Legalectric

NSP/Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant is just 13.4 miles away through our bluffs, and more like 9 as the crow flies. And don’t forget about Monticello, same GE reactor as Fukushima Di’iachi, upriver, also on the Mississippi.

FYI, the NRC’s page for:

Prairie Island Enforcement Actions (it’s been a while, is that a good thing?)

Only two comments were filed by Advisory Committee members (not including utility comment prior to the 12/16/2021 Commission meeting):

The Comments before-hand seem orchestrated, as much as the 97 or so last minute comments in November:

Withdrawal of proposed rules at the last minute? What’s the procedure? What happens now?

Have all these folks not heard of the notion of submitting a Rulemaking Petition if they want something other than what’s in the rules? The excuses mouthed by the Commission at that 12/16 meeting were utterly off point. No mention of the 2005 legislative changes, and attempts to subvert the “prime farmland” rule by weaving it into this? Just no…

Minnesota has many state parks open for winter camping — Frontenac State Park, where we are now, is one:

We’ve not done winter camping, and I’ve been watching videos about tent camping to get the hang of it before we try tenting in earnest. A 3 week trip is planned, but NOT in winter.

EEEEK, I’ll pass on a tent in that weather.

So far, we’ve only taken three cold weather trips, all around Halloween to get away, and both were pretty cold. The worst was in Minneopa, 2017, above, where the temp was 20s to low 30s, but the wind was just awful. We had propane heat, and a little space heater because we had an electric site, and the pup held heat pretty well:

Little Sadie would beg to differ:

Took maiden voyage in the Starcraft hybrid to Wisconsin, Potawatomi State Park and Pt. Beach Forest, and the van kept having severe problems, and it was no fun at all. First it was stalling and dying, took 2 days to figure it out:

… then electrical problems:

But the weather was PERFECT!

This year for Halloween, we went to William O’Brien State Park, and it was chilly, but not bad, because it was SUNNY, which always helps.

I’d looked about a month ago for Minnesota camping, and yes, I know that Halloween is NOT “winter.” Google found a DNR “Winter Camping” page but “404,” so I shot off an email, and now the page is working. Here’s the map with winter camping in Minnesota State Parks:

And the DNR page on “Winter Camping” here.

From the looks of Frontenac today, we’re the only ones here, and I’m thinking reservations in winter aren’t anywhere as difficult to get as in summer, particularly in COVID. On the other hand, Tettegouche does show reserved sites, so book way in advance if you’re wanting a site.

I just can’t see winter camping in a tent, unless it’s a “4 season” tent with an electric heater inside, just no way!

Time to fire up the stove out there, I hear turkey soup calling!

You can watch the meeting video at the link here:

“Storm the City” lite in Red Wing