[AT] Katrina and gas and stuff

[Indiana Robinson]

	I always liked the name Katrina... but we may learn to hate it even up here in Indiana 
before it all settles out. I didn't really need the three inches of rain she just gave us 
 but it has not caused any serious problems here. You just take what you get and be 
grateful that we are not having problems like those poor folks on the gulf. All of my 
family down there is safe... A cousin that lives at Slidell LA doesn't know if she and 
her family still live there or not (Slidell is just across Lake Ponchatrain) from New 
Orleans). They evacuated with 3 cars, the boat and the travel trailer and are now staying 
at a state park somewhere. On the news this morning a reporter broadcasting from Slidell 
mentioned that 90% of the structures in the area she was talking from were gone... 

	Here is an article I just read:
######################################
Wed Aug 31,12:28 AM ET
Some of Crystal Flash's 23 Indiana gas stations could temporarily stop selling fuel to 
the public because Hurricane Katrina has shortened supply and threatened its ability to 
supply contractual customers like police, the company said. 
The company said the hurricane disrupted oil supply from the Gulf Coast. The company now 
will conserve fuel to ensure it can supply contractual customers, including the 
Indianapolis Police Department, the Indianapolis Fire Department, Indianapolis city 
government vehicles and hospital backup generators, RTV6's Ericka Flye reported.
Company President John Madden said he hopes that whenever Crystal Flash stations are able 
to sell to the public, customers will limit their gasoline purchases to what they need 
only.
"If they don't need a full load of diesel fuel or a full load of gasoline, can they live 
on a half a load? Will that take care of them for the next 30 days and then free up the 
other half for somebody else?" Madden said.
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	In another article they were speaking of gas prices reaching $4 a gallon. One of Diana's 
sisters and her husband may be very happy that they just got a summer fill of propane at 
$1.38 a gallon. Heating oil, pipeline gas and propane will all likely take a "big" jump. 
Then the electric company will get a rate increase or add some kind of a fuel surcharge. 
Maybe I had better lay in my supply of wood pellets pretty soon.   :-)  
	 I sold 11 walnut trees last month and I saw yesterday that the loggers had been there 
and took them. those tops were huge and if I cut them up and split them soon they will be 
fine for burning in the shop stove this winter (lots of warm tractor time). There is a 
lot of wood there.
	The thought of $3 to $4 gas makes me wish for a smallish steam engine...   :-)
	If anyone is looking for a new job you might want to check for nearby oil refineries. 
Even though the gulf rigs are down crude is being released from the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserves and OPEC is going to bump production by 500,000 barrels a day. Crude supplies 
were already ahead of current refining levels so every refinery in the country should be 
looking to add some workers.
	All of the available building contractors in the southeast are already in FL and still 
rebuilding form Ivan. My sister and her husband in Pensacola have put off there new house 
they wanted to retire in for another year as there just are not enough good contractors 
available. Heck, you can't even hire a bad one there yet...   :-)   Blue tarp roofs are 
still everywhere. in Pensacola. Add Katrina to that situation and anybody that can swing 
a hammer will be making good money. Of course they may be nailing up $6 studs and $40 
sheets of plywood...   :-(

	I don't waste a lot of gas as it is but I may end up skipping a couple of more distant 
tractor shows I might have gone to. I will still haul stuff to the Conner Prairie living 
history museum to demo in mid Sept. That one gets a little costly since it takes several 
trips to take everything we show and then haul it all back home. Thankfully it is within 
about 50 miles from home.
	I had hoped to make a trip this late fall to visit ancestral locations in PA, VA, NC and 
KY but I'm not sure I can pull it off now. On the upside if gas does hit $4 a gallon 
there should be a lot of cheap empty motel rooms available...
	As a side note, the first commercial soy diesel refinery in Indiana will open soon right 
here in Shelby County. They are building in Morristown IN near a huge soybean processing 
facility there.

-- 
"farmer", Esquire
At Hewick Midwest
      Wealth beyond belief, just no money...

Paternal Robinson's here by way of Norway (Clan Gunn), Scottish Highlands,
Cleasby Yorkshire England, Virginia, Kentucky then Indiana. In America 100 
years 
before the revolution.


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana USA
robinson at svs.net