We Were Warned

Five bucks for a gallon of gas has been a long time coming.  It's not like Americans were not warned 'cause we were.  There was every opportunity to trade in gas guzzlers for energy efficient transportation whether four wheels or two.  And if you couldn't afford that it was also possible to sell your wheels and walk or ride a bike, or even ride public transportation.  Lots of choices. 

We've had a trip planned to the Grand Canyon for quite some time.  Five buck a gallon diesel (or more) has made us think twice.  Pay dearly to tow the travel trailer for a couple thousand miles or think about the options to get to the Grand Canyon.  Like fly.  Like take the bus (groan).  Ride the train.  Or instead put the money that would have been used to work elsewhere . . .like feeding the poor in Africa, donating to the local homeless shelter....and so on. 

No doubt we're driving less.  Wifey's SUV eats around 18 miles a gallon.  The 1 ton pickup of mine gets 22 - 24 mph on the highway (unloaded and not pulling the trailer) all thanks to an energy efficient diesel that's turbocharged.   Nothing to rave about but still better than average for a pickup that size.

Staying home is really like a vacation.  There's two national parks, one 10 minutes to the west and the other about 30 minutes east of Cowtown.  The sailboat is moored in a lake 13 miles away.  There are mountains to hike, streams to traverse, backpacking opportunities galore.  If I were a fisherman there's been a fish for dinner most every night.  You get the picture.  Staying home is not so bad...not like we're living in the big city.

There is either a hybrid or electric car in the not so distant future for us.  It's just a matter of time and gasoline running 10 bucks a gallon.  Think I'm kidding?