For two humans on holidays, we’ve sure done a lot of work this past week. And occasionally, it being summer and stuff, the air temperature has been super hot. The recently installed household heat shields and portable cooling machine have both proved their worth on the hottest of days. Next week however, we’ll break the magic tonne and crack over a hundred Fahrenheit in the shade. Sounds toastier than 41’C don’t you reckon?
On a small mixed farm, it’s just not possible to take a break at this time of year. The plants are producing, and a dude and dudette have to move fast, or lose what they’ve grown to the deprivations of voracious forest critters. The parrots in particular, make a lovely backdrop to the orchards and gardens, but those birds know every trick in the book. Here’s a friendly King Parrot now in the next photo below. He’ll follow me around the property, if the dogs aren’t around. What with all the noise the bird makes, I’ve never been able to shake the impression that the avian is trying to tell me something important, and I’d seriously hope it was more than: Thanks for all the great fruit!
In previous years, work on the infrastructure projects comes to a screaming halt a month or two prior to this time of the season. Not so this year, we just seem to be working harder, but in some ways it’s less hard because we’re enjoying the advantages of the better, more time tested systems here. The funny thing is though, as regular readers would appreciate, bringing in soil fertility over many long years, the plants respond with even faster growth. Occasionally it can be a bit overwhelming when you see things that need doing, say for example with the fruit trees, and you’re struggling to find the time and energy to get the work done.
A few days ago, the parrots had just begun to notice the juicy sun ripened crop of Anzac peaches. Those fruits are a white fleshed large peach. Bearing early in the growing season, the flavour is not as strong as a late season variety like say, the superb yellow Golden Queen peach, but the fruit is still a great addition to breakfasts. Unfortunately, in order to harvest the peaches, the jungle of lemon balm growing feral in that garden bed at the base of the tree, had to be hacked back, and it was a feral hot day.
Facing up to the needful is perhaps, all part of being an adult they tell me. The trusty solar powered 240V Stihl electric hedge trimmer and I, dove into the jungle, and over the course of a few oven-like hours, tamed the feral beast of a wilderness into some sort of order. Sweat and heat. Rehydration solutions consumed afterwards are a necessity in this climate.
Once the lemon balm was reduced in height to a more reasonable level, it became possible to access the garden bed. The peach tree itself is quite huge at around 8m / 26ft tall and perhaps needs some serious pruning – a job for another week. A very long and extendable pruning tool was used to harvest a large bucket full of fresh peaches. The haul is now arranged on two trays waiting to soften, which is when they’ll be ready to consume.
The raspberries are producing at their peak right now too. There are two 5m / 17ft garden rows of those tasty berry producing canes. Each day they need to be picked, or the birds will get them. One evening we filled a 1.8L (approximately half gallon) plastic tub. All that work takes time, but the taste of home grown sun ripened berries is beyond superb. As a side story, the canes were a gift from a local lady, who’d remarked that were handed down by her grandfather.
Nobody could physically consume so many tasty berries, so we preserve the Raspberries by making batches of some of the best jam I’ve ever consumed. The red currants in the above photo form the basis of a very nice and dry country wine. Probably has plenty of Vitamin C when consumed in the depths of winter. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!
The long established fruit trees are quite low stress, only requiring occasional feeding and pruning, but the newest trees are high maintenance indeed. When the forecast temperatures are over 30’C / 86’F in the shade, they’ll each get a small amount of water, maybe 20L (5 gallons), and most likely less than that. Best done in the evening the day before the heat arrives. This allows the water to soak into the soil when otherwise it may evaporate in the warm sunshine. And grass competition is particularly challenging for younger fruit trees, as it is for the other annual plants. That all had to be cleaned up.
With heaps of New Years energy from the sun, the tomatoes have finally begun to grow. Being vines, they like to either climb or sprawl. Growing inside the greenhouse, sprawling all over the ground is not an option, that is if neatness is to be enforced! 3mm UV stable synthetic cord was strung up for each of those plants to climb upon, which is anchored to strong stainless steel cable supported by the roof timbers. Last year 3mm jute was trialled and it failed/broke every single time. Thicker jute would probably work, maybe, but this year I’m going full on for a material not found in nature. Fixing up the mess from the broken jute last year was hard on both me and the plants.
Murphy’s Law states that things will go wrong at the least opportune time, and it’s true. So when you’re already busy, expect occasional bouts of complete and utter weirdness. Somehow, the rabbits had burrowed under the chicken wire and steel channel fencing which surrounds the garden terraces. Now we know where the many seedlings planted in those garden beds went! After a long day of work in the sun, we had to spend an additional hour or so, hauling large rocks back up the hill. They were then all positioned around the outside of the garden terrace fencing used to stop those unrelenting herbivores. That’ll fix ’em, for now.
Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention. Two days were spent splitting, hauling and stacking firewood for the winter.
There’s maybe another two days of work to finish bringing in the firewood for the coming year. At the end of the second day of work, it became obvious that the firewood touching the ground was still somewhat damp. So we flipped over the remaining rounds and exposed them all to the sunshine. The hot weather this week, will bake them dry.
Damp firewood is not good to use for all sorts of reasons, and best practice is to get the timber down to 14% moisture content (or less), which we achieve or better. The shed is fast filling up.
The downside of doing the firewood processing at this time of the year, is that as the prevailing conditions are hot, and the hours and hours of work cooks your brain. Not ideal. We’ve been discussing how to do this necessary job better in the future. The plan over the next year is to construct another, and much larger firewood shed. The bigger shed will allow us to use stacked dry timber, whilst loading up other parts of the shed with new firewood throughout the year. This way, firewood chunks can be created in the cooler part of year where they are handled only once. At the moment, we create the rounds in winter, and then split, haul and stack them in summer, which means everything is double handled. We can do better managing this annual task.
Hopefully dear reader, I’ve not scared you off by all this loose talk of hard work? No? Oh, that’s good, because we also did a minor infrastructure job earlier in the week. A garden bed replaced the rarely used park bench in the greenhouse. Took about five hours of work from start to finish. Treated pine timber sleepers were cut and joined to form a nice neat box which lines up perfectly with the existing garden beds.
A trailer load of purchased vegetable specific compost was mixed up with: Blood and bone meal; Existing soil; Garden lime; Coffee Grounds; and Coffee bean husks. It’s a heady mixture which most plants seem to appreciate, and smells nice to boot.
Into the garden bed we planted an exotic self fertile paw paw “Red Lady” (Carica papaya) and four chilli seedlings.
Another paw paw from the same family of plants, except it being a ‘Yellow’ variety, was planted in another garden bed.
The produce is really beginning to bang-on, and this week the Jostaberries were almost ready to eat.
It’s not all work here, the other day Sandra spotted a Blue Ant. The strange thing about the insect is, that it is a ground dwelling wasp. As you can imagine, being Australian, the thing is tiny (1 inch long), but packs a rather nasty potent sting. Can you imagine an innocuous and otherwise harmless insect on this continent? No, neither can I.
They do say that home shouldn’t be a place of unrelenting work, and we’ll do something about that in future summers by changing around how the firewood job is done. Don’t get me wrong though, home is where I like to be.
Onto the flowers (and apologies for the photo heavy blog this week!):
The temperature outside now at about 11am is 17’C (63’F). So far for this year there has been 4.6mm (0.2 inches). Last year’s rainfall total was 852.4mm (33.6 inches)
Comments
42 responses to “Time”
Yo, Chris – Another productive week at Fernglade Farm. Sometime, H mumbles away and I can a-l-m-o-s-t understand what she’s trying to say. If the parrot sticks around you, maybe you can teach him to say something. Maybe, “Fernglade Farm Rocks!” 🙂 They might even teach it to their progeny.
You’ve saved the Anzac peaches, from the voracious parrots. Oh, they look so luscious. I call dibs on the one in the left hand lower corner, closest tray.
The currents and raspberries look pretty tasty. The bottled jam will give you a taste of summer, in deepest winter.
I’m sure the tomatoes will appreciate the support of the new cables. And will respond appropriately with a bumper crop.
The habits of rabbits are mysterious. Didn’t they have enough tucker, on the outside of the fence? Did the “grass” look greener on the other side? Because it’s there?
I could swear I see the savage UV rays beating down on you, in the firewood photos. Changing the firewood routine sounds genius. Anything is worth a try, if it makes the yearly task go easier.
I think the paw paw will be happy in its new home. So, the blue ant, which is really a wasp. Does it fly?
We have hollyhocks in this part of the country. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen a yellow one. The seeds of those plants are very interesting. Round stacks of seeds.
Your foxgloves, roses and geraniums are putting on quit the show. Worthy of entry in the nearest agricultural show. :-). Lew
Hi Göran,
Thanks, and it’s never too late for good wishes. 🙂 Best regards to you and your family for the changing of the year.
The flowers are a treat for Sandra and I too. And their presence here makes a massive difference to the wildlife in terms of available feed. Feed in turn becomes … soil fertility. When I first moved here, a local old bloke used to help me out with the bees, and one day he bluntly pointed out that there was a lack of pollen and nectar for the insects to consume. I know you grow a number of different plants anyway, but I’d recommend setting aside a small area (near to where the customers can see 🙂 ), for a patch of long season flowering plants.
The days are now lengthening for you, although it’s probably hard to notice such things. We’re in for a minor heatwave this week, with Wednesday set to produce a maximum of 41’C in the shade. That will be a challenging day, but we’ll get through, one way, or another. Friday is almost as hot, but with a late cool change and some rain. Yay! One must not wish the week away though. Working out what tasks to do in the heat is the difficult bit. The old saying about ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen’ come to mind.
Lovely with the snow and Arctic air, gives the world a sort of soft but chilly feeling, and is great time for rest and relaxation. And cooking! Yum! Kitchens are often the hearth of a household in winter, and what seasonal treats are on offer in your part of the world?
It being hot the next four days, I did all of the kitchen activities today, so as to keep the excess heat out of the house on the warmer days. We’ve got an outdoor kitchen set up in the shade for hot weather. Easier to bake a fresh loaf of bread in an oven which is outdoors at this time of year.
Whoa! Nice thinking with supplying the graftwood and scions. Those who know, appreciate such offerings. Years ago I visited a heritage fruit tree nursery, and the lovely lady there grafted up some really interesting and rare varieties of apples on the spot, and with rootstock of my choice, then sold those at a reasonable price. Of course, there is risk with such a purchase, but! Every one of those trees survived and is now over fifteen years old and producing hundreds of apples.
The business was Strzelecki Heritage Apples, and they have a Faceplant page, but I couldn’t find a website. They’re in a similar climate zone to here.
Hehe! Yes, who knew that your pruning off cuts had value? 🙂
For your interest, the chestnuts here now support tiny little burrs on the flowers. With more trees in flower this season, hope they produce some tasty nuts. Looks like it will be a good year for hazelnuts. Yum!
Well, isn’t that the question which interests everyone who works in small business? If I may offer a suggested response – the price has to exceed your costs, with a margin that acknowledges what the market can bear. Too cheap can be as problematic (a perceived lack of value) as is too expensive, so the testing (as you’ve noted) is the only way to discover the sweet middle ground. Exciting isn’t it?
Perhaps one day we may stop learning new things, but until then… 😉
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Never a dull moment around here! 😉 Last week was what I’d describe as a very busy week, but then the week beforehand was remarkably social, and this one will be super hot. Although today was a pleasant and cool 22’C / 72’F. Tomorrow, that’s a whole different story. Three or four days to be endured.
Did a huge amount of life’s administrative tasks this morning, and even managed to take one of the mower tyres (tires in US parlance) down for a replacement tube repair. They knew me, so did the job in half an hour despite being busy with customers coming and going. Nice! Totally my fault too, I’d let the pressure get too low, and the valve got ripped clean off at the end of work yesterday. That, by the way, put an end to today’s possible work on the firewood, which I was quite happy about – put it that way. 🙂 Sometimes the Universe sends a big message to have a more relaxed day. A pottering day instead was on the agenda.
Checked all the tire pressures on the rest of the machines and made adjustments where necessary. Might have to do that job more frequently.
With the hot weather coming up, I also did the various cooking activities early, like making yoghurt, a batch of toasted muesli and Anzac biscuits. Turned out to be a busy, but relaxed day which was nice. No point heating up the kitchen on an otherwise hot day later in the week. We do have an oven outdoors, so will bake a small bread loaf out there when it gets hot. Usually I’m not fussed, but it depends if the air temperature cools down overnight, and Wednesday night, that won’t happen.
🙂 Dude, you picked the very best peach. Respect, and they smell so nice.
The next batch of raspberry jam will probably get cooked up tomorrow. I reckon we’ll end up with about 24 glass jars of raspberry jam. I’m hoping that the hot weather over the next few days ripens up the apricots which are still green on the various trees. Those fruit make a superb jam. Blackberries have only just started slowly becoming ripe – but have a few weeks to go before that berry peaks.
Did a lot of watering tonight, it should be enough for the hot weather, maybe.
Are rabbits a problem in your part of the world? It’s the wild European rabbits which are a serious nuisance down under. There’s simply not enough predators to deal with them, and the herbivores can survive on the roots of plants. I tell ya what, they’re not happy about being excluded from the garden terraces. Tomorrow, the plan is to reinforce the fencing. We originally trialled cheaper chicken gauge chicken wire to reduce the costs, and it is not good.
All true about the UV rays, and it was problematic being on the receiving end of them that day working the firewood. Yup, the summer sun down under is zingy, even on cool summer days like today.
Working out the annual cycle of activities is a really complicated task. You have to know what needs to be done, and when, but perhaps more importantly – why that may be. It’s possible to get an idea about this stuff from books, but getting into the thick of it, reinforces the lessons in a strong manner.
Nope, the blue ant, which is a parasitic wasp, does not fly, yet stings with authority. You go first though… 😉
It might not be a hollyhock now that you mention it. There is a vague memory that Roman soldiers used to use the leaves of that plant to err, wipe their bottoms after going to the toilet, but I could be off the mark with the plant identification. And can’t recall the details.
Thanks! We do lots of flowers here. About an hour ago we were up in the rose terraces enjoying the summer fragrance. Is it the David Austin roses which are bred for their aroma? What I’ve observed is that the flowers which have tightly packed petals, have the best aroma.
And to think that I’d believed that the name related to a genuine person, but instead was possibly something of an archetype with chameleon tendencies able to get with the times… Well, I never. Whatever will they think of next? We can only but hope to age as well. In another 75 years, my remains will not be pretty, which is a common fate.
Ah, the Jiffy folks sound as if they may be considering the needs of their customers. Impressive, and an excellent strategy. And yeah, eye level shelves come at a premium for the suppliers.
Best if we personally don’t discover where the miscreants are hauled off to, we might not enjoy the experience. 🙂 Good to hear that the club has tested plans in place to deal with problems. Being prepared, saves a lot of drama.
Weenie is a word you don’t hear used down under. I’m guessing the derivation of the word, relates to weaner, i.e. young domestic animal for production, but don’t really know. What’s your take on that?
Absolutely not! But I like where you’re going with the Three Stooges reference. Wasn’t there a stooge pigeon back in the day as a description for an informer? The food reference for the word ‘stodge’ may be an English derived usage? Dunno.
Oh poop, yes, the glazing would be an issue of concern. Sorry about that. I think setting desserts on fire is a novelty value thing, rather than a process which adds to the overall flavour.
Lewis, you’re right, and I completely forgot and added the dead parrot to the worm farm. I know! An error of judgement. Oh well, maybe next time. A lost opportunity.
54’F would be quite warm for winter here. What the heck? Global warming – coming to a theatre near you!
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – Our high yesterday was 48F (8.88C). Our overnight low was 37F (2.77C). Our forecast high for today is 46F. And, sunny! No worries. Back to the rain, tomorrow. But I need to bury some kitchen scraps, out in the garden.
Your mention of tires (or tyre … not to be confused with the ancient city) now has me paranoid about the pressure in my truck tires. They look fine, but I haven’t checked them in awhile.
Pottering days are good. A lot gets accomplished, without a lot of heavy lifting. 🙂
Sometime, in the distant future, you may have to consider building a summer kitchen. Keeps the house cool and cooking smells outside. Not really mentioned, but also reduced the possibility of fire in the main house.
https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-a-summer-kitchen-5214353
My mother and grandmother mentioned having summer kitchens, where they lived in Minnesota. Cold winters, but hot, hot summers.
The raspberry jam reminded me of something I was going to mention. It was sort of subconscious, but no matter if the blueberries came from the bushes here at the Institution, or, from the local commercial growers, I didn’t think they had much blueberry “flavor.” My blueberry jam, though ok, was a bit disappointing. Bland? Well, you may remember I bought kit a few frozen pounds from Winco. Those berries come from Oregon. They’re a lot smaller, more the size of peas. I’ve been mixing them in with the commercial berries. But, oh, my, when I opened a bag, I thought, “Ah. There it is. That blueberry smell and taste I remember.” I may get around to making a batch of blueberry jam, just using those berries.
We do have rabbits around, but they don’t seem to be a problem in the gardens. The neighborhood cats pick most of them off. Along with the ravens and maybe owls.
Reminds me of a story. I didn’t witness it, but I heard about it. Up at our service center (where I worked a few times), there was a patio outside the lunch room. Everyone was oohing and awing over some baby bunnies, that would make an appearance. Well, one day, ravens swooped in and plucked them away, squealing in terror. I guess it was quit traumatic for some employees.
An annual cycle of activities. With a certain flexibility and an eye to the weather. 🙂
Toilet paper of the woods, aka the logger’s friend. 🙂 . Around here, that’s Mullein.
https://w.wiki/HKkH
I see they’re all over the world, and you may have some, down there. It seems like every year, two or three pop up around the planter raised beds. Usually, they’re left alone, as here, they’re not that invasive, and are quit showy.
I didn’t follow up on it, but saw a link to an article, “15 Plants You Can Use For Toilet Paper.” One would want to avoid the poison oak and ivy. 🙂
I didn’t see a picture, but there’s also a Hispanic version of Betty Crocker. La Cocina Betty Crocker. “Cocina” is an interesting Spanish word. Bare bones, it means kitchen. But so much more. Hub, and social gathering place. I could swear I’ve seen an African-American Betty Crocker, but a glance down the rabbit hole yielded no joy.
“Weenie” or hot dog weenie. Also used as a derogatory term. “The Weenie is a slang term that refers to a person who is weak, cowardly, and lacks courage. This term can be used to describe someone who is afraid of taking risks or standing up for themselves. The Weenie is often associated with negative traits such as being indecisive, passive, and easily intimidated.” From the Fast Slang website. I’ve heard it used, “Ya big weenie!” 🙂
Frankfurter is another term. “FRANKFURTER definition: a small, cooked and smoked sausage of beef or beef and pork, with or without casing; hot dog; wiener.” From the Dictionary web site. There are also turkey franks, supposedly more healthy. 🙂 Most grocery stores stock them in abundance. And, of course, there’s vegetarian versions.
Took me awhile to come up with it (I had to walk the dog, before it came floating up to the top of my mind), “Stool pigeon.” I haven’t heard it in a long time, but people new to recovery programs were referred to as “pigeons.” Not in a bad way. Exasperated affection?
It might be a popcorn night. I have a few possibilities. Reviews to follow. Lew
Hi everyone,
Oh dear, the weather forecast is somewhat extreme: Victoria, SA, NSW brace for ‘worst’ heatwave since Black Summer
A time to be simply gotten through.
Cheers
Chris
Hi, Chris!
What an incredible parrot shot!
Remember, that’s what you get if you take a “staycation”. You haven’t even gone smoko. But summer is not a good time to leave agricultural pursuits. And for some things, like selling bareroot fig trees and cuttings, winter is the time for that. And then maybe there’s a Mr. Baby . . . So – no vacations. Oh yes – and how about ye who blogs?
The lemon balm will probably come right back. Most years I cut it back for herbal projects and it does so. I hope mine does so, as I had a really big patch of it, which is now squooshed under a large pile of firewood.
What kind of “extendable pruning tool” was used? The young citrus trees are looking so good.
What beautiful raspberry jam!
New Year’s energy from the sun – that is an oxymoron here. The tomato vines look happy with their new synthetic cords, and why is Dame Plum standing in the bed?
I am most interested to see if the rocks keep the rabbits out. You are beginning to sound like me with my groundhog last summer.
That is a very nice pile of firewood, and I hope it’s not on top pf somebody’s herb bed. Some of the firewood we are burning this season seems like it has 0% moisture. It actually burns too fast.
Yay! Another firewood shed!
What a sweet little paw paw in the new greenhouse bed. It is glad that it has chilli friends. Both paw paws are sweet and happy additions.
If that’s a wasp, not an ant, does it ever have wings? Some of our ants have wings during the mating season and try to fly into the house in hordes when you open a door.
I love every photograph! Can’t be too many! The flowers, especially the roses, are just too wonderful. Looking at your place (all of it) is like going to a botanical garden. Thanks!
We haven’t caught the miscreant rodent yet.
Goodness, you are extra in my thoughts with all that extra severe heat.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Thanks for that, and yes, the parrot really is very pretty and quite talkative, although I’ve no idea what the bird is saying.
It’s nice to rest the paid work side of the brain, and I’d not heard of the phrase, but it sums up the situation nicely. Haven’t even travelled around much at all the past few weeks, although the Christmas week was remarkably social. Being an introvert though… 🙂
Summer is work time for those in agricultural pursuits for sure, and you’d and your son would have the exact same pressures. During the growing season, it’s hard to get time away, not that I’m seeking that. I’m comfortable here. And yup, winter is busy too – especially for your household with the fig tree sales. Never a dull moment is there? We have the forest clean up work in winter… Ook!
The conversations here are lovely enough that they are a joy, and who’d want to be away from that? I note Mr Greer has taken the month of January off as was his old time habit, and good for him too.
Oh poop, maybe the lemon balm will survive a decent squooshing. Certainly you’ll find out when the firewood is eventually cleared. I’ve not run that particular experiment! On the firewood note, despite the heat today, I spent a couple of hours before lunch rearranging the firewood pile which is covered by a large tarp, and that’s another job which can be ticked off the list as now having been completed. One of course a person must not become a slave to the list, that is a bad thing, but they are still useful tools.
Also I added another layer of much stronger gauge chicken wire to the garden terrace fencing. Just to save some mad cash, we originally used cheaper and thinner gauge wire on the fencing, and some cheeky forest critter managed to worry the wire fencing back and forth, before eventually breaking it. See what I’m dealing with here? Hang on, you didn’t post over a groundhog did you? 😉 Pleas keep them! Far out, they won’t be able to break through the much stronger chicken wire – which should have been used in the first place.
I thoroughly recommend this long reach manual pruning tool: Fiskars Tree pruners. If there is a better tool, I’m yet to encounter it. 6 metres is 20ft! 🙂
Sandra made another much larger batch of raspberry jam today. It was complicated because the kitchen window had to be kept open to vent the humidity from that process, and the house temperature got to 24’C / 75’F inside which I can live with, and the portable cooling machine only got switched on after 5pm. The overnight temperatures may be warm for the next few nights.
Hehe! Pam, the mid winter sun here is as powerful as a mouse err, act of flatulence, and how people expect to use that energy to heat their houses is a matter which makes no sense to me at all. Agreed, a total oxymoron. If the plants aren’t growing, there’s little energy to be had. Yes, the Kelpies have little regard for plants and garden beds, and think only of their comfort and interests, thus Mr Baby could probably appreciate their point of view. Hehe!
Pam, I’ve only got experience with the local species of trees and how they are converted into firewood, but a general rule is only burn hard woods. But alas, you may also be pointing out a truism with wood heaters in that the things need refuelling, and more often when it’s seriously cold. 🙂
I’ve never seen a Blue Ant before, but the little insect looked like it would pack a punch – as it would. Ah, apparently the males have wings, although I’ve no idea as to the lifecycle. Here’s a bit more about them: Blue Ant
Thanks for that, and I appreciate your lovely words. It’s a pleasure to share the place with you.
Happy rodent hunting, and may the critter do no damage.
Yeah, hot. It happens… Day one of four for the heatwave, done.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Always nice to have a sunny break in the depths of winter, and hope you found plenty of worms hungry for the kitchen scraps. It’s a great idea doing that. Rather warm here today at 88’F, but still I worked outdoors. The recent rabbit incursion into the garden terraces bothered me, so I added another layer of much thicker gauge steel chicken wire over the inadequate stuff we’d used originally. Man, you try and save some mad cash, and occasionally that can be a false economy – as it was in this case. I only covered about 20ft of the original fencing, and will wait and see what the rabbits do with the rest. They won’t do nothing, that’s for sure.
Then, I fixed up the pile of firewood which sort of lives under a tarp. The pile had gotten messy, and was in need of a couple of hours sorting it out. Done. The tarp now completely covers the lot, and it is easier to access. That means there’s only about maybe two days work left for the entire firewood job before it’s complete for the year. Yay!
If your tires on the Ranger look OK, they probably are. You can sort of see when the air pressure is low. The many machines have tires of different quality, but they all slowly deflate. Car tires are actually an amazing technology, although I believe quality has slipped in recent years. We used to make them down under, but probably not in these enlightened days. I noticed that one factory in particular is now a housing estate.
🙂 Always nice to have a slower day. With the heat over these couple of days, I’m doing activities at a relaxed pace.They say it will be 42’C / 108’F here tomorrow. Not a fan of that: Extreme heatwave and fire danger to affect multiple states this week.
Did a lot of watering this evening.
We’ve got a summer kitchen located in the shade under the car port (which has never been used by vehicles). On super hot days, it works. Fortunately we can use electricity to power the kitchen devices.
Well spotted! It’s true too. I’ve heard several theories in relation to your most excellent blueberry observation. One is that farmers are paid by weight for produce, so a lot of watering gets done to plump up the fruit prior to sale. The water of course dilutes the sugars, proteins, etc. So the flavour is reduced. Also they may have been picked green so haven’t had enough sun ripening in the first place, and won’t get better off the tree, although admittedly a few varieties of fruit can (pears, persimmons etc – which basically ferment and convert carbs to sugars). Another perspective is that as soil fertility declines, the plants produce more carbs than protein, and proteins are usually the source of the more complicated flavours. Oregon is drier than your state, so that would be a factor as well, but! It is my observation that sun ripened smaller fruits, taste better.
If you make the jam, I’d be very interested to hear your thoughts. Making jam with low quality fruit doesn’t tend to produce a good jam, although there is always a bit of concentration going on in that process.
Have to laugh about the rabbit story! Nature can be pretty rough, and the folks learned a good lesson. Everything gets eaten, including ourselves.
On this note, I saw the weirdest thing today in a more built up area of the mountain range. Someone’s bin was pushed over and the contents spilled across the road. Except there was a dead young kangaroo in amongst the garbage. That’s really hard to explain, and I have an odd hunch that the marsupial was disposed of and already in the bin, and an animal like a dog, pushed the bin over to investigate the smell. I’ve never seen anything like it, so weird. Kangaroos around here are herbivores and do not rummage in bins. People…
Yeah exactly! A dude has to take the climate into account. Candidly, I’m not sure what to do tomorrow, and may hide indoors out of the sun.
Mullein! Yes, that is the plant, and many thanks. The Roman’s apparently dipped the leaves in grease and used those as torches. But my, it’s got some herbal applications. I let it go to seed because it’s an interesting plant. Agreed, they’re definitely not invasive at all, and quite well behaved.
Oh far out, yes, please do keep both of those super irritating plants to your part of the world. I’ve never come across either down here, but up north they have some nasty stinging plants. Dendrocnide moroides. Oh no! How’s this quote from the link: “Various other treatments, mostly ineffectual, have been tried over time.”
The changes to the image of the marketing lady over the years was very interesting, and like looking into a time capsule.
Oh, I’ve heard that word used in films from your country in that exact context. Yes, the weenie may run, but that can also be a decent survival strategy.
They used to call continental sausages by the Frankfurter name when I was a kid, but that has slid out of favour – possibly due to confusion with the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Sure they’re more healthy, best probably not to look too closely at the contents, and perhaps merely enjoy the end product? I’m not a fan of vegetarian sausages. There’s quite a thing about making vegetarian food look like meat based products, but the veg food we cook, looks like good meals. Made enchiladas for dinner this evening. Yum!
Oooo! Intriguing. What film did you decide to watch?
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – I saw an interesting turn of phrase, yesterday. Taxes, bills, paperwork … the “homework of life.” 🙂
Our high yesterday was 48F (8.88C). Our overnight low was 36F (2.22C). Our forecast high for today is 45F. When I took H out for her morning walk, we managed to dodge the rain. But boy, was it breezy! Gusts to 30mph.
Our forecast from late tomorrow night, into Thursday morning is for “Rain, possibly mixed with snow showers. Little or no snow accumulation expected.” When Prof. Mass talks about snow levels down to sea level, and lowland snow, he’s talking about areas far to our north. Puget Sound areas.
I do not envy your upcoming heat wave. I’ve often said that I’d rather deal with cold, than heat. Cold, you can always throw on extra blankets or jumpers. Heat, you just sit, suffer and sweat. 🙁
Our sunset time is now 4:40 PM. So, around 4:30, I decided to walk H, bury the kitchen scraps and head for the Club. On the way down the stairs, H upped up a bit of yellow bile, on the carpet of one of the stair landings. She does that, maybe three or four times a year. So, I tied her to one of the railings, ran back upstairs to get paper towels and white vinegar spray, to clean up. Never leaves a spot. Then we continued, onward.
I got the scraps buried, and we headed to the Club. Sigh. Counting her, there were four dogs there. I really can’t complain, as I take her there. But, should it happen again, I’ll probably pop her in the truck. When there are other dogs around, my head’s on a swivel, and I just can’t relax.
Firewood’s almost done for the year? That’s a cause for celebration. Break out the champagne, or whatever else you’ve got perking away.
I think the blueberries have lost their flavor, due to breeding for size. And even the plants we have here at the Institution, though older, were bred to be early, mid-season, and late berries. All at the expense, I think, of flavor. But also, all the other reasons you mentioned.
Kangaroo amongst the garbage. Another rural mystery. But what would the garbage man think, when he tipped that lot into his truck?
The movie I watched, last night, was “Good Fortune.” Keanu Reeves as a rather dim angel. A comedy / drama.
https://w.wiki/GH2G
It has a lot to say about income inequality. Which, according to many scholars is what brings down civilizations. Coincidentally, I just finished reading “The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich.” Next year, there’s to be a comedy movie, titled “Cut Off.” Children of wealthy parents ‘cut off’ from the family wealth and must make their own ways in the world.
My, next year is going to be quit the year, for movies. Besides the other one’s I’ve mentioned, there’s “The Odyssey,” “The Devil Wears Prada, 2”, Wuthering Heights, “Supergirl,” “Werwulf,” “Dog Stars” (a post apocalyptic film), “Violent Night 2” (Santa with ‘skills’ returns), “Send Help” (an executive and their employee are stranded on a tropical island … stars Dylan O’Brien, so it might be good), “Jumanji 4, etc. etc. etc.. That’s barely scratching the surface. Lew
Chris:
I love lists and I love to check things off on them, and then crumple them up and throw them away to prove that the tasks were done. I’m not a slave to it, though; some things I just list in my head.
I haven’t had time to look at Mr. Greer’s writings lately and was just thinking about him today. Thanks for mentioning that he is on vacation.
I have only noticed one gauge of chicken wire over here. I don’t know if I could work with a thicker gauge. I have to keep it to a size I can carry and cut through. I can’t afford overseas postage for a groundhog. And most likely he would expect first class.
Wow – those Fiskars are nifty. I’ll bookmark them; I sent the link to my son, too. Thanks!
Well, Miss Blue Ant sounds like a fairly nasty customer, though they say not as bad as some stinging insects. However, Mr. Blue Ant is a courteous fellow and does not sting, but apparently spends his days flying around (so probably Miss Blue Ant is doing all the work and that is what makes her irritable).
I mentioned in the fall that we had bought 100 pounds (45kg) of persimmons. My son and daughter-in-law did something very smart with them when they got them home: They put apples all amongst the persimmons in the crates they were stored in to help them ripen. It seems to have worked beautifully because only 1/3 pound of the 100 did not ripen correctly. And we could eat the apples, too.
I suddenly realized last night that I have not heard any owls in several months. Could they have all flown south? I’ll have to check into it. There seem to be plenty of rodents still out and about . . .
Pam
Chris,
I opened your latest and there was a king parrot flying at me. Very nice photo, by the way. Oh, you will be left in little doubt about the parrot message if and when they leave, never to be seen again. Something along the lines of “So long, and thanks for all the fruit!” Which is about what they seem to be saying to you anyway.
Today’s forecast was for at least 5cm of snow. Nope. Not here. Maybe 1cm. I hear the mountains are getting a good dumping, however. We need the snowfall there. Badly. Tehachapi in California, in the Mohave Desert, has gotten twice as much snow as we have this year, about 25cm there.
Lemon balm? That stuff is nearly indestructible. Almost impossible to remove. In fact, I only know one person who has gotten rid of it. I wanted some, so I transplanted a goodly bit from my mum’s garden. It took off that first year. Then it disappeared. If it becomes a problem again, I’d be happy to give you a visit and pay strict attention to the lemon balm. Terms negotiable. 😉
Good work getting the firewood almost done. I also like your future plans with a larger woodshed. Good idea.
Oh my! This is your busy time with your fruit. Everything is getting ripe all at once. Harvesting is work. Preserving food is work. Gathering wood is work. Paid job is work. You’ve got a lot going on. A whole lotta “chop wood, carry water”.
Those currants and raspberries look REALLY good. We had black currants growing up. I liked eating them. I seem to remember eating them faster than mum could turn them into juice or jam.
For some reason I am listening to Wombats music this evening. I had links saved to of few of their songs, but more keep appearing on you tub and they keep playing. I enjoy listening to various musical styles.
Hmmmm, I see a trend, a pattern. You had the giant Rat Wars. This past year Pam had her Ground Squirrel Feud. Now you’ve got a Relentless Rabbit Raid occurring. Hopefully, those rocks will deter them. If the rocks don’t work, I can see you escalating, then the rabbits deviously devising a new technique. Then you escalate. Just don’t go all Bill Murray in Caddyshack.
The lifecycle of the blue ant is interesting. There’s a flying wasp in this area that will lay eggs in the living torso of the standard wasp. The larvae then eat their host until it dies, and they move on to the next stage of life. However, that flying wasp, when looking for a site to lay eggs, well, they get aggressive. They tend to fly at humans. Fortunately, they don’t fly very fast. They are relentless though. One made the mistake of going after Dame Avalanche when the Dame was napping. That ended poorly for the wasp, to say the least.
Those creeping roses look spectacular right now. I enjoyed the penstemons, too. Well, and the hollyhocks and the foxgloves and…
You might enjoy this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-qv87vXQzo&list=RDhT2pL4FNlpI&index=7
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
Just to be a tad cheeky (after a hot day at 100’F), lists make excellent tools, and bad masters. You’re on the money with the way you use them, and hey, I got caught with the most horrid ‘one list to rule them all’ in the past year. A disaster of a week, if I may say. 🙂 Still, dunno about you, but they do say that the best way to discover the limits of tools is to misuse them. Lists can be like that, which you’ve deftly avoided – or crashed into and likewise discovered the same lesson?
My pleasure, and glad I mentioned it. The cool change came through about an hour ago, and it’s now 82’F inside the house and outside. Might not cool down much tonight because clouds rolled in from the south. Anywhoo, day two of four with the heatwave, done. Pottered around outdoors until midday, and then did paid work for another half day. It was, uncomfortable, but survivable. There are some fires in other parts of the state, and with a similar day on Friday, the authoritas are having a freak out.
Oooo! Well that’s interesting indeed. Mind you, I had to go to a specialist building and fencing supplier to get the thicker gauge chicken wire. Pam, the wallabies may only be between five and six foot tall, but they have some force behind them – and then there are the Red Deer.
You’re right though, and I agree with your observation about the stuff being harder to work with. It’s also quite sharp and scratchy if the cut ends come into contact with the skin.
Oh my! Dame Plum suggests that ‘we are not amused’ by the thought of a first class travelling groundhog, although the canine also added that she’d love to chase the beast.
I’m yet to encounter a better long reach pruning tool, for small branches. The blade is wicked sharp too. Did I mention that I’ve got on order an extension pole for my little Stihl GTA 26? I’m hoping to get the thing this week to tackle the rampant wild blackberries. It’s a long story…
Exactly! That’s how I’d feel as well taking the full burden whilst Mr Blue Flighty-pants flits here and there, possibly preening. And Ms Blue Ant can sting multiple times, just to ensure that the lesson is learned. Irritable would be an understatement! 😉
🙂 Respect! And a good move with the persimmons to get them to blet. Did you know that Apples, bananas, melons, pears, and peaches are ethylene-producing fruits? That is the gas which does the trick. Bananas are particularly good at that trick too.
Hey, on that note, I’ve trialled a few of the peaches, and they’re early, but good.
Hmm. Dunno. The owls here mystify me as well, and dare I mention Kuato the kiwifruit consuming Brush tail possum? It distressed me greatly that all of the fruit was consumed, and only then did the owls turn up and do what needed doing…
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
Watch out! Parrots at twelve o’clock! Well done, and that was the exact one-liner joke at the back of my mind at the time of writing. Water is left out for all of the local birds to use (bathing and drinking), and it’s in an elevated position so they’re safe. Probably why there are so many birds here.
On the other hand, there’s heaps of other life as well, and the Kelpie duo chased a rabbit this evening, but missed out. Rabbits are fast, killer rabbits are probably gnarlier (if that is even a word?)
Dude, not to put too fine a point upon the matter, but the Tehachapi Mountain has an elevation of 2,433m which puts it in a climate zone of Latitude approximately 58’N. I’m unsurprised that they’ve received more snow than where you are. 🙂 I’d be OK with 10mm of snow here right now, given it was 38’C today, and will be as hot again – if not hotter – on Friday. Lower elevations were significantly warmer. And there’s been a few fires, some not yet under control.
Hottest day in years recorded across southern Australia as bushfire warnings remain
The recently installed shields (UV rated sun blinds) and photon torpedoes (small portable air con) cranked hard today, and earned their keep. By about 7pm it hit 28’C indoors, which is pretty good all things considered. The house is now wide open to the warm night air – it won’t cool down much tonight.
Ha! Thanks for the laughs, and I’m impressed that you could deal to the rapscallion lemon balm. Dame Avalanche must of course be a super dog, who did most of the work in that instance?
Yeah, something had to change with the way we do the firewood. A larger shed is the best option going forward. Yesterday was also quite hot, and the firewood pile which sits under a tarp was rearranged to a neat order. Take that, there’ll be no mess here – that I show photos of!!! 😉
After over twenty years, the band has an extensive back catalogue of pop ear worms, and am glad to hear that they appeal to your music sensibilities. Have to laugh, as an older fella you get a bit of perspective on the world, and I mentioned to a young bloke who works in the music biz who was not convinced, that the band turn up on time, know the material and put on an energetic two hour show to a packed house. Hmm. The signed tour poster sits on wall and brings a smile at the recollection of the event. I’m quite partial to Tokyo (Vampires and Wolves), which is very much of the Smoko sentiment. 🙂 Yeah! My music tastes are very wide too, and the other day we were discussing the lyrics to Mac Davis’s country ditty ‘hard to be humble’.
Hehe! Man, Bill Murray is the only reason to watch that forgettable film, although for some reason I can’t wipe the memory of Rodney Dangerfield, oh no, it was the uptight judge character instead, but moving on, offering some useful career advice to a young caddy that ‘the world needs ditch diggers too’.
Dame Avalanche is clearly fast to deal with the wasp. Ollie tends to snap at house (and horse) flies which are foolish enough to bother him. Is he consuming them? There’s mystery there…
I did very much enjoy Hugh Laurie, and did I detect at least four, or was it five timing changes within the song? The band were tight, yeah.
Cheers (and day two of four for the heatwave, done)
Chris
Hi Lewis,
It’d take a very cheeky rascal to point out the literal truth. Sure gave me a chuckle that observation, but indeedy yes, the homework of life it is. Hmm. And everyone loves homework.
Candidly I’m enjoying vicariously reading about all this cold winter weather in the various parts of the world. Sounds lovely. Although you can keep those strong wind gusts, not into those. 😉
Hit 100’F here in the shade today, and was way hotter in the sun. As part of my adaption to circumstance strategy number three, I pottered around outdoors until about midday. Then did paid work for the rest of the afternoon. It eventually got quite warm in the house and reached 82’F, which is survivable. The sun blinds and portable air conditioner cranked hard earning their keep, and we almost hit the record for solar power generation today. 22kWh for the day, and the electronics in the battery room were warm, but not hot – which is as good as it gets in these conditions. Friday will be much the same before a late change and some rain (apparently).
Yeah, I get the impression that there are a whole heap of different micro climates in your part of the world, and the same is true here. Sometimes it rains just here on this mountain range, when it rains nowhere else. And other times, the rain bands sweep on past. Overall, it is cooler up here in the range. What do the old timers say about the difference between weather and climate?
Lewis, candidly speaking, I’m not all that excited about the heatwave either! Just getting through it, one day at a time is what’s going on. It’s hot here tonight, a late cool change brought cloud cover which trapped the days heat in. Oh well. Two days done, two days to go. Agreed, it is easier to get warmer, than it is to keep cool. The variability of the weather here makes it difficult to adapt to any particular condition. Friday will be interesting, although the forecast looks pretty similar to today: Catastrophic fire danger forecast for Vic after Melbourne’s hottest day in six years. The areas where fires broke out today appear to be outside the ‘total fire ban’ declared locations, just sayin…
Deep winter for you dude! And I forget do you get that sort of twilight effect well before sunset at this time of year? I’ve noticed that in areas which are further south than here.
Smooth clean up work with H’s barf. White vinegar is an amazing cleaner, it’s a bummer that the useful stuff is so difficult to make. Oh well.
The worms will thank you for the kitchen scraps. Ha! Sorry about the exclamation, but I have to laugh, mostly because I share your concern. Yup, sometimes a situation is very much of the err, ‘high energy’ sort, and H is probably only adding to the background buzz and distracting the purpose for you being their in the first place. Hmm. I get that too with very busy public spaces. And you’re in a situation where you are basically responsible for H.
Another two days of work on the firewood, and I’ll be yip, yipping, for joy at the prospect of the work being done for the season. A new larger firewood shed would make my life easier though. You’re an astute judge of character, and so probably a celebration with a home made apple cider… A lovely local lady helped the Editor crack the recipe for producing that brew.
Oh, of course, plant breeders also select for different traits, so that is also another option. Hey, like the 99 reasons for the fall of Rome, they’re all culprits! My experience suggests that the smaller fruits are generally tastier, and dare I suggest it, also easier to grow. I’m growing for quality and resilience and not produce by weight – which is a commercial consideration.
Turns out that the kangaroo and rubbish were still sprawled on the road side today. The garbage truck (which has a robot arm) appears to have not collected the mess, which I totally understand. Hmm. It is a mystery, and is not a good look.
Garbage collection is such a weird business, and the cynic in me wonders how much stuff actually gets recycled. It’s hard to forget that when I was a kid, garbage bins were very small, and somehow they’ve metastasised into many large bins in only a few decades requiring a lot more trucks and diesel fuel usage. When human labour was used for that service, there was far less rubbish. We don’t have rubbish pick up here (although it became an option), and so are very careful with any waste. I’ve been reading recently about the trucks catching fire due to batteries being discarded in the general waste stream. That can’t be cheap, and it’s been more than just a few trucks damaged. Oh well.
What a cast, and I loved the trailer for the film. It does bring up some gnarly issues, and agreed, as a policy it can be taken too far, and usually is. I live a small life man, and have no need for ostentatious displays, but it is deeply unfashionable as you may likewise appreciate. Humans gonna human.
Will the cut-off children survive? An interesting question! Hehe! And both the Editor and I were dis-inherited and have done OK, but still have to work and weren’t expecting anything different from any of the so called adults.
How can there be a sequel to the Devil wears Prada? The mind boggles, and that was an interesting film about showing respect for art. Oh, I must read ‘Wuthering Heights’ and it’s sitting there. The Editor suggests that it is a good read.
Cool – How good was that line from the trailer: We’re not in the office any more… Love it! Thanks for mentioning the film ‘Send Help’. Gutsy stuff. Reminds me of the storyline of Mr King’s epic, Misery.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – 82F indoors? Survivable, but is it pleasant? You may be moving your A/C to the battery room. I just had a thought. I wonder about all the heating and cooling in those server farms?
Interesting they have to put locks on the fire risk sign. Though they don’t look all that substantial. I read a couple of reviews, of that new book on the LA fires. By the reporter who grew up in those neighborhoods. On my hold list at the library. I also saw an interesting article about changes in codes, to reduce wildfire risk. And resistance to those codes.
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/06/nx-s1-5577155/california-law-la-wildfires-zone-zero-vegetation
Our high yesterday was 43F (6.11C). Our overnight low was 37F (2.77C.) The forecast high for today is 42F. There was snow in the forecast, for this morning, but I didn’t see any. On the other hand, H and I got very wet, during our morning walk. Raindrops as big as horse apples. 🙂 Oh, well. That’s what towels are for. We’re supposed to get a food box, this morning. I feel for the delivery guy. And, our postie. We’re supposed to have another clear day, on Friday. I’ll do some more work in the garden.
Given our winter overcast, it’s always twilight, here. 🙂 But, even after sunset, a certain amount of light lingers for a half hour, or so Sometimes, at sunset, the sun drops below the cloud cover, before it slides over the horizon.
People assume the garbage guy will clean up after them. Happens, around here, too. It sometimes amounts in extra charges. There’s a certain amount of recycling, that goes on here at the Institution. It mostly falls on the night manager, to sort things out. I know too much. I don’t bother.
Well, at least they’re not charging you for not having garbage pick up. Unlike your water and sewer. I’ve always been a bit miffed about companies charging more for things left out of products.
I’ve probably seen the 1939 movie version, of Wuthering Heights. I don’t think I ever tackled the book. Or any of the Bronte’s books, for that matter. I read the plot synopsis, on Wiki. Sounds way too complicated to follow.
Ohhh! I watched the trailer for “Send Help.” How … “Lord of the Flies.” You know, there seems to be more and more movies, and books that have a “eat the rich” theme. A new genre?
Trouble in Library Land. One of the major wholesalers to libraries, has bit the dust. I think the death knell was,”…acquired by a private investment group.”
https://www.npr.org/2026/01/07/nx-s1-5668426/libraries-books-distributor-closing
I can remember the good ol’ days (BC … before computers), when bookstores I worked in got microfiche, usually weekly, from wholesalers. Including Baker & Taylor. So, every week we’d have to swap out the many author and title fiches.
There was also a wholesaler which handled small, regional, hippy dippy publishers. 🙂 There microfiche came about once a month.
I see, Karen is dead! 🙂 Karen, the self-entitled, usually white woman, who demands to see the manager. Hail! Jessica! Seems to be a generational thing. I’ll stick with Karen. Lew
Chris:
Lordy – 100F is so hot! Well, you’ve been through this before, so I’m sure you’ll be fine. You still might want to get a wading pool to sit in (except the dogs will take it over; that happened to us). It was 68F (20C)here today – what could be nicer? – and we had the windows open. Everything – especially the ladybugs and stinkbugs in the house, had spring fever. The squirrels were nuttier than ever and Mr. Baby is feeling better and spoke some ugly words to one, who took offense and screamed in his face.
Dame Plum wouldn’t want to meet the groundhog head on. They can be fierce fighters. Of course, Baby Sue used to eat the baby ones and that was a help.
I knew apples and bananas had that gas, but not the other things. I’m glad your peaches are turning out well.
I looked up some stuff on our owls and supposedly they do not migrate, so it is strange that I have not been hearing them. The Great Horned Owl has no predators that I know of, though I guess the little Screech Owls might be eaten by the Great ones.
Here is a 5 min bit of Grand Designs that I came across that I think you will enjoy, and perhaps the accents may remind you of “home”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNNIZ7XCuBw
Pam
Chris,
I would expect Tehachapi Mountain to get snow. The town of Tehachapi, at about 1,200m also. People I know in that area suggest that the town averages between 30 and 50cm per year. They’ve had about 25cm so far this season, apparently. Spokane, with an average seasonal total of 110cm, as had about 10 cm so far. So my comment was more a statement about how mild our winter has been. We *might* get another 1cm to 3cm overnight.
Those are some hot temperatures. Very hot. Too hot. I’ll keep with today’s +2C, clouds, breeze. Much more tolerable. 😉 Plus, Dame Avalanche really appreciates the cool. Her energy level required an extra long walk today. And the hilly course.
Hehehe. Photon torpedoes and shields. Nicely done. Glad that those are helping. Hopefully they will help you sleep during the heatwaves.
Oh, I WANTED the lemon balm. It died on me regardless of how much TLC I was giving it. Twas well before Dame Avalanche. I think maybe it was before Thordog even.
I’m sure there are no messes anywhere on Fernglade Farm. You work hard but adhere to the old adage that the job isn’t finished until the cleaning up is complete. Cleaning up, of course, includes advantageous placement of mess-hiding tarps. 🙂
Tokyo is one of the songs I keep a you tub link to. I like it. Not as good as the Lemon to a Knife Fight, but very good.
Ah, good ear. There were, indeed, multiple timing changes in that Hugh Laurie song. Glad you enjoyed it. It was actually part of a longer video, which has him in many locations with many genres of music. I really enjoy the video. https://ferngladefarm.com.au/2026/01/05/time/
The recent versions of Dune, at least parts 1 and 2, were recently on the telly. We recorded them. Timothy Chalamet as Paul Atreides version. The Princess just informed me that we are having a Dune marathon tonight. I’ll let you know my opinion.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
Hot! Hot! Hot! See, tripled words as a nod to the achievement of triple digits Fahrenheit. I believe that the air temperature reached 108’F in the big smoke. Not nice at all. The plants here seem to be handling the heat better than us mere humans, although I’ve been watering the ferns, vegetables and smaller fruit trees. Of course the term ‘watering’ can mean many different things, and when on limited supplies of tank water, the trees are lucky to get a bucket, and the ferns and veg a couple of minutes at most. It’s amazing how little water is actually required when necessity rudely intrudes. 🙂
Alas, we don’t have the water supplies for a wading pool, although it would be nice. The summer sun is a bit fierce too. Dame Plum would very much enjoy that activity, and in fact dunks her feet in the dogs water container, and then walks wet footprints everywhere.
68’F sounds very nice to me! Perfect in fact. Glad to hear that Mr Baby is feeling better today, and can give the squirrels a solid ‘what for’! Pam, the herbivores sound rather feisty.
Hehe! Go the Baby Sue, bane of all unattended Groundhogs. Dame Plum would probably enjoy the tussle with the groundhogs, but I’ll pass on your warning to the canine. I suspect the Kelpies would attempt to dig open the groundhog burrow, or at least the opening. Rabbits don’t live here for that reason, but they come in from surrounding properties. The dog almost got a rather large rabbit two days ago. Wild rabbits sure are fast though.
Picked a ripe looking apricot this morning. As with the peaches, I’ll let it soften for a few days. Enjoyed lots of gooseberries in breakfast this morning. Yum! Do you grow those berries, or currants?
Dunno about your owls, but down here they don’t migrate either, but, they do require a huge area in which to hunt. The owls depend as much on your place, as that of all of your neighbours. Sadly people down here tend to poison rodents, and that’s not much good I believe for the owls and eagles.
Well done to those two, and it’s a good win. I’d be a touch nervous about the 100mph winds. Ook! The poly tunnel blowing away would have been something else. Utterly scenic though, and about the right size. Thanks!
I’m replying early today because the plan is to spend some time getting the place ready for tomorrow’s crazy heat.
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
Thanks for the clarification, and my comment obviously must be viewed through the lens of one who’d be through a hundred F day and was not in the clearest state of mind. Yes, your winter has been warm, just as this summer here has been warmer than recent years. So far, other summers have been worse, such as the truly bonkers 2019-20 summer where melons happily grew here up in the mountains. They were tasty, but the cost… 🙂 Hope you get some snow, and lot’s of it.
It was another warm one today (day three of four), but tomorrow looks again off the charts. Although, this sort of weather is to be occasionally expected. I’m usually spoilt with pleasant summer days and cool nights, so must not grumble. Actually, there’s a very large and out of control fire to the north and east of here, and tomorrow will not be good for those folks. Victorian properties feared lost in out-of-control bushfire as heatwave persists. I know some people living in that area, and my thoughts are with them.
The Pyrocumulonimbus clouds produced by that fire are alarming – the link has photos. A shame that our society fails to take care of the forests in which the fires are burning.
I envy you your 2’C weather! 🙂 The Kelpies would appreciate Dame Avalanche’s approach to the heat, whilst Ollie (who’s origins are from much warmer climates – the state of Queensland) enjoys baking his head in the sun. The two Kelpie’s are sometimes politely informed that they are Alpine Kelpies and would be no good as working dogs up in the more northerly parts of this country.
Good stuff with the walk, and it does you good too. Wear out the Husky, and you’ll have a happy canine. 🙂
That’s the plan, the sun blinds, bushfire shutters, thick insulation and portable air conditioner can only but slow the rate of heat transfer from outdoors to indoors. Even today, the indoor temperature peaked at 27’C which was uncomfortable, but dealable. Oh poop! The forecast for tomorrow is 42’C. Yay for us. 🙂 It happens. Might get some rain about 5pm or 6pm tomorrow – fingers crossed.
Makes me wonder what sort of climate do the mint family of plants require. Lemon balm is a massive weed here, but in a good way. It gives plenty of organic matter plus flowers for the insects. … … Did a deep dive on the subject you raised and discovered an inordinate quantity of dross. The soils here are loamy, but can hardly be considered moist as most growing advice tended to suggest. Hmm. I can appreciate why you wanted to grow the plant, and am wondering if you’ll give it another go now that your soils are better established?
🙂 The song is fun stuff, and clearly the band wanted to be elsewhere…
I’ll check out the video over dinner. Should be interesting. Timing changes are problematic, because the rest of the band have to be exactly onto them, or it sounds weird to the average listeners ears. Mind you, some bands over do that trick.
Hmm. Respect. I’m not sure that I could manage so much viewing in one setting, and recall with dread the day of the Lord of the Rings all three films, directors cut editions. Unsurprisingly, the next day I was ill with a cold. Why I said yes to that day, is something of a mystery. Hope the films were good, and I read the books as a teenager.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Yeah, 82’F is not really pleasant, but we’re doing OK, and in a better position than those facing some of the bushfires in the state. Tomorrow will be bad. Today was a bit easier as the indoor temperature peaked at 80’F. This is of course an improvement, to which I’m thankful for. We’re desperately trying to cool the house down tonight, for they’re forecasting 108’F in the shade tomorrow. As you’d imagine, I’m not a fan of these conditions, but doing my best stoic moves numbers seven and nine.
Hey, that’s a great observation too about the battery room and the portable cooler. I deliberately purchased locally manufactured solar charge controllers and inverter because they are rated to operate all day long in ambient temperatures of 113’F (and higher). The European stuff which people really like because it is flashy with bells and whistles, apparently begins to de-rate the output when ambient temperatures exceed 86’F. Hmm. I do wonder if fans of the technology appreciate that difference? Sadly local manufacturing has stopped for the inverters.
So yeah, the cooling requirements for server farms must be off the charts in this sort of weather.
Hope the book on the LA fires stands up to the reviews, and at least the author knows the area well. What a mares nest that vegetation discussion is! Far out. It’s really up to the owners of the properties in this state at least, but, there are as-of rights defined zones surrounding a house (and fence lines) where vegetation can be cleared – no permits, no questions. To those who do, it’s probably needful, but people can get really upset about this topic – even when the vegetation in question does not even directly impact upon them. Ook!
And as to housing standards, trust me in this, having designed and built to the highest bushfire resistance building code levels, it’s expensive. My gut feeling is that it would be better for our society to simply produce cheaper housing, and if it gets wiped out, don’t worry about it, rebuild and move on. The cost equation is simply lower on that front, and people won’t feel the need to stay and defend their properties against natural disasters due to the perceived investment. And the outcomes we’re seeing in places like LA, are not optimal – if reconstruction is too expensive, it may not happen. Obviously buildings like apartment blocks are a different matter, if they’re damaged or destroyed, the societal cost is way higher. I still find myself thinking of that leaning tower in SF. Holy carp!
And in the article, if those firefighters were so experienced, why were they relying upon garden hoses hooked up presumably to town water? They’d have known about the potential for pressure drop in the water supply. I didn’t get that at all.
Your weather sounds really lovely to me right now! 🙂 Thanks for the horse apple mention. Very funny. All those horses way back in the day would have supplied some mobile fertiliser for city gardens. Glad you and H were able to dry off after the walk. It happens… Hope you get some sunshine on Friday.
Hehe! I hear you, and winters are rather overcast down here as well. When the winter sun does break through the clouds, it’s a delight. Yup, sunsets can put on a fine show.
The garbage trucks usually only have a single bloke now operating them, and reality does not match those expectations with other folks cleaning up the mess. As an update, the bin / roo situation looked sort-of cleaned up, but what a stink as we drove past. I have a hunch where the carcass was. Hmm.
Knowing sort of takes away some of the gloss off great abstract ideas don’t you reckon? But yeah, at least here, anything which can be, is returned to the soil in one way, or another. The only thing I know will get recycled is metal, although how well that is done, is a whole ‘nother question – which we’ve discussed plenty of times in the past. I do wonder about structural steel being made from that source of mixed metals.
Exactly, that’s one charge I can avoid. The water charge is weird, really, very, deeply, weird. And we haven’t seen a bill from them for I dunno, two years now, but, that’s because they’ve upgraded their computer billing systems and spent I believe over $100m (yes million) and can’t seem to produce bills for many of their customers. We even phoned them up and offered to pay something… But no. Sounds scandalous to me, and how can it be that hard?
I can’t make this stuff up: Greater Western Water customers to receive $130 million redress package after billing failures
Wise to be wary of those sorts of product exclusion practices. Clearly such price hikes are a signal for you to not do what you’re asking them to do. 🙂 In simpler, more blunt language: The go-away price option.
Ah, I’ve only read one of the Bronte sister’s books: Jane Eyre – and quite enjoyed the tale. It was dark and as you say, complicated, put it that way. I felt that the authors voice and narrative was more earthy than Jane Austen. They all died young those authors.
Ooo, the film trailer is a bit Lord of the Flies, yeah. Perhaps the reference to Misery was a bit off the mark, for after all, the protagonist in Mr King’s book whilst a fan of the author, was a random nutter psycho, which is a great sudden plot twist. The film however, was deeply personal, and revenge clearly was to be the lady’s in that instance. It’s a basic revenge tale. Perhaps even a good morality tale too, proving the worth of the golden rule of ‘do unto others’. I’d never treated employees like that bloke did.
Yes, probably not good for the continuing health of a company to become embroiled with such entities. You know, some can start a business, others can run the thing, and yet there are a few who can crash the whole edifice. But there is a special place in the underworld reserved for those whom strip mine a business.
Didn’t you hear that the Big J on the Mount of Olives declare that: Blessed are the small, regional, hippy dippy publishers, for they shall supply inventory when needed at a cost competitive rate! No? Oh well, maybe I made that bit up. Maybe…
What? Who killed Karen? It’s a bit premature to call this, and perhaps the reports are greatly exaggerated! 😉 Such a quotable guy that Mark Twain bloke.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – And, in news of the world … I suppose you heard about Berlin loosing a good chunk of its electricity, due to a eco-terrorist attack.
Bears attacking people in northern Japan, is becoming a problem. And a woman was killed by cougars, in Colorado, while out taking a New Year’s Day stroll.
I saw an interesting article on food pairings, that boost nutrient absorption. I knew about tomatoes and olive oil, but yoghurt and honey? Who knew?
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/6-common-food-pairings-help-120100569.html
And from the Wonderful World of Archaeology, an interesting discovery, from Roman Britain.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/archaeology-breakthrough-largest-known-discovery-33185031
I don’t envy you your weather. Some people seem to glory in heat. Not me. Our high yesterday was 41F (5C). Our overnight low was 36F (2.22C). Our forecast high for today is 45F. Before we went for our midnight walk, I looked out the window and it was raining. By the time we got downstairs, it had stopped. Today seems to have more clearing. A bit of sunshine, now and again. And a few patches of blue sky.
You’d think these people who are against vegetation clearing would look at houses that survived, and figure it out. There are plenty of articles along the lines of “Why did this house survive, when all around it burned.” They’re probably the same people who water their lawns, when there are water restrictions. And just pay the fines.
Japan has always had a kind of traditional view toward less expensive and easily replaced homes. Due to the frequent fires and earthquakes.
Gosh, that water company article was … complicated. Looks like a lot of homework 🙂 . Is that the water company you have to deal with?
I picked up a new book, from the library, yesterday. “Anointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World.” (Stuart, 2025.) I read the introduction, last night, and think it’s going to be a good read. From the dust jacket: “The answer to all these questions is social status – a system of invisible hierarchies that influences every aspect of our lives, from our health to our personal relationships and careers to our behavior in social and work settings to the tastes and preferences we form. Without it, we’d be lost and paralyzed when faced with even the simplest decisions.”
Who killed Karen? A bunch of young internet influencers who wanted their own “Karen,” for their own generation.
We got a food box, yesterday. The commodities box. It actually had some fruit and veg, this time. Six small potatoes, seven small apples and three Butternut squash, ranging in size from small to large. There was also a two pound bag of frozen, farm raised, catfish fillets (!?). And, a two pound bag of “instant corn masa flour.” I got one of those, once before. I put it on the swap table. But now, I don’t quit know what to do with it. I don’t think Jane would be interested. There are recipes on the bag, and things on the internet.
Speaking of Jane, I put together a bag of stuff, that I knew she could use. And then made a list of everything else, to ask her about. No joy. Jane was out sick, yesterday. 🙁 I wonder if she’s got the flu. I saw a headline that there hasn’t been this many cases, in 25 years.
We got our monthly newsletter from Little Mary Sunshine. Oh, joy. There was one line, “…we are preparing for our HUD inspections…” What? When? I’ll get more details from her, but she was hold up in her office, today, and “not receiving.” Or, maybe I’ll glean some intel from our night manager. Lew
Chris:
No, not nice. I am seeing stories about your heat in the regular news. Hang in there! Silly me – I forgot about your water limits. Hey – when we were kids in Dallas, Texas every summer it got well over 100F and we would go outside on the hottest day and see if we could fry an egg (no pan) on the sidewalk. We could indeed! Go get an egg from one of the girls.
I tried to grow gooseberries once and they failed for some reason. I like them, though. I never get to have currants and I only have a vague memory of having tried them. You like them, eh?
Today we had our first loads of gravel delivered for the driveway and area next to the house. These are some of the areas my son has completely reworked with the CAT, made wider and smoother. Next will be the area around the barn, and where the garage will hopefully be built someday. Last will be the road that goes to the back of the property. Yay! No more mud! But, boy, is gravel expensive.
The man who delivered the gravel today, Dale, told my son a story about how, a little while back, his wife had called him to tell him that she had looked at their wildlife camera set up on their property (he is a hunter) and that there was a big pig standing in front of it. Dale thought “Hot dog! I’m gonna shoot me some dinner!” When he got home, the camera still showed it standing there, so he walked down to it – with his gun – and it ran up and happily greeted him. They now have a pet pig of 180 pounds.
My son thinks someone bought a baby pig for a pet that they thought would be small at maturity and it kept on growing, and they just let it loose because they could not afford to feed it. It is indeed eating an enormous amount and also likes to run down to the creek and wallow in the mud and then it runs back up to the house and lies on the front porch. Thank goodness it didn’t come to our house.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Oh yeah, looking at the climate records, and considering your story about the frying of the egg (probably do that here today as well 😉 ), it sure gets hot in Dallas, with humidity to boot, plus mind bendingly cold too occasionally. Where you are now seems much nicer climate wise.
It’s 104’F outdoors now and might get to 110’F over the next hour or so, and indoors is 81’F. But the wind! Far out, the wind is feral. It’s as bad a day as is ever experienced in this corner of the continent, and there are fires everywhere. Some of those involve people I know and care about. The next big town north of here (7,500 people) seems to have lost their power. Ook. It’s an absolute poop storm out there today.
We’re hiding in the house today, hoping for the best.
Always hard to know why a particular plant died, and gooseberries apparently seem to dislike hard frosts. Who knew? We grow red and black currants, which taste the same to me. Quite a tart taste, and far better used in a country wine – which is very nice tasting. Some plants are like that, and elderberry flowers spring to mind. The Elderberries are a favourite of all of the birds living here, and the plants grow feral in the area anyway.
🙂 Such work is music to my earthwork ears. Well done with all that, and you’ll all appreciate it for many years. It is like that though, what with the expense, but after a long enough while you wonder why it wasn’t all done earlier. Making a place easier to live with is motivating, and easier, as you’d be enjoying?
Not a fan of mud either. 😉
Hehe! Pam, they used to sell these here things called miniature pigs, but they weren’t so diminutively sized. They got real big! I’ve only heard good things about having pigs as a pet. What’s your take on the comparison between dog smarts, and pig smarts? The guys of the big shed fame used to have pigs, and they were lovely creatures.
I’m with your son’s take on the story of how it came to be.
Don’t they wallow because they have no sweat glands, and the act cools them off?
Fingers crossed… 🙂
Cheers
Chris
Chris,
Yeah, it’s hot there. It’s not cool inside your house either. If I were in that situation, my brain would not be working well. It would be fried. I don’t know how you’re able to reply coherently to all of us.
“Hope you get some snow, and lot’s of it.” So it’s YOUR fault. 😉 Our expected half inch of snow turned into a half foot of snow. Or more, depending on location in the metro area. Yes, over 15cm of snow fell, 13cm of it in about 2 hours. Seriously. Snowflakes were huge and there were a lot of them. It was spectacularly pretty to watch. It fell at +1C, then after it quit, the temp dropped to -1C. The roads were very icy in the morning. Glad I didn’t have to be anywhere. Officially, 7 inches for an official total of 13.7 inches so far this season.
Big Bertha did a wonderful job moving snow. Then the clouds disappeared, the sun came out, and we got nicely warm. +3C. Major roads are clear now.
Those wildfires look nasty. Fierce. Those are huge clouds they’re generating. Hope your friends are ok.
Spokane’s south hill has a large drop on the west end down to Latah Creek. The steep climb up the ridge has brush, native grasses and Ponderosa pines. Several hundred acres of that slope was cleared of dried undergrowth and deadfall limbs earlier this winter. Urban fire prevention program. That same program cleared up a lot of stuff a few years ago from the Palisades Park area. When there was a fire later that year in Palisades Park, there wasn’t enough dried understory debris to allow the fire to spread very much. At least around town there is some attempt at some forest management.
Dame Avalanche was in her element today. Cool weather. Gobs of fresh snow. Sunshine. She dragged me over the neighborhood. I need to buy a sled to hook her up to, pull me around in style.
Another try at lemon balm? Perhaps. Maybe not. I’m uncertain. Does it show?
TIme changes. Music. This one by Dave Brubeck is the KING of time changes throughout the song. The timing changes frequently, maybe every few measures in parts of the song. Most of the time signatures are rather, bizarre, not standard, frankly very weird. But somehow it works. No, this is one I never attempted to play. Brubeck is not everybody’s cup of tea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqPC-BkylxA
Normally, we don’t binge watch things. It just seemed the night to watch two 3-hour movies back-to-back. At least we could fast forward through the commercials.
I liked most of the casting for these Dune movies. It took 2 movies to get through the first book. Little details were still missed, but the gist of the story was told and told well. Parts moved slow, but the details told and shown in those parts were important. The Fremen culture was portrayed in enough detail for it to make sense, too The Princess enjoyed the movies. So did I. They made for an enjoyable evening.
I read the first three books as a teenager. “God Emperor” when I was at university. Struggled to get through the next one, then couldn’t get into the final two. Haven’t tried reading any of the books written by his son. A youngster that I rode the bus with a lot was trying to collect the series, couldn’t find either the 2nd or 3rd book. I gave him all three that I owned. My reading tastes have changed, although I do have fond memories of the books.
DJSpo
Hi Everyone,
Today is completely off the charts nuts. Here’s some photos from a few minutes ago. They’re all clickable hi-resolution images, and you can see for yourselves what’s going on. Anyhoo, the photos tell a better story than I can. My heart goes out to those whom lost their houses, lives and to all the forest critters who’d had no chance to flee.
With a heavy heart…
Smoky air looking over towards Gisborne
A baleful sun
Smoke everywhere 36’C outdoors and 28’C indoors. The dogs are pooped by the heat
Chris
Hi DJ,
Thanks for understanding, and this week has been err, challenging to say the least. Today is off the charts nuts. You’d hate the smoke man, the air is thick as now and 36’C still. The wind is feral today. This is the fourth one of these days I’ve experienced in my lifetime, and they never get easier. My brain overloaded a little while ago, and the tear or two was perhaps because something got in my eye, yeah maybe it was.
Well yeah, my shoulders are big enough for that. AND, did I not mention the most excellent weather working – never fails – may have been used on your behalf. So, if you want more rain, or snow, you head outdoors and claim to the looming storm: Mate, I piss bigger than this! This challenge of course must be used judiciously, and with care for the proper timing. Too early, not good. Too late, too bad. And remember not to cross the streams, that would be very bad. 😉 Glad you got the decent dump of snow.
The clear sunny skies after the storm are always a welcome sight. And Big Bertha, needs a big thumbs up.
I dunno about my friends, and don’t wish to bother them at this time. The south west wind change may hit their area maybe 9pm this evening, and the fire in that area will then get very deeply weird as the front gets huge. That’s the big danger. At least the wind is meant to slacken off after the initial burst (maybe).
Some of the fires from today are unstoppable. They have to either run out of fuel, or pray for rain, lot’s of it. That working could come in handy.
Yeah, we’ve spoken of that clean up work – and that’s what it looks like. My winters are full of that activity, but the comptrollers of the state forests and national parks, have no taste (or most likely no budget) for the activity. Does it work, absolutely – as you’ve seen for yourself. The Indigenous folks know, and did that work on a scale which baffles the western mind.
Go Dame Avalanche! 🙂 That’s her perfect conditions. The sled is a great idea to work off some of that Husky energy. People would love to see it too, it’d become a real talking point.
Hehe! You used to be certain, nowadays you’re not so sure. 😉
Dave sure knows his keys. I can see the composition may annoy some jazz traditionalists. It’s all over the shop, whilst remaining coherent. Got an urgency to it too, with some nifty key changes, plus counterpoints. Very cool.
I rarely sit down to watch films, but today made an exception being stuck in the house and certainly in no head space to work. A good idea, although one part of the brain keeps an alert upon unfolding events.
Yeah, hey, remember the early Dune film? Missed more than a little bit of the story! The book was incredibly detailed, and the author Frank Herbert was good friends with my fave (and lesser known but more prolific and awesome story teller in the old school style) author Jack Vance.
You’re in good company, because I got to around that point in the story and decided also to put the series down. Got bored.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Well, ain’t it a thing? That lot have been poking the bear, and got a reaction. Infrastructure is quite vulnerable as we’ve discussed with that random incident in your part of the world so long ago which was never resolved. I’m unsurprised that such a thing has occurred. It’s cold there, and hot here, and perhaps there are probably more folks without power in this state right now. Geopolitics, it’s no good, and only a game for those who are strong. If sabres are rattled in a threatening manner, the wielder has to make sure they know how to use the blade. Only one country has a big enough blade for the bear to take notice of and respect, and it ain’t them. Of course, that lot are also into renewables in a big way, and may have simply stressed out transformers.
Moving on. My mind is perhaps on other matters today… 😉 Man, it was crazy down here. This is the fourth time in my life that the temperatures and winds have been off the charts in this part of the world. Creates quite the memorable and lasting impression. We’re doing OK although now subject to some hot acrid smelling air, but some friends are a bit close for comfort, and there ain’t a darned thing I can do for them. Fingers crossed. They may be lucky that the wind change is relatively uneventful, maybe. I hope so.
Some other folks I know of an hours drive north of here have a commercial orchard, and presumably the other orchardists in that area all turned on their irrigation because the fire halted at the boundary but ran in an easterly direction, and north and around them.
No doubts the Japanese will politely cull the bear population. I’d not walk calmly around in the dark with such toothy apex predators lurking about! Seems remarkably unwise. The critters here will kill a person dead just as surely, but the difference being that us humans had merely startled and/or annoyed them, rather than seeing us as long pig and an easy feed.
The whetstones are a subject close to my heart, being deeply involved with machine maintenance here. Did you notice that the stones discarded were probably done so because they were the incorrect length? Standardisation of products is a significant advantage, but the wrong sized whetstone is better than none.
Ain’t me either with the heat. I hear you about that. Today was a day to be gotten through, but what incredible turmoil across the entire state. Around midnight yesterday, I sat outside in the heat and watched dry lightning storms to the south and north of here, some of which ignited fires in the adjacent parallel northerly mountain range. Being early in the day today, those fires were extinguished. There’s been some close calls. I took your advice and in the hottest part of the day watched a film you recommended recently – the one with the angel. 😉 What a film, and it painted a bleak picture. The pee bottle scene was memorable, and we’ve discussed that subject. Kind of lays out why things look like they do in your country right now, not that we’re much better. I work hard, but could see where things were headed and took some elementary precautions many years ago. But today shows how precarious it all can be. Thanks for the film review too, much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did?
Glad to hear that you and H dodged the rain – not always the case is it?
Possibly so about the green lawns, and that was allegedly a major issue for a property holder in the I believe 2019-2020 fires. Lot’s of small fines which may have escalated into a six digit monster penalty. The general rule with that lot is to pay the fine firstly, then argue it out, doing otherwise is only for those with deep pockets.
You mentioned the Japanese perspective on housing, and it is eminently sensible. Why resist when the cost is so great?
Sorry to say it, but yup, those are the water folks. The entire situation is beyond my understanding. How can such an expensive billing system even make any financial sense – even if it did work? And I did not understand the directives either, and will probably have to pay up, eventually.
Did you pick up any interesting items of information from the book on status? It’s a deep subject, and displayed symbols have considerable meaning for our species. Maybe you and I ain’t wired right by ignoring them! 🙂
It’s not nice to say bad things about the departed, so here goes: Karen is dead, good. 😉 Actually I totally ripped that one liner. It’s good isn’t it? Heard it used a few weeks ago, and it has an interesting background story.
The produce was sounding pretty good until you got to the bit about Masa flour. What the heck is that? … … Ah! That is good stuff, I see. I’d not appreciated that the grains were nixtamalised and then re-dried and ground into a digestible corn flour. Hmm. Thanks for mentioning the process, might come in handy. Interestingly, the field corn never germinated, or any other variety, but it may be simply too early in the season. Dunno. Maybe time for some experiments in the kitchen for you?
Oh poop, sorry hear that Jane was under the weather. Hope it passes, and post mid-winter is notably a difficult time to get vitamins in oneself. Early spring is even harder.
Double poopy! An impending inspection of unknown variety and timing…
Cheers
Smokey the Chris 😉
Yo, Chris – Boy, you’re doing it rough. I read a few articles about your current wildfires. 30 active blazes, in your state! Temperatures of 46C (114F)! That’s just crazy. Or, crazy making. My thoughts go out to your friends in the Big Shed. And, also your good selves.
The pictures you posted are really something. Though I must say, I enjoyed the panoramic view of the interior of your house. We don’t get those, often.
Most of the bear problems, in Japan, are up on the northern island of Hokkaido. An interesting place, I’d think. It’s the last redoubt of the Ainu people, who are Japan’s indigenous population. And, like indigenous people all over the world, they have not been treated very well by the Japanese.
What I’ve always found interesting, is that the Ainu are very much like our northwest coast Native Americans. So many similarities. Right down to to design motifs, etc.. The reason I mention them is that they have bear clans, and even some of their spirituality, religious practices, and mythology have to do with bears.
I thought you’d like the whetstone article.
🙂 Judging from some of the letters preserved at Vindolanda, outside contractors furnished many of the needs of the Roman army. Those contracts were probably worth a pretty penny.
I’m glad you liked the movie “Good Fortune.” One scene may have been lost on people who aren’t acquainted with the homeless, as I am. The gym scene. Many of the homeless maintain gym memberships, just so they can maintain standards of personal hygiene. I also hear our new overnight shelter provides showers. And, laundry facilities.
Our high yesterday was 45F (7.22C). Our overnight low was 41F (5C). Our forecast high for today is 49F. Fluffy white clouds and sunshine. A good thing, too, as I’ve spent some time hauling around bags of compost.
I notice the general merchandise store, next to the Club had bags of composted chicken poop. Just under $4 a bag. I ran down to the Club, last night, and stopped by there, just before closing. I bought 8 bags. It’s one cubic foot. A nice young man loaded it for me. But, I had to unload them, this morning. Due to the high water content, those things are heavy! But I got them distributed around the gardens, close to where I will use them.
Once that was unloaded, I went down to the smaller, chain hardware store, where I got the mushroom compost, last year. I nabbed the last 5 bags, at just under $8 per. Again, one cubic foot, and heavy. I loaded them, myself. I need three more bags. According to the net, our local big box hardware may, or may not have some bags.
As you probably know, your field corn may not have germinated, due to heat. Some plants won’t (looking at you, tomatoes.) 🙂
The book on status is really about how even some of our most small, or unconscious decisions, often are nudged one way or another by status and hierarchy clues. And boy, do we make a lot of decisions, every waking hour.
There was an interesting experiment, run by a couple of psychiatrists. They convinced a local supermarket, to reduce the choices of jam, to just 6 for a period of time. They actually sold more jam, when there were fewer choices. Too many choices, and people just throw in the towel, and move on. Will business take note of the negative aspects of too many choices? As with the “5% of your customers are not worth dealing with,” probably not.
I happened to talk to the maintenance dude, this morning. No date on a HUD inspection, but, when they get a date, Little Mary Sunshine will be doing ANOTHER pre-inspection apartment inspection. This is just nuts. Lew
Hi Chris,
What horrid weather you experienced – at least I hope it has cooled down and the winds have died down. I’m very glad that you and Sandra and the fluffy collective and everyone else who lives on your land made it through. May the same be so for your friends. I hope that damage from the fires is as small as possible.
We had a little rain yesterday during a very warm and humid day for January (high 67F, still a few degrees short of the record). It’s cooler today and sunny but cooling off more tomorrow to actual winter coldness for a couple of days. Then back up for a couple of days, then back down again for what may be an extended period of time. The usual winter weather roller coaster. Summer is when the weather is dependable – dependably hot, that is. No trouble growing ripe melons, peppers, okra, or sweet potatoes in the open garden here!
Claire
Chris:
Oh, no. We knew it would happen. Are there any fires close to you?
It is my understanding that pigs are possibly way smarter than dogs, but I don’t know as I have never known a pig, except for Arnold Ziffel. I thought that it was dogs that don’t have sweat glands and so sweat through their lolling tongue.
My son knows another pig story, this one from a farm manager nearby that he knows. The rich farmer this manager works for has a pet pig and the farm manager feeds it. It has 10 boxes of cornflakes with milk every morning. I don’t know about the other meals. The farm manager also has to bathe the pig every day. He sure must make a good salary.
I just realized, with something that came in the mail today, that it is a new year and thus it is time to begin gathering the paperwork together to pay taxes. Here, we have till April 15, but who wants to wait until the last minute? My son does mine for me. Years ago I did the joint taxes for my husband and I, until he started his first business, and after that we hired – an accountant!
I paid $2.79US per gallon for gas today. That is lowest I remember in a long time.
“The report of my death was an exaggeration”. I just had to get out my Mark Twain quotes.
Pam
Chris,
Ook! Those photos say it all and then some. I recognize the sky from some of our insanely hot and smoky days. I can take a good guess at how you and Sandra feel.
Your experience with the Weather Beings is different than mine. Were I to say something like “Mate, I piss bigger than this!” I would either be smote (smate? smited?) with a thunderbolt or the clouds would open up and dump water ONLY ON ME at firehose strength. Or maybe both, just to teach me to mind my manners and not be a smart whatever.
Those kinds of fires just keep going until they either burn out or get an ocean of rain on them, well, yeah. We get those around the region sometimes. Not a good thing. Gotta feel for those who are displaced by the fire and maybe even lose everything. The secondary group gets stuck breathing that smoke for weeks on end until after the fires are gone. Not a good scenario for anybody, really.
Dame Avalanche was still in Happy Super Husky Mode today. I bet you’d trade your 38C for my 38F right about now. Silly husky puts her nose in the snow and starts to run full bore, or at least as fast as the inferior aging human with wonky knees is able to go. 😉
I heard a rumor that Heisenberg may have been here, but everybody is uncertain about his whereabouts. He might be keeping company with Schrödinger’s cat for all we know. 😉
Glad you enjoyed the Brubeck piece. I was introduced to that in 1978 when in college choir. Some of the guys in there were also in various jazz bands and talked about that particular Brubeck song a lot.
That’s also about the time I got introduced to the music of Thelonius Monk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJs2eCqhTN0
Or my favorite of his: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHKl0euhZI0
My music theory teacher was FUN!. Often, he would sit at the piano and lecture, always playing “Girl from Ipanema”. Playing exceedingly well. And he wasn’t a pianist, he was a trumpet player by trade. But virtually everything we needed to learn about music theory that term was contained in “Girl from Ipanema”.
That early Dune movie? The 1984 version starring Kyle MacLachlan (from Yakima, Washington) as Paul Atreides? I despised it. It may very well be one of the reasons (in addition to the series becoming boring)I quit reading the series. In fact, after watching that movie, I was never able to read even the original book again. I thought it was very poorly cast and was badly put together, even with Frank Herbert as the creative consultant.
Good to know I’m not alone in how far I got in the series before it bored me.
UGG! The Princess had to go to her brother this afternoon. His deceased wife’s brother’s wife died. I can make that even longer and maybe even confusing: my wife’s brother’s deceased wife’s brother’s wife died. Or, the way I prefer to say it, “a distant kinswoman passed, so the Princess will attend the services”. At least the roads are all good, a warming trend is starting, and there is no precipitation in the forecast for many days.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
It’s happened before, and no doubt will happen again, but I’d prefer to have a few more winters of clean up work under the belt before being put to the test. Oh well. So far, it’s OK here except for the smoke. The big shed guys are doing OK too. The nearest fire is about an hours drive north to here. I visit that area regularly to go to the cool store for local apples – the orchards survived from what I can see on the maps (and that cool store seems to have dodged the fire too, but another one burned as that town got hit hard), and um yeah, that area is still burning fiercely. It’s weird seeing images of places you know well, destroyed.
Last night as we went to bed, far to south were intense dry lightning storms, and sure enough, today there are fires way down in that heavily forested area near to the coast. It’s hard to know where to look honestly.
They’ve declared a state of emergency, which means that evacuations can be forced, plus the defence forces have been called in to help out. It’s pretty serious stuff, and some of the fires will burn and burn and burn, until they run out of fuel, or big rains fall. There’s some remote country the fires are burning in, and to put it in some perspective, the state is half the size of California, but with an eighth of the population. Lot’s of back country.
Arnold Ziffel is lovely, and no doubts smarter than all of us combined! 😉
Yup, what a story about that pig living in hogtopia! A nice arrangement. And dunno about you, but it’s one of the reasons we don’t have livestock other than the chickens – they’d quickly become pets.
Wise to not leave such matters to the last minute, and I tend to manage the annual workflow for paid work, by trying to guess who wants their work done and when. You’d be in the early category. 😉 If everyone demanded their work done all at the same time, we’d go nuts. Hope your experience has been good.
That sure is some cheap fuel. For your interest, we’re paying about $1.70 a Litre (or $6.46 a gallon). That’s what 90% import of oil looks like, but we export heaps of gas, coal, iron ore etc… Somehow it all balances out. The local preference is for what you’d call trucks (but probably on the smaller size eg. Ford Ranger seems popular) or SUV’s. The Suzuki’s are a bit smaller… 🙂 Like Mr Musty is. Why pay more is my way of thinking, but that may be an unpopular perspective.
Hehe! It’s a great quote isn’t it? Top work spotting it’s use too.
It was much cooler here today at 79’F and with nothing better to do, we did a day’s firewood splitting, hauling and stacking. Tomorrow will be colder again. Crazy weather, a bit of moderation would be nice. It’s not too much to ask, is it? 😉
Cheers
Chris
Hi Claire,
Thank you for your kind thoughts, and it’s been a tough week. The larger fires are still burning, and will continue to do so until they run out of fuel and/or there is a large rain event. Much of the state is remote and sparsely populated, and yeah, there’s a lot of wild spaces which are hard to get to.
The big shed guys are like us, doing OK, but my friends over in the north east are about 10km away from a very major fire front, and that’s a worry. Fingers crossed and they are very much on my mind. The temperatures are cooling, and midweek there may even be a little bit of rain, but until then…
Claire, I’d never see 19’C here on a winters day only a few weeks out from the solstice. 🙂 For interest I looked more closely at the climate tables for your city, and whoa! You’ve got both kinds of heat: high average maximums combined with an average of 60% humidity, plus summer rainfall. Funny how different areas have their good, bad and in-between points even when near to the same latitudes.
Melbourne has a close-ish climate to where you are in the summer months, and my growie friends there also tell me such tales too about ripe melons, peppers, okra, or sweet potatoes! Mind you, the average summer mean maximum for there is about 5’F to 10’F cooler than where you are at, and at lower humidity, due to half the average rainfall. Your summers are tough-as. Although the big smoke gets more extreme temperatures (like one year with 10 days over 40’C), balanced off in the statistics by sudden shifts to cool winds arriving via the Southern Ocean. Variability is complicated.
🙂 What can I say, I’m soft. We moved up into the mountains north of Melbourne to escape the summer heat, just like the wealthy old timers did, them which created the stunning Hill Station Gardens in the more fashionable western end of the range – and continue to maintain. Being at 700m above sea level, we get to enjoy a climate equivalent of around latitude 44’S, which sadly means no melons. But we can do kiwi fruit.
Although, global warming is a thing, and in the Black Summer of 2019 – 2020, tasty melons once grew here. It’s a worry what our species are doing to the environment which keeps us all alive. And truly, I’ve no idea what it would be like to garden in a stable climate. I’m struggling to comprehend conditions one week from the next. Tomorrow may only produce a maximum temperature of 16’C. My brain hurts… 🙂
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
Thought you’d appreciate the photos, and they all tell the story. This morning, the smoke smell was acrid, but then during the day the winds shifted to the south and the stink lifted. Southerly winds here are generally cooler – frozen continent way off to the south and stuff. You can see the smoke in the air tonight and the setting sun right now is a weird yellow / orange colour. It’s meant to be pretty bad in the big smoke the Editor tells me, thus the name is appropriate. She went into the city tonight for dinner with friends.
With the cooler air today, despite the smoke, we opened the house to cool the internal temperature and got it down to 22’C now. Outdoor today the maximum was 26’C, and with nothing better to do, and truly nowhere to go, a day was spent splitting, hauling and stacking firewood. Might rinse and repeat again tomorrow.
It’s nice to be outdoors though, for us and the dogs. Ruby has the thickest coat, and with the indoor temperature reaching (from memory 28’C or 29’C) during the worst of yesterday (42’C outdoors), she’s got some heat rash today which is making her itchy. Dame Plum and Ollie are doing fine, but they’re less anxious personalities. Slipped her some Telfast, honey and coconut oil, and she’s asleep now. 😉
Before that, I took the heat stressed dog out for a very long walk tonight, and hopefully that has burned off the worst of her literal cabin fever.
With the house cooler tonight, I’m baking a batch of toasted muesli whilst replying. Tomorrow is going to be downright cold at 16’C, and I’m so going to love it. Alas, the cold change won’t be accompanied by much rain, so the fires in the state will just keep on doing what they’re doing. It’s tough out there man.
Ook! Hey, now you mention it, the blog code of conduct was totally broken by using the actual words for the weather incantation. Oops, broke my own rule there. Well, I guess exceptions can be made for truly rotten circumstances such as yesterdays weather. Your suggestion is perhaps all too real a possibility, and it reminds me of an old Wizard of Id cartoon. 😉 You’ve also proven that a dude must be careful as to what they wish for. Hehe! Smited, sounds better to my reading ears. The Editor sometimes tells me off for driving with my ears… I retort by suggesting that she can drive, and there the matter rests, although with eyes forward.
Everyone, and everything else loses in these big fires – and how you described the scenario is exactly the same down here. Man, we’ve discussed this over the many years, but far out, how many times does a land management methodology need to be proven wrong, before change can take place? The Indigenous folks knew better than to allow this as a possibility, thus why they tied the fate of their souls to the land. It’s us enlightened folks who’ve got that story completely and utterly wrong. Oh well.
Go Dame Avalanche. What fun it sounds as if the canine is having in the snow. And yeah, I so hear you about that. Sometimes the dogs here, even the middle-aged Ollie just want to run and run. Can us humans ever keep up? Probably not. 😉
Heisenberg may not be as clever as he thought he was. Now I know for sure, that the cat is also currently enjoying Martini espresso’s in a bar on a tropical island in the north east of this continent. You heard it here first. And, the feline in question may watch the cat-egory (like the pun?) two cyclone whisht past from the comfort of a well constructed drinking establishment for wealthy fat cats. Oh yeah, it’s happening! The whole experiment is a farce, it depicts a false duality, when everybody knows that cats exist on many different planes and multi dimensional universes, all at once – thus the eerie mildly superior quality exhibited in the species to that of say, the more solid Husky. 🙂
Theolonius clearly values rhythm. Dom-dom setting the piece. He’s good. And the title is a hoot. The Girl from Ipanema yeah, I see what you mean, and the structure does inform much popular music today. How good is to have teachers who are fun and can also instil a sense of joy and wonder into a subject?
DJ, you’ve raised an awful question there: Should authors be involved in directing a film production of their work? After all, much material has to be cut from the book so as to fit a two hour medium.
Dare I say it? Yes, maybe I will. The book series lost it’s err, Spice. 🙂 I now retreat from the field with full honours at having delivered a truly classy pun. Feels good bro!
So sorry for your lady’s loss of her near kin. These things never get easier, or lesser, and glad that the roads are at least open and not in treacherous condition. What else do you do? I appreciated your wry humour too. The losses pile up don’t they?
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Thank you so much for saying that. It is nuts down here this week, and to throw in some extra craziness, a category two cyclone will make landfall in the state of Queensland tomorrow morning. Named Koji, apparently. What the heck is going on? Oh that’s right, summer down under style.
My friends of the big shed fame are doing OK, and out of harms way – for the moment. Other folks I know are doing it much tougher, and the fire front is not far from them at all, although the winds and heat are looking not too extreme in the ten day forecast.
Ruby has a bit of heat stress, and was quite itchy. I checked for ticks, and instead found a rash in her armpits which may have been an insect bite of some sort. Slipped her some Telfast with honey, coconut oil and some beef jerky. She liked that, and is now sound asleep. Reminded me of the days when Dame Scritchy was bitten by ants and swelled up like a puffer fish. Easily fixed.
🙂 Thought you’d like that photo. Did you know, that all of the furniture in the image was locally made – from back in the days when such things occurred? The red couch was a true find, a one off with a really interesting (also locally made) fabric – $250, a bit of clean up and Scotchguarding and it’s perfect. The leather couch is really soft full hide, not some welded together off the cutting room floor stuck together imitation. The former owners had issues with one of the cushions (easily repaired) and that was $400. The table I’ve mentioned before but that was $100, which is crazy given it was hand made out of super thick local timbers. It was stained a weird walnut colour though, which we stripped back and coated with six layers of semi-gloss tung oil. A lovely finish. Yeah sure, I’ll take all this stuff off your hands… I’m astounded that quality just doesn’t seem to factor into prices, but hey, you’d have likewise benefited in the past from that in your tat trade days. By the way, the chairs are a French farmhouse design bought in a clearance sale – and they’re comfy, which has been remarked upon by visitors.
If the place burned down, I’d go the same process again and just hunt around until the right items turn up. And these items would have all been many multi-thousands of mad cash to buy in the first place. It makes no sense to me that this stuff has little perceived value. Oh well.
The Ainu traditional houses were quite impressive in scale and construction techniques. Those winters would be cold. The bear motif suggests a totem animal. It’s hard not to notice the now island chain stretching north and west of that larger island. People moved around, and for one example, the island state of Tasmania wasn’t an island all that long ago.
😉 Got me with the whetstone article. I’m always curious about how things were done way back in the day. For your interest, I do have a whetstone, but haven’t made much use of it. The sort of metal sharpeners used nowadays tend to take a lot of metal off an edge, and that’s quick, but not ideal. Such processes can only be done when good steel is plentiful.
Almost forgot to mention, the film Knowing, was filmed around these parts – the house and garden scenes.
We’d spoken about gym memberships, and that was not lost on me. Truly, the picture painted was bleak and yes, ‘the pee bottle’ was also an horrendous concept. All consequences of a deliberate over supply of labour. Hmm. The policy can only continue whilst the population grows and supply of labour outstrips demand. It’s not lost on me that following on from the Black Death in the middle ages, there were a lot of societal changes.
Your winter weather continues to sound like a wintry forecast from these parts. It was 78’F here today, and although I’d intended to have a day off work, the crazy situation in the state, suggested to stay at home. Anywhoo, we did another days work on the firewood splitting, hauling and stacking. One more day of that job to go, then it’s done for the year. It’ll be cold tomorrow, maybe a maximum of 61’F and my brain is getting smooshed around with all of the swings. Climate stability, what is this thing? 😉
Yeah, compost can hold a goodly quantity of water. You can feel that same effect on the Suzuki when the stuff is in the trailer. It’s actually easier digging soil in the drier months.
Oh my! Despite this week’s crazy weather, the soil may not yet be warm enough for corn. Yikes! Need second greenhouse. A number of tomatoes have self seeded (volunteered), so who knows?
Glad my brain has a reasonable auto-pilot function and so all those decisions need not be consciously faced. Sometimes of course the programs do need some tweaking when harsh life lessons are learned! Happens to the best of us, and perhaps also you and I. 🙂
Too many choices in a supermarket does my head in, but then I hit that store with a list, and don’t deviate from the plan. You also seem to know ahead of time what you intended to purchase, but I don’t know how common that is as a strategy? Dunno.
Oh goodie, the inspection stuff may all be loose talk? They’re not free to do, someone is paying for that, somewhere.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – I’m glad to hear that the weather is turning more tolerable, for you. I wonder if the typhoon will bring some rain? I’m happy to hear that the Big Shed folks are, for the moment, out of harms way. Imagine having to move all those animals? I wonder if some American fire crews will be coming over to help? It’s, more or less, their slack season, here.
Poor Ruby! Sometimes, she’s a hard luck dog. 🙂 Gosh, you referred to Ollie as middle aged. Seems like just yesterday, he was a puppy.
Over the years, I’ve gotten the backstory on most of your furniture finds. Yes, it is so odd that fine furniture goes begging. I’ve mentioned that the auction up in Olympia often has well made, high end furniture that, to my way of thinking, is extremely undervalued. Ditto a lot of the antique stuff.
I just had a memory jogged. Back in the early 1960s (I think), my Dad had a friend, who was contracted to clean out a high end furniture store, that had a fire. There was a lot of furniture that was charred, but quit a bit that just suffered smoke or heat damage. For helping out, Dad got his pick of any of the damaged furniture. As I remember, we got a dinning room table and chairs, a drop front desk, a china cupboard and coffee and end tables. They were mostly solid mahogany, I think. That was the furniture they had, til the end.
As far as the Japanese Ainu and our coastal tribes, “…genetic studies indicate that they are not closely related.” I still think there was some cross pollination, but, it could also be a case of “sociocultural parallel evolution.” Sort of. When you have two separated cultures, that live in a very similar environment, the cultures may evolve in similar directions. Without much cross pollination. 🙂
That’s interesting that parts of “Knowing” were filmed in Australia. Nick Cage must like working there. 🙂 H and I made a quick trip to the library, to pick up a couple of things, this morning. One was an Australian film, “based on true events.” It’s a WWII film. Here’s the trailer. Not for the faint of heart. “Beast of War.”
https://youtu.be/aCK4C0pWwMs?si=8crTAQtg8CAcVmuk
Our high yesterday was 48F (8.88C). Our overnight low was 41F (5C). Our forecast high for today is 49F. It was actually dry when I took H for her morning walk, and we made a library run. No worries. Rain will be back after 5PM. BUT! if the forecast holds, from Tuesday on, next week, it will be clear, and maybe even sunny. I’m working up to a mindset, to hit the garden hard! 🙂
I most always take a list to the store. Mostly, so I don’t forget something. I’ve started my Winco list, for this month.
I got gas, yesterday. $3.90 a US gallon, regular grade, with the cash discount. Due to the upcoming election, this fall, I think gas prices will stay low, the rest of the year. Funny how that works. 🙂 Lew
PS: I forgot, a bear tale …
https://www.foxnews.com/us/550-pound-bear-finally-evicted-from-california-home-after-bizarre-strategy-ends-monthlong-ordeal
So, I guess the bear is now homeless. Maybe he can get a gym membership? 🙂 Lew
Chris:
It is weird seeing places you know destroyed by fire. There was (“was”) a small mountain town in Colorado that we always visited when I took my sons up to Colorado to visit my parents each summer. One year (25 or 30 years ago) it was destroyed by fire and it was so eerie seeing it the next time we went. So sad. I wish I could remember the name.
Half the size of California is a really big area and an 8th of California’s population is still alot of people. One people is too many to lose in a fire.
I haven’t read all of this article, it is a long one, (so don’t worry about it), but the beginning gives the gist of what that community did that helped save their buildings from a wildfire.
https://www.kunc.org/environment/2021-07-07/thinning-the-forest-saved-shambhala-from-colorados-largest-wildfire-it-offers-lessons-for-other-at-risk-places
I am so glad that it has cooled off some.
Pam
Hi Pam,
I so hear you about that, and in the news today, photos and video are now being released of some areas which likewise were well known. It’s super weird to see the sudden changes, yup. By the way, Colorado is a vast state with hugely different climates, and a book which Lewis recommended to me long ago ‘Cheap Land Colorado’ by the author Ted Conover left an indelible impression upon me.
Don’t believe the hype, most Australian’s are an urban dwelling species congregating around a few major cities. Step outside that zone, and you may find yourself in a whole ‘nother dimension. 🙂 Bizarrely I live in a monster sized council shire where 35% of the population reside outside of town boundaries, and that is very deeply unusual.
And I agree, losing one’s life to the fires is a step too far, and easily preventable. Still, folks drive into flood waters, and I’ve seen that here. What to do? Probably not all that much.
Thanks for the link, but Pam, I have to totally fess up. It’s almost 9pm and I’ve yet to put one word towards tomorrows blog. I’ll leave the pleasure of reading the link for Monday. Until then… Hope you are snuggly warm.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
The Editor has a thing for bear nightmares, and showed me the naughty mammal living in the crawl space, last night. I know! Like who’d volunteer to evict a large comfortable and probably obstreperous predator from it’s chosen winter abode? They say Croesus was well funded, and let’s just say that I’d not be tempted to undertake such work for the lure of that sort of wealth. Nope. Very funny too, and hope you are happy enough to provide the initial visit for the bear to the change rooms… 😉
I see your bear, and note the cagey adults doing that work, and raise you: Fans lose it over ‘most Aussie thing ever’ as young boy catches live shark in background of cricket game
Not just saying, but I’ve consumed a few sharks ‘flake’ with chips over the years.
Fingers crossed, late Wednesday into Thursday will bring some rain. Although, all the smoke particulates from the fires will be entering the atmosphere and hopefully produce some decent rainfall over the next couple of years. Seems to be a thing down here, but truly it would be nicer if the burns were more regular and at cooler times of the year. It’s crazy out there man.
And exactly, that is another reason we don’t have livestock. The chickens here would probably be fine, in an emergency, I’ve got a low pressure sprinkler which runs on a gravity feed system – for hours. They’d be unhappy, but OK, maybe.
And you’re spot on. There’s been a call out for US and Canadian firefighters for help. This is of course a reciprocal arrangement- as is much of the air fleet which is I believe leased between the countries.
Ruby is something of an idiot, and will possibly never receive a title, but she’s good enough for our needs and has other endearing qualities. Dudem Ollie is now eight. Yes, it’s been a few years, and we’re all old fellas and must celebrate the continuing enjoyments whilst time allows. I hear that the alternative is dark. 😉
That mispricing of quality really bothers me too, but at the same time, what can a person do? Neither you, nor I, can take on every burden. One must pick and choose, and find our own way through this moment in time. I’ve taken joy in structurally repairing older houses only to discover that the market values other things.
A nice win for the household, and those are heirloom items. Some items of stuff we surround ourselves with, are so well made, that they take on a life of their own. But is there a market for such niceties? That I don’t know, and my gut feeling is not all that great. Solid Mahogany… Yes, beautiful.
Agreed, the environment shapes a culture. One of the things it’s hard to ignore, is that the longer term Australians, are a hard lot. And I feel that vibe too. You can see that after the recent shooting – which I studiously ignored mentioning – that the prevailing culture has shifted, although there are folks who’ve been left behind hanging on. Your land has a similar spirit, yup, and I note changes are afoot. Always unwise to consider that a culture cannot sway with the endemic winds. Basically, a culture does not arise in isolation from circumstance, but folks do so love their abstractions.
Man, it’s 9:20pm and I’ve not penned a single word for tomorrow’s blog and will check out the link for the trailer tomorrow. War is strategy played out. Always something to learn.
By the way, did another day of firewood today, and I was wrong. One more day will do that job. Oh well. Twisted the Editors arm this afternoon and got an ice cream in a nearby town. She wanted to finish the firewood, but cooler heads prevailed.
Sunny winter sounds perfect to hit the garden, and hope you and H work wonders there. 🙂 Getting set up for the growing season is a never ending task, and your soils will only get better. Funny you mention this topic…
Lists keep the mind on track in diversive environments.
🙂 Man, the fuel thing happens here too. I’m impressed with how cheap we are, but all the same, low cost fuel is a wonderful thing. Hehe!
Seriously, I gotta run, and look forward t chatting tomorrow. Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – The article Pam linked to is interesting. Fire monks, of a sort. Though it sounds like they outsourced their actual firefighting.
If bears give you nightmares, wait until you see the trailer for “Beast of War.” Sharks! Seems to be a theme. 🙂 That was an interesting article about the kid and the shark. And, you’re right. Only in Australia. Fish, for fish and chips on the hoof. Err, fin.
Best take a little break, from the firewood. The air quality probably isn’t all that great. And, after all, ice cream! 🙂
And, on the theme of miss pricing quality. I picked up a book at the library, yesterday, that looks pretty interesting.”Craftland: In Search of Lost Arts and Disappearing Trades.” (Fox, 2025). I read the introduction, last night, and I think it will be an interesting read. It’s got nice illustrations, too. Looks like block prints. Fox’s area of study is Britain. There’s a plethora of odd names for trades and occupations. Do you know there are 34 trades, involved in making a watch? 🙂
Our high yesterday was 50F (10C). Our overnight low was a steady 45F (7.22C). Our forecast high for today is 49F. Looks like we might have close to a week of clear, but cool weather. Prof. Mass has a post on it.
H and I got very wet, on our midnight stroll. May or may not happen, this morning. We’re headed down to the Club, to see if Uncle Carl is working this morning. Lew
Chris:
That looks like an interesting book about Colorado. I’ve been through the area described more than once, but it has been a very, very long time. Some years ago, my husband and I tried to find rural land near my parents in Greeley. They also lived in Ft. Collins, so we looked around there, too. Way too expensive, and I always had wildfires in the back of my mind. Colorado is a prime place for wildfires.
I am TOO warm as the little woodstove in the basement has been going for some hours and it gets the whole house too toasty warm sometimes. Mr. Baby seems to be enjoying it. He has been playing yo yo: Go out – 5 minutes. Come in – 5 minutes. Repeat 12 times.
How funny about the shark and the cricket match. Boys will be boys.
Pam
Pam