Happy 4th of July

The bird house in my backyard has been a busy place this spring. I built the house out of scrap wood about two years ago, so it's nice to see it getting used. Two sparrows laid six eggs in one nest. I don't know how they keep track of who's chicks are who's, but the two mothers have been feeding them non-stop, one after the other, since they hatched last week. The babies are growing fast and make lots of noise when one of the mothers comes by with food. They are very protective too, and I have seen them attack chipmunks and squirrels for getting too close.

This week I've been watching the stock market drop and reading news about what is causing the price of oil to rise. I'm on the side that believes that oil prices are being manipulated by speculators. If it was a demand problem, the price would have gone up more gradually. The analysts who came out this week and said that gas was going to be $7 per gallon soon, should be investigated. Saying something like that just causes fear, which is another form of market manipulation. I also heard someone say that it doesn't matter how much we cut back in this country, it isn't going to change anything, because the demand from other countries is the problem. That just makes those of us who are cutting back right now feel like our efforts are a waste of time. If gas ever does go to 7 bucks, only the rich will be driving, and the rest of us will be trying to get rid of our cars.