I am beginning to see signs that peak oil is sneaking up on us here in Maine. We are dependent on supplies of petroleum just to keep our house warm and get around. We cut our own wood to heat our house, but I like to have that oil burner so that we don't have to stoke the woodstove constantly.

Most people did not lock in to heating oil this year because they ended up paying more than it was worth last year. This year the price may go back up by the end of the winter. We'll see. We locked in. Hard to tell what the smart thing to do is. I figure that even if we pay a dime or so more per gallon, it's cheap insurance.

My truck is getting 29 miles per gallon when I do a lot of highway driving. It's a 4 cylinder Ranger and it seems to be working out well. I use it for pickup things about 4 times a week. I am worried about the onset of peak oil and what it will do around here. Most people are driving around in cars and trucks that get around 10 or 15 mpg. They will become very difficult to sustain soon.

Maine has a tradition of self-reliance, and maybe we'll make it through.