Poll -- Straight Out Of Left Field -- September 2, 2015

The three most recent polls are completed; results posted elsewhere (tag: Poll).

This next poll is way out in left field, as they used to say. But there is a reason I'm posting it.

In the current pricing AND political environment, should Bakken operators simply suspend all fracking operations until next summer?

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Jack Kemp's Weekly Data Has Been Posted

Over at twitter; great graphics. I won't re-post/link. Easy to follow over at Twitter.

Several data points:

• US gasoline consumption edged down for the 4th week as driving season winds down, but still almost 500,000 bopd greater than 2014;
• US gasoline stocks still high but closer to 5-year average; 4 million bbls over 2014; 8 million bbls over 10-year seasonal average;
• US gasoline stocks almost exactly (but slightly below 10-year average) in line with 22.4 days worth of consumption;
• propane stocks hit another record;
• California finally getting some relief: west coast refinery throughout well above average at 150,000 bopd above 2014-level; and,
• California finally getting some relief: west coast gasoline stocks rise almost 1 million bbls; reverse decline from the previous week; still 1.5 million bbls below 10-year average.

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For The Granddaughters

Sometimes it is amazing how things turn out. I have pretty much gotten through my Santa Fe Railroad; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Grand Canyon; Fred Harvey girls; Mary Colter phase. I have plans to return to Santa Fe next summer; very excited to return after reading books on all the above in the past few weeks. I am ready to move on. But ... not so fast.

Coincidentally, this past weekend my son-in-law / daughter flew to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to attend a wedding. My daughter brought back a gift for me: softcover, Peggy Pond Church's The House at Otowi Bridge: The Story of Edith Warner and Los Alamos, c. 1959, and later.

It's a small book; I assume I could read it in one evening. But the story and the writing is so good that I will read a bit each day, probably no more than three to six pages, not even a whole chapter, so that I can make it last.

Interestingly enough -- and that's why I started this note out as "it is sometimes amazing how things turn out." I might not have enjoyed this book as much had I not just been through my Santa Fe phase. This little biography is almost like a small piece of chocolate dessert following a large meal.

It is "fun" to see the little details that I would have missed had I had not read the other books first. For example, early on in the book it helped -- or at least made the story that much more enjoyable -- to know the relationship between the Santa Fe railroad, the city of Santa Fe, and the town of Lamy. Next summer I will get to see for myself that relationship. I can hardly wait.