DO HYBRID VEHICLES REALLY SAVE YOU MONEY?

I bought the first Hybrid Toyota in 2000 imported into California, a 2001 model I had waited, and waited for. My son loves it when I’m on the road and he gets to save money on gas by driving my Prius.

When I first bought it, I let everyone drive it, even strangers on the street who would stop and ask me about it. All were surprised by its power. For some reason most people assumed it would be slow to pick up speed and get up and go.

Others have asked me about savings vs. the heavier price tag and I couldn’t answer that, except to say, a hybrid puts less carbon in the air, and that benefit alone is worth it to me. Today, I borrow from GAS 2.0 blog to report these figures.

Industry analysts at Vincentric recently tested 25 popular, US-market hybrid models and compared them to equivalent ICE versions in an attempt to find out which hybrids (if any) deliver real savings over the life of the vehicle.

Surprisingly, 11 of the 25 hybrid models tested actually did save their owners money! Check out the top 10, below.

---

1. Lincoln MKZ Hybrid (-$7,001)
2. Mercedes-Benz S Class Hybrid (-$4,242)
3. Lexus HS 250h (-$3,747)
4. Toyota Prius V (-$1,804)
5. Toyota Prius C (-$1,469)
6. Ford Fusion Hybrid (-$1,202)
7. Kia Optima Hybrid (-$779)
8. Porsche Cayenne Hybrid (-$672)
9. Honda Insight (-$656)
10. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (-$319)

---

Overall, Vincentric noted that the average cost to own and operate one of these hybrid vehicles was $1,223 more than their all-gasoline powered counterparts over 5 years. That figure was calculated assuming 15,000 miles of driving per year. Fuel prices used in this report were calculated using a weighted average over the previous five months. Vincentric’s own summary of their findings notes that “the range between the best and worst savings was significant, with the 2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid saving buyers $7,001 while the 2012 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid cost buyers over $8,065 more to own (than comparably equipped conventional vehicles).”

So there you have it. And no one questions the power of hybrids after many years on the road of so many countries. Auto makers around the world have produced all-electric vehicles that manage over 100 miles in range per charge and hybrids that can get over 280 eMPG.

The electric vehicle is here to stay unless they come up with something better and cheaper.  And, car companies  are already working on it.

NIGHTMARES FOR REAL.

Jim chides me that whenever I get back to Murphys, I get political and suffer from political outrages. He is right! We taxpayers foot the bills when billion dollar corporations don't have to pay much for their environmental impacts. Look at the mess in Louisiana and Alaska. The payouts were miniscule compared to the lasting damage.


Fracking a single well may require a million gallons of water. It has been known to dry up nearby creeks and deplete ground water supplies in the area of the well.

 The wastewater from fracking has high levels of radioactivity, and secret chemicals that are a trade secret. We don't get to know what they pump into the ground. The Halliburton Loophole, (thank you Dick Cheny) makes Big Oil exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Air Act.. Isn't that just too cozy?

In some places, the drinking water from private wells got so contaminated from fracking practices, tap water could be lit on fire. Gee, you don't even have to heat your coffee. 

Do you think it could be a rule that people who work for Big Oil don't have children or grandchildren?  Maybe it is on the application. No children allowed.

Clean water should be a human right, like clean air to breathe. Clean air should be a human right, like clean drinking water. It is a real time nightmare for some people in the United States. The corporations have it both ways And, we better get re-united before it comes to a local well near YOU.

I'm not against the wonderful benefits of natural gas wells, of which there are many. But, fracking to get it is like blowing up cars on the freeway to clear the way for repaving. (That isn't as farfetched as it sounds. Fracking can kill you.)

Well, back to the grind- pulling blackberry vines, fixing sprinkling systems and preparing for surgery. I have a new worker but he can only come two to three hours on some days after his regular job. My former helper doesn't show up or call if he can't make it. So, I changed to this new guy. Hope it all works out.  



 

 

CASTING OUR FATE TO THE SUN AND WIND.

This year, the Obama administration moved to streamline the development of large-scale solar projects on public lands by approving vast tracts across the West  identified as the highest generating potential with the fewest environmental impacts. These sites were identified after the results of an environmental impact report.  An area of 285,000 acres, with sites in Nevada, Colorado, Utah, California, Arizona and New Mexico are in the works.  Jim and I saw one of those massive solar plants  being built in New Mexico earlier in the year.  We wondered why it was out in the middle of no-where. We didn’t know about the way the sites were chosen. Anyway, net result is clean power and jobs, jobs, jobs.
When I had my solar installed, there was a handful of people installing under rigid inspections and rules to make sure there was no space for failure during the process. Now I could choose from 600 different solar producers and as many installers. The rigid inspection process is still that way. I’m investigating solar for a rental because costs have come down so far.
And, we get enough electricity from wind power for 13 million homes. The energy department predicts  that by 2030, we could get 20 percent of our energy from the wind, about as much as we now get from nuclear power plants.
But progress on wind power is in jeopardy because Congress  has yet to renew an important incentive set to expire at the end of this year. It is called the production tax credit, or PTC,  Without it orders for wind turbines are likely to stall, impeding our transition away from coal. The wind industry employs over 37,000 Americans, and we need to keep those jobs, jobs, jobs.
The PTC was instituted by the George H.W. Bush administration, a sensible policy where anyone who operates a wind turbine or solar biomass, or other type of renewable power plant that produces a significant level of electricity to the commercial grid, receives a federal tax credit of 2.2 cents for every kilowatt-hour of power it produces for the first ten years of its life. It got renewed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus package of 2009.
Two Republicans, Representative David Reichert, and Senator Chuck Grassley have sponsored versions to renew it through 2016 in the house, and 2014 in the senate. Neither measure  has come up for a vote but it is already being heavily lobbied against by the fossil fuel industries.
As a political pessimist, I fear the worst, and hope I’m wrong.  Wind generation is actually competitive in price with the energy produced by NEW coal plants and in my opinion no NEW coal plants should  be issued permits until they can reduce industrial pollution to an acceptable level. Coal plants actually cause deaths from their mercury, soot and carbon emissions, not to mention death to fish in streams.  Wind and solar save our planet from tons and tons of carbon emissions, a clean air benefit for everybody.
THIS HEADLINE WAS IN THE WASHINGTON POST YESTERDAY MORNING:
Security lapses at nuclear site found before break-in
Security problems at Y-12 nuclear complex were identified in classified reports nearly two years before three activists broke into the facility where weapons-grade uranium is stored.
( by Dana Priest , The Washington Post)
After the Japanese disaster, and the huge up front government subsidies to build nuclear power plants (way over the small PTC tax credits), and proven vulnerability of nuclear power plants,  why would we as a responsible nation even consider building more nuclear power plants? The cost to run them  per watt exceeds that of wind and solar. The volatile nature of Uranium, its storage and no ability to render it harmless, are an ever-present danger. In a nuclear plant disaster, the cost to bring it back on-line, if it could be repaired at all, is billions.
If you add into the equation the affects of climate change on hydro power,  wind and solar seem like an even better bet. Check the link below.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/climate-change-challenges-power-plant-operations/2012/09/09/42b26b8e-f6a5-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_story.html
And, don’t get me started on fracking. What a dismal proposal that is. I hope you are listening Obama and Canada.

HEALTH IS WEALTH

I like to think I keep myself well informed about health choices, but I was surprised when I found I had cholesterol clogged carotid arteries. I exercise, I'm limber, I'm active, I eat a healthy diet...what gives?
Well, first of all, I started adding up the things I eat here and there along the way that are not exactly healthy. I avoid fatty cheddar cheese, stick to mozzarella mostly.  But then, I really didn't think too much about that feta I liberally sprinkle on my salad almost every night. Or the Parmesan I like on soups and spaghetti. Yikes, it is almost all fat! Even low fat cottage cheese has 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
And, so what if I have a hot dog or a hamburger once in awhile. Then, you know, some corn chips with my favorite Mexican food and artichoke dip and crackers when friends come over, and so it goes. It is a pretty steady part of my diet to eat off the consciousness table. Yes, I eat my whole grains and five fruits and vegetables every day. I rarely eat pork or beef.  Yes, I eat an ounce of dark chocolate twice a week, but otherwise,  no sweets and heavily processed foods. Maybe ice cream two or three time per year.  I exercise. So, why did this happen to me?  A whole lot of it is genes.
Jim has never taken a prescription drug in his life, he eats bacon or sausage and lunch meat 6 or 7 days a week and he has low cholesterol. He eats eggs when I cook them, otherwise he eats egg beaters because they are easier to use.
Karen, my skinny friend, fits that category. Sour cream, fried foods, cheese and ice cream with nary a rise in her cholesterol. I can easily conclude that some people eat relatively healthy diets and still have vascular disease while others can chow down sausage and bacon and chocolate cream pies and never have a negative health affect. It may be unfair, but it is reality.
So, now do I take statin drugs the rest of my life? Probably.
Here is a website that talks about statin studies, statin benefits, statin side effects and statin controversy.  It is enough to make you quit eating.  Or, go on a diet of unsalted brown rice and seaweed. I actually love brown rice and seaweed. So, I guess doomsday isn't exactly hovering.
http://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2012/05/latest-thinking-controversial-statins-cholesterol-and-heart-disease-risk
Needless to say, I won't be making it back to the motorhome as scheduled. I canceled my flight and will be hanging around Murphys a while longer. Health is a formidable kind of wealth. And, I'm still wealthy, despite the need for a fix.

CONGRESSIONAL SALARIES.

Yesterday, I wrote disparaging comments about our elected officials claiming they get retirement for life and free medical care. And, I bought into that same email information that they do not pay into social security like the rest of us do. A reader, Jim, pointed out to me in a message following yesterday’s blog, that my information was wrong. He pointed me to an article by Phil Scott published in the respected AARP Newsletter about congressional salaries and benefits. Like so many of you, when money rules over good sense, I get cynical and hastily toss off bad news like a righteous knight bent on correcting wrongs.
To correct this error, Scott’s article follows. It just isn’t as bad as I believed it to be, and I should have checked.
And, yesterday, I couldn’t remember granddaddy Bush’s name, and the website from which the information came seemed to have disappeared or I couldn’t find it. The Bush’s and Nixon’s were distant cousins and I got this message on Facebook from William:
William wrote: “Prescott Bush was vice president of Brown Brothers Harriman bank when it was siezed under the “Trading With The Enemy” act. That is why Bush hated Roosevelt so thoroughly. That is a large part of why the Republicans are still trying to undo the Roosevelt legacy. Following World War II, the Republicans established a “Committee of 400″ to start seeking candidates to run against New Deal Democrats. Prescott Bush was the chairman of the committee that selected Richard Nixon to run against Jerry Voorhis in 1946. The Dulles brothers law firm represented Brown Brothers Harriman bank in their case against the government to retrieve their siezed assets. I served in an intelligence division of Strategic Air Command under the Eisenhower/Nixon administration. Nixon was Ike’s vice president. John Foster Dulles was Secretary of State. Allen Dulles was director of the CIA. Prescott Bush was Ike’s golfing partner, all around political advisor, and ‘handler.’ That gang had Ike surrounded on duty and off duty.”
I thank you both, Jim and William for refreshing my information.
Read Phil Scotts article below:
Tales of extravagant congressional pensions abound on websites and in e-mail chains.
Not exactly true. Congressional retirement and health care benefits are far less lavish than critics claim.
For the most part, benefits for Congress are similar to those of any federal employee, although there are differences.
Nearly all Congress members are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System. The FERS retirement plan has three parts:
Social Security. Members of Congress have Social Security taxes withheld from their pay like other workers, and are eligible for retirement benefits beginning at age 62.
Before 1984, members of Congress were covered by the old Civil Service Retirement System and were not required to pay into Social Security — nor could they get a Social Security benefit. But at present, all members of Congress must pay into Social Security, including nearly 50 currently serving members who were first elected before 1984.
A pension benefit. People on the federal payroll, including members of Congress, receive a traditional “defined benefit” pension, something that is available to only a small percentage of private-sector workers.
According to the Congressional Research Service, in October 2006 the average annual pension for a retired member of Congress who served under FERS was $35,952, compared with the current $174,000 salary for active members.
(Members of Congress won’t be affected by President Obama’s proposal for a pay freeze for federal employees — Congress sets its own pay scales separately, and in 2009 and 2010 voted to forgo its usually automatic annual pay increases.)
A member who leaves office before serving five years because of an election defeat or resignation is not eligible for a pension. And any member who is convicted of a crime such as bribery, fraud, racketeering or perjury for acts committed after September 2007 is ineligible.
But, on grounds that working in Congress means uncertain job security, elected members and their staffs receive a larger retirement benefit from FERS for each year of service than other federal employees. They also become eligible for a retirement annuity at a younger age and with fewer years of service.
In return, they contribute a higher percentage of their pay to participate in FERS — 1.3 percent instead of 0.8 percent for most workers. As in the private sector, the bulk of the retirement benefit’s cost is picked up by the employer, in this case, the U.S. government.
Members of Congress can begin drawing their full pension at age 62 if they have completed five years of service, at age 50 with 20 years’ service, or at any age with 25 years’ service. They can collect a reduced pension with 10 years of service at ages 55 to 57, depending on their birth year.
The Thrift Savings Plan. This is a “defined contribution” plan available to all federal employees and similar to the 401(k) plans common in the private sector. There’s a difference: Whether or not the employee chooses to save anything, the government contributes 1 percent of base pay to the savings plan.
Members of Congress participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program along with about 8 million federal workers, retirees and their dependents. They are subject to the same rules and receive the same coverage. Compared with health plans offered by private employers, the FEHBP offers more choices — in fact, “the widest selection of health plans in the country,” according to the Office of Personnel Management.
Congress members are also eligible for Medicare, and pay the same 1.45 percent tax on their salary as do other workers.
A few extras
Congress members do receive some medical benefits beyond those available to regular federal workers.
For an annual payment of $503, members can receive routine care from the Office of the Attending Physician, which has facilities in the Capitol. ABC News reported last year that these services include physicals and other examinations, on-site X-rays and lab work, physical therapy and referrals to medical specialists.
In addition, current members (but not their dependents) can receive medical and emergency dental care at military hospitals and clinics. Inpatient care is covered by FEHBP insurance, but outpatient care is free if it’s performed at facilities in the national capital region, such as Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland or Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the District of Columbia.
This benefit is likely the source of persistent online rumors that all medical care is free for Congress members.

Phil Scott is a New York-based journalist.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ARITHMETIC?

The conventions are over, and Bill Clinton talked about arithmetic, my weakest subject throughout school, but we can never evade arithmetic.

Did you know:
…that Vice President Cheney said, “Deficits don’t matter”? He didn’t do his arithmetic.
…That Bill Clinton left office with a balanced budget and a surplus? He did his arithmetic.

Salary of retired US Presidents .. ………….$180,000 FOR LIFE Plus the cost of lifetime protection.
Salary of House/Senate ……………………$174,000 FOR LIFE-Plus the cost of lifetime health care for all.
Salary of Speaker of the House …………..$223,500 FOR LIFE
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders …… $193,400 FOR LIFE
They do well on their arithmetic when it affects their lifestyle and comfort.

Obama made the banks pay back all of their bailout funds because he did his arithmetic.

But look at this arithmetic:
Average Salary of a teacher …………….. $40,065
Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN…………… $38,000
Average Salary of an NFL Football Player…..$770,000

In the last 10 years High School Sports have become recruiting grounds for professional sports. Maybe we should tie teacher salaries to Sports Salaries? Our schools are expected to pay for sporting programs that are paid for by our taxes, to benefit the pros. But, shoot, what do I know? Arithmetic is my worst subject.

The Securities and Exchange Commission received 300,000 comments asking it to require corporations to disclose their political spending-100,000 more comments than they’ve ever had on any subject. I wonder if the Arithmetic gave them a strong clue?

And, did you know that President Richard Nixon, Averill Harriman and Great Grandaddy Bush are related? They pledged years ago, after Grandaddy Bush lost his bank to the New Deal, to dismantle Roosevelts new society. Well, its taken them awhile but they’ve almost got the job accomplished. Romney and Ryan plan to finish it off for them. They have some interesting arithmetic that changes depending on what speech you listen to.

I wonder why our problems seem so unsolvable? After all, we were the most prosperous society in the world just 35 years ago. What changes turned us into a society on the brink of collapse in just 35 short years? Do the arithmetic.

Count 545 congressional men and women. Taking the entire congress, their average personal wealth is very conservatively estimated, (because they only have to report investments broadly, not exact profits) is 1.4 million, that’s average, and counts new incoming representatives from supposedly a “normal” walk of life.
Some are very wealthy. One percent of Americans are Millionaires. But, in congress, the rate hovers between 40 and 50 percent.
Yup! It is all about arithmetic.

WORLD TRADE IS COMPLICATED (AND NUTS)

Things are far more complicated than they seem, certainly more complicated than I’m capable of imagining.
I try to buy whatever I need made in America and  avoid buying stuff made in China, nearly impossible in my community. We don’t have the variety of shopping options that city people do. And, I’m a solar nut. I love it, I’m delighted that California leads the nation in solar installations and even without taking the subsidies away from big oil, solar is booming. Now, listen to this:
Solar is booming because cheap panels are coming from China. That leads to competition. Solar panels made in the USA, Germany and Japan are still available and China has forced prices down everywhere.  Since we have a trade deficit with China, it is nice to see it benefit us in such a big way.  American installers are doing a brisk business and we are moving toward sustainable energy because  clean technology is almost as cheap as dirty fossil fuels. The US and the European Union are threatening to stifle this breakthrough. So, how?
Both the US and EU give billions in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil and Coal. Do they turn those subsidies to clean energy?  No, they are about to drive solar prices back up by putting tariffs on China and China is threatening to retaliate?  Oh, let’s have a trade war. Who would benefit by hurting the burgeoning, green solar industry?  The oil and coal industry, of course. I’m not saying we don’t need oil, I’m just saying we shouldn’t subsidize it anymore. Why not turn those subsidies into clean energy. The oil companies rake in billions in profits and we still subsidize them?  Enough is enough.
I’d rather see them rescind the whole trade agreement than tariff solar. China has a poor human rights record and they supply us with our own stuff at cheaper prices. I read in Smithsonian Magazine where one expert claims that “Every major company in the United States has already been penetrated by China.”  He also fears they have implanted logic bombs , trapdoors and Trojan horses in our electronics, l that can be activated on command like a cyber-Pearl Harbor attack. That may be fear mongering, but we certainly stand to lose our competitive edge. Our F-35 Bomber technology- important and our early American quilt patterns- irritating.
The farm industry in the U.S. has been facing declining beef and pork consumption in the U.S.  Now, land grabs for grazing land are being taken over to keep beef flowing to Asian countries. Yup!  They take our electronics, steal or buy our technology, and now we export our food to them.
China has a poor human rights and environmental record, and its strategy of flooding the global market with subsidised goods is annoying and costly to jobs. The best thing is not to blame China, but to aggressively entreat our leaders to subsidize US solar manufacturers with cheap loans just like China does. We should learn from their practices.
Experts predict that tariffs could cost 60,0000 US jobs. So, cheaper panels provide more work for people. Forget the tariff. It only sounds like a good answer.
More information:


NYT — “U.S. Slaps High Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels”
Bloomberg – “U.S. Solar Tariffs On Chinese Cells May Boost Prices”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-17/u-s-solar-tariffs-on-chinese-cells-may-boost-prices.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/business/energy-environment/us-slaps-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-panels.html?pagewanted=all

THE LAST DAYS OF SUMMER.

To be a kid again has great appeal. When I first moved to Murphys I swam in the creek until I discovered Murphys had a swimming pool. But, any kid who picks the pool over the creek is missing a great deal of adventure. When my niece from Colorado visited the kids thoroughly enjoyed the creek almost every afternoon.

We’d throw the inner tubes in the back of the truck and head for town. The kids would swim and cool off and make friends with other kids, as kids do so naturally.

Mom was waiting on the bank with a blanket and snacks and drinks.

You can’t pick up pretty rocks, build a dam or a waterfall in the pool.

If you walk far enough upstream, you get a great ride back. Amanda decided to see if she could float under the bridge.

Then younger sister Alyssa got brave enough to try it.

The kids were well entertained by the creek and cheerfully spent hours there.

They even made friends with someone’s dog. You don’t get to throw a ball and swim with a dog in the pool.
I’ll be glad to see the rains come. The weather though still in the 90′s is cooler during the day because the nights are cooler. It stays dark longer. Fall is pushing its way into summer and it is pleasant to reflect on the last days of summer.

LOGGING JAMBOREE

When I visited the Logging Museum, the annual Logging Jamboree was going on.


The driveway up to the museum was lined with big honkin’ pick-up trucks with guys tenderly cleaning and priming their chainsaws. But, lest you think this is all about manly competition, think again.

When I arrived the women’s sawing competition was in full swing.

From start…

…to finish with a guy and a stop-watch standing by.  These gals can cut a mean log. Straight, too. I’ve used a small chain saw for small branches, but never could handle a huge saw like these women do.

The mens elimination rounds were held before I arrived.

The next task was the light-weight axe throwing contest. The competitor tosses the axe at the target. It must stick within a marked zone around the bulls eye, though this is not about accuracy. It is about speed and strength.

Then the competitor races to the target, removes the axe, races back to the starting point and throws again. He races to see how many hits he can make in one minute. The scores were all in the 30′s.

A gray-haired competitor beat some of the  younger loggers.


Speed and agility matter.

The axe doesn’t look light-weight. Axe work is not much in demand for today’s logger, but the thrill of competition is. I’ve attended  the Jamboree other years and a heavier axe is used for accuracy throwing which is done slowly and precisely. All of the events are fun to watch, so if you ever have a chance to view them, the event is held every Labor Day Weekend.

On the way back to Murphys, the Arnold Library was holding its annual book sale. Several thousand  paperbacks and hard covers to choose from, all organized by genre. A great sale to pick-up a “find.”

The Cedar Center in Arnold hosts a crafts fair with about 70 booths. All manner of food, gifts, artwork and what-nots available for sale. The best thing is meeting people you haven’t seen for years.

If your feet get tired, you can take a load off and sit a spell and listen to the music or the comedian crack jokes. Or simply rest and eat your lunch. Hey! Its like one big party wherever you go, something to do and see.

This booth made me wish I had a cute little granddaughter. I had planned  to attend a Mexican Rodeo in Burson on Sunday-there are events all over the county-but I opted to work on my ancient sprinkling system instead. Maybe next year.

THE WHITE PINES LOGGING MUSEUM.

When my niece, Karen, and her husband and children visited for three weeks over our family reunion, I took the kids to the Logging Museum and forgot my camera. Things they liked outside were the pencil sign at the entrance and a truck full of logs.

Cedar was cut for pencils and milled in a different community about 40 miles away.  Mostly ponderosa pine, sugar pine and douglas fir were milled in White Pines.

In fact, this logging truck is very small by today’s standards, but it seemed just right to the kids.  It reminds me of a toy truck.

I find this tree pruner one of the most interesting pieces they have. It goes around and around the tree when fired up. It shaves off small branches, bark and levels the knots so the lumber comes out flawlessly flat and clean.

I didn’t count the outdoor exhibits they have, but they are many. The  chain saw was like  a miracle item for loggers when they were invented.  New chain saws don’t look much like these bristling from a log kiosk.

Some loggers lived in a posh cabin.

The bed doesn’t look that comfortable, but  Western loggers in White Pines had cabins like these available for single men. Families lived in company built housing. Some of those small houses remain in White Pines from the 1930′s.  In other areas of California, loggers shared a bunk house with multiple beds. Meals were provided in a cook house. If a company had good food, they got the best loggers to work for them.
The museum inside is a sunny, beautiful room with a view over White Pines Lake. Rivers and lakes, or even man made ponds were used to move  huge logs into the mill.  The museum has two excellent animated exhibits.

The kids and I liked this  miniature mill with moving men and equipment showing the process of hoisting the logs up out of the pond, processing it from bark removal, to cutting it up, sanding it and stacking clean finished lumber to dry.

A second animated exhibit  shows  moving logs in steep woods. It is accompanied by a video. Logging was dangerous work, and still is.  This exhibit is my favorite.

The museum was jammed yesterday because Tony Bennett gave a concert at Kautz Winery and people came in droves in their suits and ties to see him. (He attracts people from my generation who actually wore suits and ties.) They come for the concert and then stay to enjoy other events like the Logging Museum.

Folks love the mountains and the many events to attend so I didn’t get many pictures of the big tools and huge displays that are here.  I did get pictures of a small portion of the Logging Jamboree which I’ll post tomorrow.  No matter how many times I come here, I leave glad that I stopped for a visit.

Pat Blagen Bradly is a friend of mine from American Field Service 25 years ago. Pat started the Logging Museum, did fund raising, organized the community behind it and wrote grants.  Her Father, Howard Blagen, opened Blagen Mill and  built the community of White Piines. No job is too small for the volunteers. Bathrooms must have toilet paper. More tomorrow.