Day 1

We made it. Got away by 8:30 this morning. 51 degress and overcast. Start milage was: 50313.0. We stopped in Osoyoos, B.C. 82 degress and some clouds. Nice trip, pretty scenery. Good cookies given to us by our neighbor on our way out. We are following highway 97 until it hits Canada 1, then will turn right and head east. Not as much travel tomorrow, but LOTS more scenery. Shooting for Golden, Alberta. Truck is PACKED tight till we get to Ottaw and can offload two dressers. Everything is great so far.
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/explore/ok/cities/osoyoos.htm

The Day Before

Tomorrow is departure day. Will we get everything done that needs to be done? We will see. Portable hard drives to safe deposit box (all important documents, pictures and videos), pack for 3 kinds of weather and travel by truck, car, boat and plane. House cleaned up and ready for occupy by possible guests and our return. Yard on auto sprinkler and neighbor high schooler to mow. Appropriate contacts distributed in the neighborhood, mail forwarded to a friend, paper on hold. Truck loaded to the gills with furniture, camp gear, luggage................
We will try to keep our progress posted here for those interested in the sojourn.
AnJ

Gramma and Grampa again!

Mason Andrew McEldowney
March 11, 2010

Desecration

Desecration

Boy Scouts know it, Girl Scouts know it and members of the military know that to wear the flag of the United States of America as an article of clothing is to show disrespect and contempt for that flag. Until struck down by the U.S. Supreme court there were laws against such activity and the Congress of the United States continues work toward re-establishing flag desecration laws.

Apparently some of the people running for the highest office in the land care less about the flag, one of the most recognized symbols of U.S. unity, than they do about what they believed would be a cute political stunt.

Sarah Palin’s wearing of the U.S. flag in a full page picture in a major news magazine published around the world for all to see is flag desecration. If wearing of the flag was done out of ignorance, then a widely published apology is due the people of the United States. If wearing of the flag was indeed to show disrespect, voters will need to decide how best to deal with that disrespect at polling time.

See United States of America Flag Code, section 8 for reference.

Why Drill in ANWR?

How does drilling in ANWR or offshore contribute to lower fuel prices? There is no apparent connection between what the oil companies are saying and doing (or not doing) and the current, “drill it now mantra”. The American Petrolem Institute (API), a consortium of American petroleum producing companies states that drilling on the continental shelf or ANWR is unlikely to provide Americans with more oil for 7 to 10 years. If they were given permission to drill and they did drill, the anticipated amount of oil would alleviate 2.5 years of U.S. fuel needs 10 years down the road. Then what? Major oil companies already own drilling rights to 68 million acres of Federal land, but refuse to drill. Why not? The United States exported 1.6 million barrels of refined fuel products per day in the first 4 months of 2008. Exports continue, I just can not find figures for the last 3 months. If we are facing a fuel shortage, why are we exporting it? Fuel refining facilities are not being upgraded or expanded. There are no immediately available piplelines or ships to move additional crude oil. If crude oil supplies were to become available we could not move it or refine it. So, how does drilling offshore or ANWR now solve our fuel problem and lower gas prices?

How terribly sad

How terribly sad that the Republicans and their ilk, read Rush Limbaugh and the like, can find so little to campaign about against the Obama run for the President that they need to resort to cheap shots, misquotes and outright untruths about Obama's supportive spouse Michelle.
The Republicans are in serious trouble if they think such garbage will sway thinking Americans.

Mackenzie Janan McEldowney

Jane and Art became proud grand parents on June 12, when their son and daughter-in-law became proud parents of their first born.
She is perfect and displaying a mind of her own.
Grampa.