trading, friday sept 14

Bought FXI oct 146 put for $4.60  as a play on
China raising its rate 0.27 %.The FXI index has
had a strong run of about $30 since mid Aug and may 
be due for a pull back soon...The SYNA oct 45 call
was stopped out this morning for a 29% loss.This is
why I don't like using hard stops as the stock gapped
down on market opening but has now run up higher...

trading, thursday sept 13

Opened two new long positions. Took First Solar FSLR oct 110 calls
@ 5.70 as a play on high oil prices. Added to DIA oct 132 put position
with a put @ 2.50 bringing the basis to 3.38.

Also took Synaptics SYNA oct 45 calls @ 2.25.Synaptics Inc., makes
touch pads and other products for electronic devices. Bear Stearns
analyst Andrew J. Neff, who has a $60 target price on Synaptics
stock, said it appears that Apple Inc. is using Synaptics technology
in its new iPod nano and iPod classic models,an affirmation of the
company's technology. The company is also making progress in the
mobile phone market, he said.

SYNA http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070912/synaptics_analyst_note.html?.v=1
FSLR http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=fslr

trading, wed sept 12

Sold IBB oct 85 calls for 0.90, basis 0.50 for 80% gain. Also added to the USO jan 58 put position (paid 3.00) with oil hitting
a new high of $80 per barrel today.

REUTERS: FOREX-Dollar sinks to 15-year low ahead of Fed decision Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:42am ET

By Vivianne Rodrigues

NEW YORK, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The dollar dropped to a 15-year low against a basket of currencies for the fifth day on Thursday as investors braced for a deluge of data on Friday and an expected Federal Reserve interest rate cut next week.

The greenback also fell to record lows versus the euro and a three-decade trough against the Canadian currency, although it recovered some of those losses after almost a week of declines.

A falling dollar "has been the strong trend for the past few days, ever since we got the payrolls number. The market is now pricing in the fact that what we are seeing in financial markets ... is probably going to be a lot more negative for the U.S. economy than economies elsewhere," said Adarsh Sinha, currency strategist at Barclays Capital.

"We think that further (dollar) weakness is likely ahead."

trading, monday sept 10, high oil & USO

With oil up about 2% today the USO jan 58
puts are looking good at 3.50 which is  what
I bought in at to start a position.

trading, monday sept 10, sold XOM

Bought IBB oct 85 call for 0.50.Have an order to double down on the AAPL oct 140 position with a limit order for 5.00.

The DIA puts are doing a great job of hedging the portfolio as it is
now showing a net loss of only 0.3 %

XOM puts are up 60% ,  need to think about taking profit...

Sold XOM oct 85 puts for 3.40 for gain of 70% with thanks
to Phil Davis of  http://philstockworld.com/ who wrote on thursday Sept 6/07  :

"Oil prices are at their month’s high at $76.40 ahead of inventories today and ZMan and I will adress the nation at about 10:25 on Market News First with our live energy report so tune in for that nonsense. Projections are for a smaller drawdown (about 1M barrels net) than last week’s massive draw but this will give us our first real indication of how summer driving season is winding down. As I mentioned earlier in the week, this is the last harruh for demand before the big fall drop-off so they’d better get a good one.

Last week in our newscast, ZMan and I made call plays on the XOM $85 calls, the VLO $70 calls (and ‘09 $75 leaps), the TSO $50s and the XLE $70s, all of which doubled by Friday and on Tuesday I was back on MN1 calling a top and looking for a reversal of that position to the put side so we’ll see if we can have our cake and eat it too. Right now, our biggest member position is the XOM Oct $85 puts at $2.31, a position we rolled to after an unsatisfactory few days holding the Sept $85 puts."

trading, thoughts for monday sept 10

One ETF that has been strong compared to the market is the biotech index fund IBB.Thinking about adding IBB with a oct 80 put, oct 85 call strangle which would gain more to the downside....

trading, friday sept 7

After the Non Farmroll employment figures came in showing a substantial decline I doubled down on the DIA oct 132 puts. Was pleased to see how well they worked as hedge against the AAPL 140 call position which was taking a beating as the market fell.Thinking about doulbling down on the AAPL position as well to bring the basis lower yet....

Chick Stuffie at the fair

We visted the Cowichan Fall Fair today on southern Vancouver Island and this is one of the photo's we took.The fall fair has been running since 1867 and is one of the oldest in Canada. It is well known for the vintage farm equipment that is often shown in operation.

Nubian Goat Couple

McCormick-Deering Tractor (link for PDF Catalogue)

Note hand crank in front of the engine....the title link is to an original McCormick catalogue.

Cowichan Fall Fair Horse team on Sept 8

morning trades

Used the pullback in Apple to double down on my AAPL oct 140 call position reducing the basis from 9.50 to 8.25. As a downside play on the high oil price bought XOM oct 85 puts for 2.00.

Crab Apple or Delicious?

I suppose we should'nt have been suprised at the markets reaction to Apple's announcement today given the stong sell offs in the past. You'd think that by now I would be buying on the dips and selling into the excitement BEFORE the brokers and hedge funds pull the sell trigger. All the same I hope this sell off with a 5% drop is overdone and that once the market has time to digest the changes the stock will recover. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me! arrrgh!

trading- it's wait and see now

sold qqqq jan 50 calls this morning at slight loss, bidding on USO jan 56 puts. Wish I'd sold my AAPL oct 140 calls this morning when the stock was at 145! So what about selling into the excitement? arrgh!

Bella Coola Petroglyph

One of a number of petroglyph faces carved in stone near Bella Coola. This valley has a rich history that goes back thousands of years, possibly to the last ice age. Would like to return sometime to do more hiking and exploring in the mountains...

Bella Coola via Coast Carriboo Route

This August we took the ferry from Port Hardy to Bella Coola where we visited for a few days after wich we then drove up the BIG hill at the head of the valley and south to Williams Lake where we overnighted at the Sandman Inn.The following day we drove thru scenic Marble Canyon and on to Pemberton where we stayed at a very nice B&B.The photos are of Odergaard Falls and near Blue Jay lake above South Bentinck Arm.

Mom's Bouillabaisse Fish Dish

Heat 1/2 cup Olive Oil in large pan then add 2 onions, 2 leeks, 2 carrots, all chopped and 2 cloves of garlic. Saute until golden brown.

Add 2 pounds of chunked fish (your choice - snapper, cod, halibut etc.)Add 4 chopped tomatoes, 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme, pinch of saffron, 5 stalks of chopped parsley, chives, and 2-3 Cups of fish stock, clam juice or water.

Cover and cook 15 - 20 minutes.

Add 1 Cup of shrimp and clams and mussels in their shells. Bring to a boil and cook 6 - 8 minutes.

Add 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 Cup white wine. Bring temp. back up for a few minutes.

Enjoy with Garlic Bread. Yummy!

Mocha's Surgery

Mocha recently had surgery on right knee to repair her torn cruciate ligament. It's been about 3 weeks now and she is doing very well.So much so that we constantly need to restrain her from bounding away. The torn ligament was cut away and replaced a loop of 80lb test monofilament line which then holds the knee joint together.
She has been going for longer and longer walks each day and seems happier than ever.

The thing is Mocha enjoys a good cappuccino almost as much as I do. Often she will be licking her chops as i'm making one....except for her it's "foam only" as dogs should not be drinking coffee or eating dark chocolate (which she especially enjoys).The most important thing about making your own cappuccino is getting the grind just right.Too coarse it's thin and weak, too fine it's bitter.So, making that perfect cup can be a hit and miss thing. But when you do get just right it is so sweet...mmmm

What could be more delicious and harder to make than a fine cup of cappuccino....