Sometimes you just find something on the web ...

... that catches your attention. This blog sure does. It's by an Australian photographer.

This picture is from India, As is the next one.

Well, it is now almost two weeks since Ike hit Texas ...

... and our area has run out of gas. Supposedly it was just western North Carolina because all those cranky mountaineers have independent gas stations that don't have a "special" relationship with the big gas companies. But in today's Washington Post there is a story about the shortage that says it includes the big city of Charlotte (where they have real gas stations) and that it is simply because there is not enough gas.

A harbinger of things to come? Can I make you a special offer on a large, state of the art, SUV?

ok ... wanna buy a bridge then?

.

Last Saturday the lummox went up the mountain with me ...

... since we were taking Clovis back home. He'd come down the day before to set up my wireless connection and to have a free meal (and secretly to see Carmen, whom he adores). So the little lummox and I decided to drive him back to Boone. Gas is way to expensive for him to drive his own car.

After we got rid of Clovis the little lummox and I went over to see Jed the mountaineer. When we got to his cabin he was no where to be seen so I took the little beast for a long walk in the woods and along the creek behind Jed's place. He walked straight into the creek, sat down, and sat there grinning. Finally got him out and we walked up Jed's grandfather's mountain. I'm not kidding: Jed and his brother Daryl inherited a mountain top from their grandad. On the way we stopped to talk to two tiny little ponies. The lummox wanted to get up real close to talk to them but I keep him at least three feet away. Then we went up the mountain (it's a very little mountain) and the lummox was in heaven with all the animal smells.

When we got home to the land of Wilkes the little fellow just collapsed and was out for the rest of the day. I enjoyed myself too.

God, I love Carmen ....

.. I have been sick for the last three days. When it first started, and I blame it on Clovis, I had a bad sore throat which began to develop into a cough. I asked Carmen for some cough syrup.

She said no, that wouldn't do any good. I should try brandy and honey.

And so I did. It's wonderful.

In fact, I have to go get some more of her cough medicine right now.

.

A breaking news story of national interest right here in Wilkes....

... and, well, thousands of other places. At the last meeting of the Episcopal Book Club I was told by several members that they had received a DVD in the advertising section of the Charlotte paper. It was all about radical Islam and was called something like "Obsession." One or two said it was 'interesting.' I thought it was a little odd.

Josh Marshall has a little story about this DVD. 28 million of them are being distributed around the country by somebody to the tune of million of $$. The standard MSM is ignoring the story.

All very strange.

Carmen was feeling sad for the old sod this morning ...

... because she was googling her old neighborhood in Cienfuegos and came across this ad for a house in the Tulipan section (you may have to hit the link a few times: the pictures do not always load properly). She says it looks almost exactly like her family's house in Cienfuegos that she lived in when she was a child.

except for the guy talking to the parrot.

Hi Iti and Felipe sr. Hope Mr Sobrino shows this to you.

Ben the Cat, she of the great goggly eyes and punk fur ...

... is frequently blamed for anything weird or inexplicable that happens in the Clemens/Carmen household. Now we find out that the shameless hussy has been moonlighting for a TV show. Working as a card shark wasn't enough!

Watch this.

It's Ben. I swear it is. Looks just like her.

A treat for Máeráed and the little dark haired boy ...

... coming soon ... "The Tale of Despereaux." We can go see it all together.

Seems the gas stations of Wilkes are prescient ...

... since CNN says that in the wake of hurricane Ike gas prices might top $4.00 again.

Gas prices are poised to shoot back toward record highs after Hurricane Ike's direct hit to the heart of the nation's oil refineries, analysts said.

Huh? Poised? As in, might in the future?

Heck, here in the land of Wilkes we raised out gas prices up to $3.99 on Friday afternoon just because ...

because we could, I think. Thus all the gas companies. We raise prices when we feel like it and when we can get away with it. Like now.

Yesterday our local gas stations went crazy ...

... as I discovered when I stop by David's Car and Child Care Center. Come to think of it, David's was a bit crazed too - Judy the Immigrant (perfectly legal) was having an altercation with one of the kids while customers came in to drop off and pick up there cars. Judy and David started telling me how traffic at the local Kangeroo Station was backed up nearly a mile and the cops had to be called to direct traffic. Gas had been going up all day and topped out at about $3.99, apparently so they wouldn't have to breach that $4 psychological barrier which might be the breaking point.

I asked the reason. Since Hurricane Ike was heading towards Texas where all the big refineries are, the refineries were going to shut down, and since the refineries were going to shut down there might be a gas shortage in the future, so everyone was rushing out to buy now and since everyone wanted to stock up whatever the cost, the gas companies just naturally had to raise the price of gas. Supply and demand.

See. It all makes sense. No price gouging here.

though the governor did go on the radio saying he was instructing law enforcement officials to be on the lookout for ... price gougers. Should any show up.

.

Another tale of high drama and near murder from the little twin hamlets ...

... that time forgot. This one from a co-worker of Carmen's who is going off to Nederland to visit with her husbands family. He's called Dutch because he is. He almost snuffed it last week over a small misunderstanding about airline tickets. You should read it. I don't think a jury - at least here in the foothills - would have convicted her. Anyway she's an interesting writer and the trip should be fun.

UPDATE: Several people have pointed out that you can't get there from here. Try this . Sorry.

Weird little vehicles are popping up all over...

... the great state of Wilkes (I saw a bumper sticker that actually proclaimed this title). I have seen two different SmartCars in Boone, and one Segway Scooter. I don't think the scooter was working out. The guy had on a business suite, a briefcase, and a crash helmet and was riding it on the sidewalk instead of in the road. I suspect Officer Oppie told him he could not ride a contraption like that on the public highways and byways of Watauga Co.

The other day when I went to park at the bus stop there was a pretty little blue SmartCar parked in my usual spot. I didn't think anyone in Wilkes would be caught dead in one (pardon the pun) but with gas being what it is - maybe.

I have also seen many more small motorcycles and scooters on the road, though even I have to admit that the little scooters look pathetic trying to chug up the Mountain to Deep Gap. And in the space of two weeks we lost two people here in single scooter accidents. I just can't believe they are safe. At least not with the skill set of Wilkes Co. drivers.

But it is encouraging to see people trying to not use so much gas. What we need is $5 a gallon gas. Then they'd bring back the horses.

This picture also looks like Ben...
.... And explains a lot about my computer
problems.

The Mom Squad of the High Country ...

... has its own web page. It is filled with info about what is going on up in the High Country of interest to families with children. It might be useful so check it out.

This looks just like Ben ...

.... our crazy little cat who thinks Carmen is her mom.

Road to Iberia VII...

...14 March, Friday: We met the Sobrinos at the Samay Hostel and found that Ems was still asleep. So Joey went with us to the 3 de Oro for pan y café. Then back to the Samay to get Ems. While Joey attempted to rouse Ems Carmen and I started talking to a guy fixing the computer in the common room. He was Argentinian but had lived 12 years in Spain. He also spoke excellent English. I think he was the owner of the Samay. It was an interesting conversation.

When Ems was ready we took off for the Alcazar - the real one, not the restaurant. It was an amazing place filled with elaborate Muslim carvings and stone work. In some places the Arabic writing had been painted over with the coat of arms of Leon and Castile. But if you looked the Arabic influence was all over the place. A metaphor for southern Spain.

Then it was time to get a cab for the bus station. Our cabby wanted to talk - a lot - even before he knew either of us could speak Spanish. Or maybe Carmen just looks like she ought to be able to speak Spanish. First he talked about the weather and then moved on to how awful young people were these days. Carmen teased him that his parents had probably said the same to him when he was young. "No! No!": things really had gotten worse, and he began to give details of depraved behavior, much of which sounded like old news from America.

The bus trip back to Lisbon was interesting. A nice new clean bus, a smooth tip, but the driver seemed a little uptight, wanting to hurry everyone along and move on. He even did this at the lunch stop. Then it was dark and we were moving through the metro district of Lisbon when he suddenly made an exit off the superhighway, pulled down through a little neighborhood and made a big loop, popping back up on the highway at the same spot, but going in the opposite direction. Every now and then he would turn on the light for a few seconds. I joked that he was lost and trying to read the map.

Then we realized that it wasn't a joke: he actually was lost. He got on the phone and got someone to talk him in. We were a bit late, but still got off the bus about 9 pm. We came back to our same hotel and spoke to Sr Parada, the desk clerk who collects American quarters. Walked all over the place looking for some place open to eat and finally found a Cervejaria. It was very Portuguese, not touristy at all and the food was excellent. Although I don't think you can go wrong if you order seafood in Lisbon. Besides, the sangria was wonderful.

15 March: Our last day in Lisbon, a pretty one. We had our usual big breakfast at the hotel of scrambled eggs and bacon with lots of juice and coffee. Then we decided to take the Metro down to Baixa-Chiada and walked dowen to the Praça Commercio.

We caught an electric street car that was packed. The local people were very sweet about giving us some help finding it. We traveled what seemed like a long way to Belem which was once a separate community but since the 19th century has been part of Lisbon. We walked up to the big monastery there and spent quite awhile wandering through it. It was impressive but I think I prefer the Arabic style of the Alcazar in Sevilla. From there we went down the street to a place to eat. Another good meal - this one relatively light.

After lunch we went down to the riverside through a park like area. Lots of young black men wearing bright red T-shirts were working there. Carmen finally said that they were setting up for a big marathon race for Sunday.

When we got down to the river we saw the giant sculpture of the great Portuguese heroes and conquerors. It was overly grandiose and triumphalist for a small, modest, and poor country. Still, in some ways they deserve it perhaps.

From there we caught a bus back the way we had come on the street care. Some Italian girls had gotten on with us. While we were waiting one had come up to look at the bus map right behinds and said immediately in English "Sorry. Excuse me" to get around me. I don't know whether we simply looked like English speakers or she didn't know any Portuguese and thought she'd try English.

We walked up to the Cortes Ingles, a chain store like an upscale Target, only much bigger. We went looking for a simple T-shirt so I would have something to wear the next day, but they were all so very expensive. Finally found a nice dress shirt 50% off which at $30 was still cheaper than the not very appealing T-Shirts. Got back to our room, ate at the same Chinese restaurant that Joey liked so much, and that was pretty much all of our great trip to Iberia.

Road to Iberia VI:

I have been taking forever to get this finished, but here it is.

13 March Thursday. We had a little trouble finding a place to eat breakfast - most places were still closed at 8 am. My kind of town. Finally ate at the little cerveceria La Mezquita, then went overt to find Emily and Joey. Joey shuffled down half asleep. He'd been up very late the night before chivalrously escorting a friend to the big bus station at 1 am. A very pretty friend who has apparently been bumping into Joey all over Europe. He said he and Ems would meet us at the Mezquita in Códoba - when I said it was a big place he said "Oh, we'll find you." So off we went to the train station.

It was a bright new place, very clean. The trip to Códoba only took 40 mins across flat agricultural country. When we got there we took a bus down near the Mezquita and then walked. Went into the jardín there - it was huge, but packed with people including large groups of students all more or less heading towards the entrance. We got tickets and went in.

It was amazing - I had heard how big it was but to actually be there almost puts it into another reality. It was like walking through a forest of stone columns that simply went on until they were lost in the gloom. And then you realize just how screwed up the grand design is by having a Christian Cathedral jutting up in the middle of it. From outside it looks like someone had simply airlifted a cathedral in and dropped it right on the mosque. Whoever told the architects who were so proud of their work "You have destroyed something unique in order to make something that could be seen anywhere" got it exactly right. Though, as the guidebook says rather smugly, without that piece of architectural vandalism the whole place would have been destroyed. A capsule history of Spain.

Carmen admitted that we were never going to meet up with Joey and Ems in such a huge space. Once we were inside it swallowed even the hordes of school children so that you were no longer aware of the masses pressing in: as if a river suddenly dissipated away in a spray of drops. After two tries we got them on the phone just as they were arriving at the station. We met them at the bus stop and found a restaurant on the plaze - we could eat outside. At first it looked a little fancy and a bit pricey, but the food was wonderful. Well worth it.

Leaving Cordoba: 13 March Thursday. We left the Sobrinos down at the Mezquita and took off to walk back to the bus stop. Made a wrong turn - though I still do not understand how - and ended up going in the wrong direction. We had to hurry in the muggy heat to get back to the station to catch our train just at the last minute (but we made it, Joey!). 45 minutes later we were getting off the train in Sevilla.

That evening we walked down to the cathedral which as always was all lit up. Then we went down one of the streets leading away from the cathedral towards a large plaza in front of the ayuntamiento. There were rows and rows of folding chairs set up with people setting in them, listening to recorded military music. There were also uniformed bandsmen in what I took to be army dress uniforms of black and gold.

We walked on since it was getting late but came back as soon as we heard what was obviously live march music. When we came back to the plaza it was a drum and bugle corps marching into the plaza at ta very slow step. The music was wild - Arabian more than European. We stayed and listened for awhile. They were good, even though some of the bandsmen, male and female, appeared to be about 8 years old. There was one excellent trumpet soloist. Carmen told me that this was one of the neighborhood bands that would play in the Semana Santa processions.

After we listened to several more bands we decided we had to get serious about looking for a place to eat. Wandered around for awhile until we found ourselves near the cathedral and found Cerveceria 300 - what attracted my attention to it was that some of the more military looking bandsmen were going into it. Turned out to be a good choice - it was cheap, but light fare, which was just what we needed. It was a student type place, and the folks were friendly. I had two cañas of Cruz Campo beer, which Mr Sobrino despises. I kinda liked it. I think Sobrino is a beer snob [something long since proven]. And of all the things I have been accused of in my life, that is not one of them, ever. It was very late when we got back to the pension.

A trenchant observation about our administration ...

... the one here running the school, not the one there running the nation. Commandante Cinco just stopped by my office to observe that they are madmen and that I as an ancient historian should understand that. So ... "Caligula without the sex?"

He agreed.

some people blame the ancient Roman's lunacy on drinking from goblets made of lead. That would give them an excuse.