OK, the reading's over (for a bit). Really good book!
But, now....
It's time to get out a canvas and put paint to it!

And, of course I'll take pictures!
Thing is, this being a new technique and all, should I show the failures, too?

WORLD TRAVELERS EXTRAORDINAIRE!

and, here they are in Irutsk

which is just north of Lake Baikal, a huge lake....

if you look carefully, you'll see the local town folks

coming out to greet Lee and Margeret.

GOOD NEWS ABOUT OIL PRICES!

Dang it took some work, but, I finally figured out what's GOOD about oil prices....

OK OK so I didn't so much as 'figure it out' as I used my ears at Wally-world the other day. I do some light shopping there, and while wandering down an aisle, I heard someone from the next aisle over being really grumpy about the price of a shower curtain.

"It's just cheap-assed tin wrapped around a stupid piece of wood dowel, They take the dowel out and we get the cheap tin! It ain't worth that much!" and then the words I've longed to hear for years.... "I COULD MAKE IT CHEAPER THAN THAT!"

Then I realized that the price of oil was going to work against a certain country that aimed at selling cheap. Now that wasn't going to be possible. Cheap things, when shipped by using transportation devices that consummed oil producst would have to be more expensive. The country that has been undermining the world with their cheap products would slowly be slipping into the same thing we all are....Making at home for home use.Well, at least, making in-country for in-country use.

So, reckon it's back to the drawing table, eh? Rekindle the factories, retrain the folks to work at factories. Millions of folks back to work because it's cheaper to make a shower curtain here than to make it there and ship it here!

Halleluyah for high oil prices!

We finally get our country back!