posted by grannyfiddler at 11:12 AM
Money isn't everything, but it IS SOMETHING. Self-sufficient livng in the bush yielded marginal success. Tried to make it on creative brilliance, but not much lit up. Learned some skills-house painter, rough (read "uses chainsaw")carpenter, etc. Took a 2 year business course at the local college-finance and accounting. And found myself. Numbers are reliable. They always give the same answer-never change their minds, wear out, break, leave or go out of style. If something doesn't add up there's an answer if you patiently look. There is order in the universe! No longer an itinerant fiddler/artist, I'm an accountant with a creative side. Started in a city, moved to a bush cabin, the Yukon, apartment in the city, farm, and back to the city. Through it all yearning for a big yard with trees for the kids to climb, garden, and studio. Bought a run-down, old frame church in a small town, complete with maple trees and raised the last 2 of 4 kids there. The realtor who sold it to me felt guilty selling it to a single mom;he helped renovate. Still one of my best friends. Of course,never finished it while the kids were here - it's nearly complete.
6 Comments:
Sounds as if it was a great conference, those involved are to be commended.
I visited your reference and commented on the last interesting posting.
Best wishes
thanks for the visit LL. the piedmont biofuels folks currently run their operation on waste fat from deep fryers and chicken processing plants... and serve close to 500 coop members with some biofuel left to sell. what's happening with biofuel out your way?
I don't wish to talk about conferences, but about violin students. I used to do the same!
How many of those aspiring musicians do you have?
Sorry to post this here, but since I do not see your e-mail anywhere - I did it anyway (smiles).
In Australia there is only about 5% of the 8,000 plus service stations selling ethanol or biodiesel blends, which are mainly independent small scale fuel providers - as the oil majors are progressing slowly. Consumer confidence is a barrier over concern for ethanol; an ill founded concern E10will damage modern day engines.
Strategies are being implemented to increase demand with more information dissemination; marketing, tax and excise incentives and simplification of list of vehicles able to run on theses fuels, together with options for encouraging future capital investment in alternatives.
Currently however Australia's policy differs to Europe and America and other nations who actively promote the production and use of biofuels. Australia remains concerned over the intended and unintended consequences of increases in the grain price, and the impacts for human and livestock food supplies if a significant shift were to occur in agriculture in the production of bio fuels as has happened recently in the USA with the soaring price of grain.
Best wishes
Zee- the numbers fluctuate constantly... i currently have about a dozen students of varying ages, dedication and promise. as it's a very small community in so very many ways, the really marvelous ones are hard to come by, but there are always a few bright sparks. this year's batch range in age from 7 to mid 40's. you used to teach violin?
there's no email, as i'm presently posting from the office... will update the site, info, etc soon.
Lindsay - we have no gov't programs worth mentioning in alberta to support ANY sort of alternative energy. this is PETROLEUM country, doncha know, boy? (sigh) the biofuel conferences are put on by the local agriculture extension fellow, and attended mostly by people looking for ways to minimize their dependence on oil companies. despite the fact that huge quantities of oil are produced here, it's all sent by pipeline across the continent both east and south, to be processed, so gas prices here are high. interestingly, northern Alberta has the higest per capita record for inventions, patents, etc. in the country. we're do-it-yourself-ers. there are vast quantities of canola grown here, and canola oil makes high grade biofuel. it's well understood here that biofuel can't completely replace current gas/diesel usage for all the reasons i'm sure you're aware of, but as a locally produced product, accessible to the small scale producer, it has great promise.
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