Before starting in on factual complaints...must share gratitude for the lovely mural which I've been watching. Here's how it looked Mon. evening.
Again I was along in this lane, with a red light ahead of me, so I did the slow down and snap routine.
Love the darker turquoise background! I will see what happens the next time I get a chance to drive by. OK I admit, I do sometimes go out of my way a bit. Lots of us Black Mountainers know some short cuts to avoid the light in the center of town, which goes through a long cycle that's even longer if the pedestrians have pushed for a cross walk light.
Here's the little gas station, and yes, on Tues afternoon, I captured the mural also. Looks pretty much the same though!

Energy Pricing:
I must whine a bit right now. I drive an older Toyota, with a 10 gallon gas tank, or maybe 10.5. The other day I filled it up, and it cost $40. The price had been 4.69, but I had coupons for 15 cents off a gallon...and there I was. Liquid gold it has been called before. And I feel for the big SUV's with big gas guzzler engines!
I posted in my facebook account that Heather Coxe Richardson had given a good synopsis of what's happening with the US gas prices.
"What appears to be driving U.S. gas prices is the pressure investors are putting on oil companies, whose officers answer to their investors. Limited production creates higher prices that are driving record profits. In a March 2022 survey of 141 U.S. oil producers asking them why they were holding back production, 59% said they were under investor pressure. Only 6% blamed “government regulations” for their lack of increased production."
And I remember many a day and night in the last month when I could have windows open to cool mountain air until around 10 am, then closed them for the next 8 hours. Thus my elec. bill was $43. It will likely be higher now that I'm hermetically sealed and air conditioned...I'm so grateful!
Gun control
The there's the gun problem...another facebook post...
Our idiot representatives in government have some stop-gap gun-purchasing measures that will pass probably. They are not anything like this. Nor like the way the UK or Australia, or who knows what other countries are doing WHO DO NOT HAVE EXTREME GUN VIOLENCE KILLING CITIZENS AND CHILDREN!
I'm so ashamed of us. We have such a good idea, a democracy. We are so far from living up to the standards which are possible for us.
I avoid spending money because I want to be economical and get the best deals.
But I also want a recliner to replace my love seat. The love seat is an overstuffed brown leather. It's really comfy for just sitting back and relaxing. I advertised on my local group of FB to give it away, but that 2 strong people would have to carry it out and down 4 steps and 50 feet to the parking lot. I didn't have a single person interested!
The loveseat had been freely given by a friend, and I'd love to send it to another home free as well.
So no recliner at this point.
I am thrilled that this last weekend we had cooler weather come through our mountains. Nights were so cool I turned my little split heater on. I imagined a cat curled next to me, to no avail!
I also need to get on the phone to all my medical providers to get statements sent to me for use as a deduction on my rent (a subsidized situation which makes it affordable!)
Today's quote:
It's like, at the end, there's this surprise quiz: Am I proud of me? I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth what I paid? -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936)