I like the number 13. I’ve been keeping my eye on the water level in the creek. We had rain these few days but nothing major to cause it to rise too much. Gas prices went over the $4/gal mark. It’s $4.15 yesterday when I got gas for the lawnmower. Well, my hobby became a tad more expensive now – since I use premium gas for my flying machine. Come to think of it – many things that I like have become slightly more  expensive! Then I remembered reading that cocoa prices have risen as well. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate and they too are slightly more expensive in stores these days. Sure it’s inflation but looking broadly, corn, wheat, rice prices has increased, so has soybeans. I also like Yeo’s brand of soy milk but they are expensive if and when I do find them here locally. So that got me to think about sugar. I used loads of sugar for my coffee – like 4-5 big teaspoons heap of it for 1 regular size cup, that is why I also use and love condensed milk which is FAR sweeter.  Condensed milk price has also increased in the store. I have not seen Sugar cane drinks here but I love to drink sugar cane juice fresh from the cane itself. They will run the cane through a mill-like tabletop machine which squeezes the juice into the cup – foamy and sweet – yum! So..figures show sugar prices hasn’t exactly increased as much as some of the other commodites, relatively speaking – but it would, wouldn’t it? I’ve not heard much of ethanol derived from sugar here but it’s in place in other countries. If oil and corn prices keep going up as they do now, surely, they’d look to sugar as an alternative and I’m sure I’ll hear more about it. I’m (and most other people) not getting much for the same amount of money these days. It’s depressing and we in the Midwest are still under threat for more flooding. But it’s Friday (rainy and dark) and I’m happy that the week is over. I am looking forward to going to Yorktown, IN for their Summer Heat event this weekend which includes hot air balloons; maybe I can fly with the balloons – that would be so awesome!