Stop and Go

Well its been a few weeks...my apologies. I've been writing, just not publicly. Since we last spoke I have been to a couple of rigs in Fort Worth, Texas (currently America's number 1 producing natural gas field). I have also been to Nacogdoches, The oldest town in Texas...so they say. They do have an impressive brick laden downtown in Nacogdoches and they are home to Stephen F. Austin University.

But I want to talk about the Red & Green machine. To some of my readers this term conjures up high school memories of ashy green elbows, red hair, large craniums and even bigger bosoms (if you don't know, don't ask). But I'm currently working in Bossier City, Louisiana. Close to Shreveport and part of Caddo Parish. The formation here is called the Haynesville Shale and it produces an extreme amount of gas very quickly. It is also a red hot patch in the oilfield. Besides Texas, there is more active drilling in Northern Louisiana than any other area in the US...but the Northeast's Marcellus Shale is nipping at their heals (more to come on the Marcellus later in the week).

The official colors of Louisiana are prbably purple and gold thanks to the LSU Tigers but let's take a look at the pervasive red culture in ole Louisianne...Crawfish are red...and delicious. If you've driven in Louisiana you are well aware of the red clay that cakes your wheels after a good rain. The Casino signs, much like the liquor store signs, are big, bold and red. The Red River runs through most of Louisiana producing most of the aforementioned red clay. You will regularly see truck beds craddling fishing rods and reels as the anglers go after Redfish. From Houston to Shreveport you must pass through a nice, little town called Redland (which has the coolest 1940's style drive-in movies theatre I've ever seen). I also hit a cardinal in Redland, which is colloquially referred to as a Red-Bird. Which reminds me that Louisiana is home to roadkill restaurants. There is a lot of red shed on the thouroghfares of Louisiana but they don't waste it. All roadkill ingenuity aside, for many years, especially since Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana's budget has been in the red. I even brainstormed this blog in Red ink.

So I've been thinking about Red lately. Psychologically most people associated Red with either Black or Green. Seeing as our economy won't be in the black anytime soon and I love Christmas, I'll stick with Green. As I see red all around me my system is shocked into meditating on all the green things there are. It's nearly May and the grass is getting greener. Tax season is finished and hopefully we get a little more green back...doubtful as it may be. I too have been watching the market. As natural gas prices slowly sink and supply increases natural gas becomes a more affordable resource and cleaner, "greener" source of energy than coal or crude oil imported from Russia. Sounds like NG is a sound investment. The Wall Street Journal agrees. With natural gas supply at record highs in the US and millions of acres left to be explored, I believe we need to develop natural gas vehicles and use the resources that we have at home. Gas is not as clean as solar or wind energy but it could be a profitable gateway resource that will create jobs and energy for our citizens for many decades to come. Just as T. Boone Pickens.

As the sun heats up we can all feel the red setting in...go get that green, y'all. Either way keep the pace and mind the traffic lights or else those bubble-gum lights will git ya.

-rf