CHRISTMAS EVE

Tucson, Arizona 12-24-08

Drat! Maybe the POO hasn't bottomed. It's hard to imagine inventories are up with gasoline prices so low. Here in Tucson you can barely move around on the streets they are so crowded. Add to that the extreme low temperatures across the country and one would think prices would be on the rise. It must surely be some kind of reverse conspiracy. ;) I'll wager Russia hopes we find a bottom soon.

I'm dabbling with the idea of buying some Vanguard High Yield. "High Yield" is synonymous with junk bonds. It's a risky business. I think a lot of big names are going to go belly up in the coming year. Who will survive? Government can't bail them all out. Although, I suspect they will try. Need to look over Vanguard's portfolio and see what's in there.

Wow! This article sure makes the future clear to me. Deflation vs. Hyperinflation. Certainly glad I loaded my boat with the barbaric relic. I once thought gold might go to $1,500 an ounce. But, I never in my wildest dreams envisioned the magnitude of the printathon at the Fed. Now, I believe it will go much higher.

Sunsrise was pretty darned nice this morning. Not good enough to photograph but certainly wonderful to watch.

Last night it was a war zone again but not just with police sirens this time. In addition to the sirens there was a helicopter that circled the wash for about 20 minutes. That wash is a dangerous place after dark IMO. Tucson doesn't feel like a safe place to me. I never worry about hiking alone in Montana. I certainly do here.

Koty was a real pain in the neck this morning. Had to walk him four times before he was satisfied. I'm very happy, so far, with how the Natural Balance is working out. See Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance. My hunch that Koty would be able to stomach a total switch right off the bat was correct. He had no problem adjusting and he is eating with relative gusto. One of the things that attracted me to this product was the fact that it is for adults and puppies. That told me this is a gentle product and well thought out product. And so it has been.

This afternoon was beautiful. Mostly sunny with puffy white clouds. Koty and I took a walk on the Bajada Loop at Saguaro National Park. It was a great way to end the day.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!