Rev. Craig Blankenship did not fill his regular [and final] appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. Church as he had come down with Dr. Fauci’s gain of function virus which he apparently caught while at annual conference. The “liberal churchmen’, in addition to talking about new & ” enlightened” interpretation of scripture, which by the way, causes church schism, also, apparently, spread about viruses at the conference. Misery for this world as well as for the next.
There has been a change in the weather and hay harvest has resumed and the seed tops of most grass have now turned brown. Black eyed susans, butterfly weed and milkweed are all in bloom now. The latter two are of great assistance and benefit for monarch butterflies, an insect that, at least in some cases, migrates. One can now inhale the musky smell of the Chinese chestnut trees. There are lots of fawns and some bucks are in the velvet. Elderberries continue to bloom so, hopefully, there will be a bountiful crop. They make fine pies and tasty jelly. With the promoted and almost promised “food shortage” folks need to take care of their own families.
The ruling junta has made it clear that they intend to have farmers “farm green”. That apparently means using high priced fertilizer, high dollar diesel, etc. A family member noted that a friend of hers farms 10,000 acres of corn in the midwest and is also a demonstrator for John Deere farm equipment. The John Deere lady called the farmer to tell him that this year they intended to use all electric tractors, combines, etc during the harvest. He advised the lady that some of his land was 20 miles away from the main farm facility. He noted that when the weather cooperated the operation went on 24/7 and fuel trucks filled up the combine(s), trucks, etc. When asked how one would charge a combine in the middle of the field she said that she didn’t know but would get back with him.
The folks at Shade Tree, the Creston eatery noted that they cannot obtain various items that they routinely use such as 10″ pizza crusts, onion petals, etc. The suppliers all note that things are going to get worse. It was noted that their blackberry ice cream was worth a visit, just for that.
It has become clear that the educational system has been taken over by those who intend to destroy America. Locally, it was noted that the nonsense about pronouns and “gender fluidity” is pushed & up in Minnesota, that is run by the DFL [Democrat Farmer Labour Party], one cannot get a teaching license unless one can explain Marxist views.
Local residents were among those who attended the W. Va. State Folk Festival in Glenville. There was lots of excellent music with many young musicians taking over for the legends who have now passed. Carole Runner Menefee was the Wirt County belle & she made Wirt County proud. Her ancestor, Grant Merrill lived and farmed on the ridge near the head of Mile Run, just upstream from Creston. Jim Bonnett noted that he used to play the fiddle at Creston. Addy Bumgardner was the Junior Belle representing Wirt County.
Greylock, formerly called Pacific States Gas & Oil, Eastern American Energy Corp. & Energy Corporation of America has wells locally. Some years back the operation was moved to Denver but then that office was closed. Now the firm has operations in Utah & Wyoming in the Unitah & Green River basins.
It was learned that Brian Miller has acquired the wells formerly operated by W. E. & E. M. Smith and Smith & Barker.
While firms are leasing Utica in Ohio for a bonus of $5,500/ acre & 20% royalty one outfit is trying to obtain acreage in W. Va. for $2,500/acre & 15%, likely net royalty and, probably, binding arbitration. The out of state boys know that W. Va.’s “leaders” do not look after their citizens but cozy up to those who “contribute”. There is more lease activity now ,it would seem, perhaps some to provide natural gas for the proposed Nucor steel mill that is to come to Mason County.
“To save the planet” folks some years back were told they could no longer heat their home and cook with coal and now coal fired power plants are being shut down to be replaced with wind mills, solar panels and, apparently, pixie dust. All this, again, was to “save the world’. W. Va.’s coal counties are now disaster zones. Total US coal production now is just 600 million tons/year. However, next year China intends to produce an additional 300 million tons and India 400 million tons so that Inda will use 1.2 billion tons of coal & China 4.4 billion tons. Both countries do not want to have rolling blackouts to shut down industrial production. It should be obvious that the real intent of the green weenies is to destroy America and promote the folks that lined son Hunter’s pockets. Our rulers have now made it clear that they do not want us driving and do not want goods shipped by means that use hydrocarbons. Perhaps they think that the old canal boats that were pulled by horses would do the trick — there is one up at Coshocton Ohio on a small maintained section of the old canal system. The fundamental transformation that the Big Eared One pushed requires that the citizens be poor, then become subjects instead of citizens who have an input.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude is $116.58/bbl. with condensate [super mountain high test] fetching $102.58/bbl. while Marcellus & Utica light is $107.58 & medium $116.58/bbl. It was reported that natural gas dropped to $6.94/mmbtu.
