Seventh Avenue North, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. See how renewable biomass can play a growing role in meeting Alabama’s energy needs.Learn more about Alabama Power’s sponsorship of the Mobile Biomass Gasification Unit.

According to FTH, beverages defined as wine can contain up to 24% ABV and have no container size restrictions. Likewise, liquor can contain up to 100% ABV and can be sold in any size container under Alabama law. So what’s the point of banning beer with 6.5% ABV?

FTH and the Gourmet Beer Bill has received recent coverage in the LA Times and even in The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland). Stuart Carter, current president of FTH, hails from Scotland.

The most entertaining coverage of this issue has to be this edited recording of the recent House debate (don’t miss Alvin Holmes statements, 5:30-6:15).

Let us put that to you another way. Would you want to be told that you can’t buy a Mercedes because there are already plenty of Fords and Hondas available? This is exactly the type of restriction that is being placed on gourmet beer in Alabama.

FTH is not trying to change the existing beers in Alabama. To refer back to the analogy, there will be plenty of Fords and Hondas around once we lift the restriction against Mercedes. FTH and its supporters would just like to have the option to choose the Mercedes of beer.

It might get down below freezing this weekend. Maybe even some snow! It’s supposed to be a soggy 38 tomorrow afternoon (Fri).