Day Twelve...

NEWS FLASH! Today started out dark. No, really, it was not really as dark as it could have been, because we were just one day past the full moon, and when I went out to get the paper, I did not even need the lights on the house (or the flashlight) because the moon was still very bright. You might ask yourself why I need the lights on, or why I bother to carry a flashlight...well, it is because I have to walk about 150 yards to get the paper, and there are coyotes around here. Sometimes they wake us up at night howling, which is pretty cool, and sometimes when I go for the paper, the flashlight catches their eyes anywhere from 100 feet away to several hundred feet away. You never can be too careful in the dark and in the country.

I left early to go to College Station, home of Texas A&M University and the George H W Bush Presidential Library.l I was there for an Instructors conference, and there were four or five general topics to be covered, all having to do with housing in the state of Texas. The economic forecast was REALLY, REALLY gloomy. The speaker, a very well respected economist in the State, was less than encouraging, and he was the first speaker. Some of the other speakers contradicted his theories and forecasts (just a little bit), but there is no doubt, we most likely have not hit bottom yet. The good news is, no matter what the government says, we did not just get into this recession, so we are most likely further along towards a recovery than one would estimate.

The trips there and back were very nice, mainly on rural roads with very little traffic, just the way I like it in my advancing years. Bad thing was the sun was directly in my face both ways.

So, now go do something nice for someone...and after this conference today, I really think the nicest thing you can do for anyone is to go spend some money. PLEASE, go buy a major appliance or something. I can't do this all by myself!