Bright and cool. Morning waterfront work (for example replanting spruces from their volunteer locations now under water on the beach, and doing some dock work using the Susie Pea as a barge.) (When the boat got loose one time Sue lunged after it and ended up sitting in a foot of ice cold water.) Great way to chill out.

Afternoon saw activities of varying value—I got in a few hours of single-handed Windrider practice (in gusty conditions) while Sue varnished 30 boards. And Pax got in a good run to Sandy Beach.

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Interesting article in the NY Times today: In Alberta, Oil, Cowboys…and Liberalism? Alberta, home of the tar sands, has been an oil baron and right-wing stronghold for decades. But this month the left-leaning New Democrats swept out the besmeared old guard, “arguing that Alberta’s oil belonged to the people, not to foreign corporations.”

This remarkably logical idea motivates most of Scandinavia, where North Sea oil and gas money goes into things like investing for the future, infrastructure, education, and health care. (Norway doesn’t use fossil fuel itself, relying on renewables.)

While it’s true Texas has lots of windmills, it is hard to imagine Ted Cruz championing an Alberta style realignment. And then there are the states of Michigan and Wisconsin. In Michigan the state legislature is working on a bill to exempt oil pipeline companies from having to report safety information or to respond to freedom of information requests made by the public. And in Wisconsin, the state legislature has passed bills that prohibit villages and townships from establishing ordinances protecting their citizens from frack-sand mining health hazards. One might wonder who these elected representatives represent.

But, maybe, perhaps, if Alberta can do it so can Michigan and Wisconsin. Texas seems unlikely.