Just blowing off steam

I have read more articles on rising fuel prices than you can imagine. All of these articles have come to the same conclusion...energy is EXPENSIVE!!! This is not news, that is the plain truth of it. Energy, like every other commodity, is demand driven. That is, the more demand, the higher the cost...wow, sounds like econ 101 doesn't it? Energy is just like corn, wheat, soybeans, or any other product that is publicly traded. Ask a farmer how corn prices were 10 years ago and he will tell you about $1.80/bu corn. Today corn is trading for better than $4.00/bu; spring wheat in Montana traded for $25.00/bu for about a week in March this year, up from a historic average of $5.00/bu. Why do I say all of this? If you want the energy costs to decline, simply demand less energy! It really is that simple. An example is soybeans; which went from $14.00/bu to $3.00/bu nearly overnight in 2003--04; the demand did not meet the supply and prices fell radically. It is the same with energy.

I am so tired of people grouching about the high cost to fill their vehicles, but are unwilling to leave their vehicles parked in the driveway for even the simplest of tasks (i.e. going to work, going out for that late night munchie run, etc.) . I currently (though not much longer) work part-time in a convience store and see people from here in town drive three blocks to the store, leave their vehicle running in the parking lot while shopping, and then drive home...HOW WASTEFUL IS THAT!!! Why on earth does anyone need to drive to work when they live in town? It is a small town, not even two miles from end to end. Now, before anyone chimes in about how much of a tree hugger I am; I drive a full size, 4wd pickup (16 mpg) and I have no intention of trading it in. I just don't drive the truck to work, or even to the grocery store to shop. I use the truck to drive to Billings, when I need to go, or to anywhere that I just can't get to by walking or riding my bicycle in a timely manner. My gas bill is less than $125.00 a month, even at $3.59/gal, and it takes well over $70.00 to fill my truck. That is the answer people, just demand less energy and fuel WILL go down in price.

Spring has sprung!!!

You couldn't ask for better weather than what we are getting right now in Montana...mid 70's, no clouds, no humidity...it's beautiful!!! So pretty in fact that I did some yard work yesterday; sawed a dead limb off of a tree, mowed the grass, cleaned out the flower beds, and sprayed weeds. I also washed and waxed the pickup. What an enjoyable afternoon! I turned the sprinkler on the yard last night and awoke to a frozen porch and ice clinging to the trees, but the yard is greener today than it was yesterday. I hate to start irrigating this early in the year, but we have only had 0.9 inches of moisture this YEAR so the yard needed water! It is supposed to cool back off into the 50s by the week's end, but for now, bring on spring!!!

Just Curious

I am just curious...does anyone actually read the ramblings that I put up here? I mean I enjoy this, but if no one cares then there are easier ways to get the same results.

Home in Hardin...for now.

I got back to Montana finally!!! My flight out of San Antonio was cancelled and I was re-routed on a Delta flight. I actually landed 30 minutes EARLIER than the Northwest flight I was originally scheduled on!!! How often does that happen? Anyhow, I am glad to be home in Montana...I missed the prairie. I do have to go back to Texas in a couple of weeks, but for now, it's home on the range for me.

As promised, here are some pictures from my trip.

Lone Star

Well, I am now officially trained and certified to teach 4-H shotgun to adult volunteers and children. I have been in Kerrville, TX all week learning the finer points of teaching firearm safety and life skill development. It has been an incredible week! I have met some really neat people from Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and many more states (there were 24 states represented at the training)! Fortunately for me and my fellow Montanans, we were not in trouble with the Texas police like some of our colleagues...although we were at the bars when the incidents happened, we left prior to the incidents!!! Ask me sometime and I will give you the whole story.

On the way back to San Antonio from Kerrville we took the scenic rounte and we to Fredricksburg, TX; Luckenbach, TX ('where ain't nobody feelin' no pain'); and through San Marcos, TX (home of everybody's favorite movie university...Texas State University; GO ARMADILLOS!!!); up to Buda, TX to go to Cabela's; and finally back down to San Antonio. My flight leaves at 7:15 tomorrow morning so it will be an early morning...Montana here I come!!! I will post some pictures from this trip when I get back to Montana. For now that's it!

Goats, Flowers, and Texas...fun stuff!!!

When I moved to Montana, I had hoped to shed the "goat man" moniker that my friend MJ saddled me with in Virginia. Well, the moniker is back; partly my own doing and partly due again to MJ (he told by boss about the name during a reference check). I am now doing goat workshops for the 4-H kids and I have to admit that I am enjoying them. We are now working on showmanship and I had my first showmanship clinic on Monday evening. I had 15 goats and kids from Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties!!! I am planning 3 more workshops for the kids prior to fair so hopefully they will be ready.

Last night I was invited by one of the church groups to do a flower clinic. I taught about container gardening and we planted two large containers that I left for the church. It was really fun and I think that the ladies enjoyed "getting their hands dirty"! Now I don't have any programs the rest of the week, but I am flying to San Antonio on Saturday for a 4-H program next week. I hate that I have to go to TX next week when the weather in MT is supposed to be wonderful...why couldn't this program have been last week (weather was awful up here).

I do have to finish my final exam in one of my grad school classes today or tomorrow and have work to complete in the other class prior to leaving on Saturday...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully I can breathe a little easier in June!

I have a dream!!!

This is the dream...a kawasaki ninja 650r! I hope that in the next year I can purchase one of these bikes and enjoy the wide open prairies! The bike I have now is serving as a great platform to learn on, but it is not a street bike. I did take it on a farm visit the other day (35 miles round trip) and felt pretty good afterward, but before I ever rode any distances at all I would want something that has the power to get out of the way and my current bike does not have the oommph. I plan on making the bike I have now more of a trail bike and riding off road on it more; it will be great for that.