Silver Prices, or The Artisan Gambler

My supply of silver wire is dwindling. I probably have enough to last me until spring of 2011, especially at my production rate, but therefore lies my conundrum. What will the price of silver be in 2011? Has anybody else googled forecasts? The price right now is higher than it has been all year. Will it drop again or will it continue climbing?
The best (meaning forecasts for dummies) forecast I've read so far was Scotiabanks. They laid it out in very understandable terms and this is what I took from it:
Silver is a precious metal, albeit a cheap precious metal, and is used as a good investment in tough economic times or as a hedge for inflation. Therefore, it will be high at the moment, until the economy has a sustained recovery.
Silver is used for many new electronic applications. Because of the economic downturn, demand for these electronics is lower than usual, but as the economy recovers, so will the demand for these new electronics.
The production of silver has been lower than the demand since 2008. Because of the recession, this has not been a supply/demand thing causing higher prices, but as demand increases, it will.
My conclusion: I'm going to buy as much silver now as I can afford. The last time I faced this dilemma, silver was $17 and change. It rose steadily, dropped drastically for a short time and jumped right back even higher than before. I had bought it at the $17 price, which didn't make me as smart as anyone who waited for the sudden drop, but they are better gamblers than me.
Let's check back in a year to see if I made the right decision!

Open publication - Free publishing - More wire wrap

Friends & Random Acts

No, the picture is not recent, it's from the snowstorm of winter 2008.
I hate winter, hate short daylight, having to wear boots and a coat, hate the horrible squeaky sound snow makes when it's really cold and hate bare trees.  But I love the people around me in this little village, year-round.
My ice house has a furnace and its own oil tank.  The oil business is highly regulated here and tanks are inspected when new and tagged with an expiry date.  The store tank is good for another few years but the ice house tank expired in 2009 and had to be replaced.  I procrastinated because it had enough oil to last until this spring and I didn't want to shell out the $1500 it would cost to replace it and have another one installed, inspected and tagged.  And standing in the store talking to people, it came up in conversation occasionally.
Neil comes in for coffee every morning and we talk about everything under the sun, mostly about how hard he works and how sore his back is.  He knew of a tank that was fairly new and should be available, so he'd check with Brian, up the road.  Next thing I knew, the tank was delivered, installed and ready for oil.  Neil and Harry picked it up, delivered it, dug up the old one, laid gravel and a concrete base, scrounged up some proper oil tubing and installed the whole thing.  He won't accept a cent.  He won't even let me give him free coffee in the mornings, throws the money at me and leaves it on the counter if I won't take it.  Brian won't take a cent for the tank or the tubing.  He just laughs and says, "what goes around, comes around; you'll do something for someone else."  And I will.
People like Neil and Brian practice true kindness, not expecting kudos or anything in return, just the quiet satisfaction of doing something nice for someone else.  In this case it was a big something but so many people here do small somethings in the same way.  When they say to you, "Let me know if there's anything I can do," they mean it.  I'm very humbled by the kind of friends I have, and hope that not only do I deserve them, but that I'm never the shore where those ripples of kindness stop.

Oh Dear, Who will predict my love life now?

Paul is dead.  Der Tintenfisch, the famous German octopus that predicted the World Cup winners is dead.  Of course they have replaced him, but it's along the lines of replacing Wiarton Willie, the groundhog who tells us every year we're going to get another six weeks of winter, or not.   This is Canada - on February 2nd, we are going to get another six weeks of winter.  Always. 
The original Willie was pretty good at predicting the weather, or maybe he just played the odds better than the replacement Willies.  The original Paul the Octopus had such an amazing talent for eating the winning team during the World Cup series that an Argentine chef posted octopus recipes on Facebook and Paul received death threats.  People do seem to take the World Cup very seriously.   Odds of his choices being blind luck are 256 to 1.   According to Wikipedia, "Paul's apparent success was considered to be comparable to a run of luck when tossing a coin. This connection has been made by Professor Chris Budd of the University of Bath, Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University, and Etienne Roquain of Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris."  Others got involved as well, scientists, aquarists, lecturers and lots and lots of media.  Theories have abounded about the cause of his amazing predictions. 
Isn't it amazing that so many people with so many credentials had the time and inclination to take a psychic octopus seriously?  News of his death has been covered worldwide. 
Am I the only one who thinks there is something very humorous about this whole picture?
I wonder if there has ever been a psychic Jack Russell?

Gemstone Nugget Bracelet

Oh, I had an awful time with these beautiful gemstones.  I strung them on a temporary wire and tried about four different ways of stringing them and nothing seemed to do them justice. 
I don't even remember what made me decide to simply use rings between the nuggets.  Once the decision was made, it was a matter of finding and making enough big rings to use.  Some are hammered to be flat on the outside and some are hammered square.  Some are just left round.

I like them this way!  The nuggets came from MiGems and I was so thrilled when they came; aahhh, pretties.....
They are amethyst, rose quartz and aquamarine nuggets and I still have some left to fondle.
The bracelet is up on my Artfire shop and I hope  everybody else thinks these stones are as gorgeous as I do.  Did I tell you how much I love stones?

Looking For That Special Christmas Present For Your Dog?

Yes, I'm a dog lover.  And yes, my dogs have clothes.  But their outfits can't hold a candle to the ones created by Holly on Spoiled Bratzwear.  Until now, Dewey and Twice have only worn utilitarian coats to protect them from the freezing wind or the rain, but now that I've seen what the best-dressed dogs wear, they could be in for some embarrassing surprises. 
Even Holly says that she creates some of her outfits with a giggle.  The chocolate and pink outfit on the right would require me to be much better dressed than I am at 6 in the morning, walking them down the country road.  No way am I going to walk dogs that are better dressed than I am.






How about walking a little elf?  You'd certainly start your day (and anyone who saw you) with a smile, but I think the big, sad eyes on this little elfkin say it all.
And I try not to anthropomorphize my dogs, but I know darned well they can feel embarrassed.  

Nah, I think an outfit like this is more my dogs' style.  Warm, comfortable, and not requiring an owner wearing high-heeled boots. 

Seriously, whether you want to show off the best-dressed dog in the city, or just find a vendor that actually makes jungle print No-Leak belly bands for male dogs, check out Spoiled Bratzwear on Artfire.

And for those who want an update, Twice is completely herself when she is, and obviously failing when she isn't.  She's very happy, sleeps most of the time and still jumps up and down in true Jack Russell fashion at treat time.  She's a tough little lady.

My Lunchroom Sign

I've been meaning to post a picture of this sign for months and keep forgetting to take a camera out to the store.   We sell hot dogs and sausages from a roller grill at lunch time and have a little bar top for the condiments.  I found this sign in Charlottetown (actually Anne found it and insisted I buy it) and it was perfect for the wall over the lunch area.
Those who get it, love it as much as I do.