Chernobyl - Living in a Nuclear town
It is hard to believe it has been 20 years since this awful disaster. But even more amazing to me is how we are beginning to see a change in the viability of nuclear power despite Chernobyl. I live in a nuclear town. We have a nuclear power plant 20 miles from my house. The town came into being because of the atom bomb as the plutonium that was used was manufactured in secret here. When we came to Richland in the 1970's, there were 4 plants being built though only one was completed. I was nervous about it as I am definitely an environmentalist.
But what I hated most was the attitude of nearly everyone who worked here - from the ironworker building the plant to the phd nuclear scientist - was the attitude of nuclear definitely being safe as if we were stupid to question it. Ralph Nader visited our town and there were many pickets at his speech.
I always felt that the scientists owed us more. They needed to admit that the questions that were being asked were important and not to be dismissed. They had the answers but we needed a dialogue. That is one of the reasons it has taken so long to have nuclear power recognized for what it is - a clean energy source that we can afford.
Here in Eastern Washington we have really clean air. When I fly, I can point to Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Ranier to the West. To the East one can see the Blue Mtns. It is nearly always clear.
Many of the local scientists here have worked with the scientists at Chernobyl over the years to help with the cleanup. A good friend who is an environmental engineer has just written a book on the subject. National Geographic had an excellent article last month on the area. I think we are all aware of the dangers but also know the benefits. It is time to move forward.
Escape
It was good to escape yesterday. Kim called early and she and I went on a hike in the Columbia Wildlife Refuge along the Frog Lake Trail. Saw several groups of mule deer, lots of balsamroot, larkspur and phlox. No one else up there. It was warm nd sunny and I was very tired when we got back so I got to bed early.
Families
I always used to say that every family has problems but I think now that while some think they do, this is a matter of degree.
My youngest sister (age 60) now writes that she wants to know what her options are for coming to live in our town which is on the other side of the US from Florida where she currently resides with an elderly lady. Really - I don't want her here and that sounds awful and selfish. And it is. I suppose I could find her housing, I could pay for it (she has zero income and no money). What I cannot do is be near her - she drives me nuts. She is crazy. The good thing is she has no knowledge of how to get on the Internet.
One would think that by this time in life, we would have worked out these problems in families. After all we have had a lifetime to prepare for them. But it is easier to not deal with them when we don't have to. And the question really is, do I have to deal with it now? It is really not my problem.
HELP!!
My Birthday
On Wed. I was 63! Hard to believe. But it is also hard to believe how great I feel still. The Friday before I had spent at the local wildlife refuge where I volunteer - we had 34 kids that day. I help out by running the station on vertebrates. It is the easiest for me and I enjoy showing the displays of birds and talking about the mammals we have in this area - but after 6 hours I was tired. Then I came home to experience my weekend of activity.
Our friend Cathy had arrived Friday afternoon from Berkeley - and that means dancing - both Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday afternoon we had a barbeque at the house. All that would have been enough except that DH decided we were all meeting at 9 to go hiking....after which we ate at a wonderful new Vietnamese restaurant...Kim was along to instruct us in the proper way to prepare spring rolls....after which we all went ice-skating and then home to eat left-overs!!
I had rented the dvd, Mad Hot Ballroom, about kids in the NYC public school system learning ballroom dancing. It is a fun video and was a perfect way to end my birthday weekend. Wednesday's celebration was quiet.
