a day of goodbyes

Jenny (in striped top)


Jack at the bar.


Scott pre-Canada.

Today was a strange day of goodbyes. At lunchtime we went to the Castle of Comfort near Priddy to see Jack and Jenny before they return to Australia. This evening we went to Wick St Lawrence for a surprise birthday/seeing him off to Canada party for Scott. I first met Scott's mum and dad back in Leysin Switzerland in 1987 - quite by chance they now live under half an hour away.

This long distance travelling which has become quite commonplace over the last 20 years or so will be an early victim of Peak Oil. Our kids will be amazed at how easy it used to be to get from one place to another, and how quickly. The idea of families occupying two different counties let alone two different nations will seem incredible.

So, as I said to Scott I'll say it to you - make the most of these easy and incredibly cheap times, because it will never be so easy (or cheap!) again. Scott is off to Canada for six months. It'll do him the world of good.

I do hope that an international network of railways continues to link Europe (and hopefully beyond) once the cars and planes have gone. I hope there is enough civilization to allow our descendants to still travel a little, so that groups of people do not become insular, resort to racism or socialism or mad religion. I worry that a lot of what we've gained socially and politically on the back of cheap oil will be lost, but perhaps not. Much of the world is still uncivilized, but that hasn't stopped us from being decent people. But we need to be making the big adjustment to a post-oil world now, five year's time may be too late, ten year's will definitely be.

With the demise of socialist dinosaurs like George Bush and Tony Blair perhaps we do still have that window of opportunity.