USA Pays Exxon For Oil Spill

Almost 20 years ago Exxon spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince william Sound. Since then their their punitive damages of 5.2 *billion* dollars awarded by a lower court was reduced to 2.5 billion dollars in 1994. Now the US Supreme Court has reduced the 2.5 billion dollars to a mere 507.5 *million* dollars. That’s probably less than what the *lawyers* involved have been paid to date! The damage resulting from the spill *remains* visible and damaging to the entire ecosystem, and to peoples livelihood around the affected area. The damage done will last for many more years, and maybe forever.

This Supreme Court decision amounts to another huge *windfall* for Exxon that substantially adds to their $40,000,000,000 *profit* at the expense of US citizens. I believe this windfall is a direct result of the President’s act of *appointing* a majority of strong Republican judges, of like mind, to the Supreme Court.

The Cost of Cherries in Oliver

My topic today is twofold with one glaring commonality . . . too much money for too little benefit. Yesterday I took my Pontiac Firebird to an auto service company in Oliver in order to have the air conditioner repaired. The forecast this week is for a temperature of around 40 degrees Celcius. Yesterday after I left the automotive place, I was happy to have cool air in the car . . . especially for Cisco because it is *really* too hot for him. Today, another hot day, I was greeted with *no* cool air in the vehicle. So back to the service outlet. My new estimate to now fix the compressor was more than $1000.00 dollars. No way can I afford that. I now have a car with no air and I am $215.00 poorer for the work that was completed on the car yesterday.

On the way back to my motorhome I stopped for a few groceries. I walk out of the grocery store with one plastic bag that cost $28.04. What hurt was that I had purchased only 250 grams of Hungarian Sausage at a cost of $6.59 and a small amout of cherries at a cost of $5.48/Kg. The cost of the cherries worked out to (yes, I counted the cherries) 11 cents *each*! And this is the middle of orchard country! And there was no freight charge! And the grower delivered the cherries to the store personally (a distance of approximately one mile)! The grower was in the store at the same time I was and he was amazed at the markup!

Oliver Bluegrass Weekend

This weekend, with nice *hot* weather, was great for the annual Oliver Bluegrass Weekend. It was not a very popular event but for a cost of $10, for the three day event, it certainly provided value for money. Below are some pictures taken last Friday.

Psalm 1

Yesterday (Father’s Day) I felt ‘down’, so I composed a psalm and felt better. Here it is:

PSALM 1

My love is yours.
Expounded to nature it lies silent,
while I cloy in the temporary possession of natures exposition,
and drink of your creations with happiness and pleasures.

My love for Aggie overflows,
Even more now since you welcomed her to be with you;
to a dwelling place of bliss.
I listen with a sense of loss
and a sense that she is still with me.

My love is held out to others;
for acceptance or rejection.
Politely, mostly unknowingly, it is.
I am an Exile.

I give my imperfect love to you;
in prayer, with devotion and gratitude.
I am comforted as you embrace me.
Aimless, I am recalled from my exile.

Oliver Is NOT Pet Friendly

My stay in Oliver is now approaching 10 months. I have found it to be a very nice place to live, but if a person has a pet, I found that Oliver is certainly *not* a pet friendly place. Almost *all* available apartments or other rental places have a “no pets” policy. Alternative accommodation available . . . either purchasing a house or a condominium, is out of site cost wise. Most, if not *all*, lots that are for sale, are priced between 200 and 400 thousand dollars.

Recently a friendly St. Bernard dog was shot in the face by a farmer, in front of the owner, because the farmer interpreted the dog’s loud bark as threatening. Yeah, sure . . . what St. Bernard dog doesn’t have a loud bark? His other “excuse” was that coyotes and dogs were killing his chickens.

Recently after walking my dog (Cisco), as I do seven or eight times a day, and as I was walking back to the RV Resort, carrying my dog’s poop in a bag, a woman drove by and loudly and angrily yelled “Where’s your bag?” Had I been able to think faster, or if she was driving slower, I might have thrown the bag though her open window.

In the Yukon I have never seen a hotel, or motel, or campground or any other accomodation that was not pet friendly. In fact “pet friendly” *signs* are frequently visible everywhere. I am fortunate that the ‘Desert Gem RV Resort’, where Cisco and I are staying with my motorhome, *is* pet friendly.

On the positive side; I have *many* good friends in Oliver and in Osoyoos, and in August, when I return to the Yukon, I will miss them *very* much. Also on a positive note, I will be happy to see my Yukon friends again.

In August, after my cancer chemotherapy treatment is completed, I will be returning to the Yukon. At *this* time I don’t know when, or if, I will return to Oliver.

Cisco