Chat about whatever you like: the weather, good stuff, bad stuff, family or pets! Showing 7,551-7,600 of 26,036

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and act situation!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Yes Michael, it's supposed to be 25 here tomorrow too! Boy I hope they're right!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Take care Michael...relax and sleep (after some reading of course!) Yuk early shifts :(

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

No your holidays are approaching quite quickly!!! Yay for you!!

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and act situation!"

Take care Brenda. I hope they manage to contain it soon and that you won't have to evacuate. We need rain everywhere and lots of it. The fire here in Victoria in Gippsland is burning out of control and already one life has been lost. It's devastating.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and act situation!"

Take care Brenda. I hope they manage to co..."

It's under control now, thank goodness. The chopper left about half an hour ago, and we heard a couple of houses were under threat. But the one just inland from here, Aberdare/Cessnock is still out of control, with people being evacuated etc. It's horrible.

Your Gippsland fires are horrendous Elaine, and I'm devastated to hear about the life lost. I hadn't heard that...so very sad.

Take care yourselves, and anyone else in the areas of the fires..

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

This is sooo weird! It's still 40 degrees outside, and it's raining...heavily!!! Yay for the rain, but cool down, please~~~~

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and act situation!"

Take care Brenda. I hope th..."

Glad to hear it's under control now Brenda. It is absolutely awful. I'm amazed at some of the people in Gippsland who will stay and fight no matter what. You have to admire the Aussie spirit. Although if it was me I'd be running in the opposite direction as fast as I could!!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and act situation!"

Take care Br..."

Definitely, you can rebuild, but you can't get your lives back! The Aussie spirit is awesome though, and I so admire and respect those firefighters!!

[Elaine]

Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and act situation!..."

The firefighters and the CFA volunteers are awesome. I saw them coming back from the Kangaroo Ground fire, as we pass two stations on our way back home and I just wanted to stop the car, give them a big hug and tell them how much we all appreciate the work they do. Incredible.

[Victoria]

Okay so I'm just going to put it out there, because I haven't had a good chat/fangirl over it with other people in a while:

Who else absolutely can't get enough of the Game of Thrones TV series and/or The Walking Dead????

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Tori, totally off what you just asked...I love your profile pic:)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Elaine wrote: "Brenda wrote: "We have a grass fire very close to us now...about 3 streets away. We have a helicopter water bombing it...it's a watch and..."

I know, they all need medals or something!!

[Victoria]

Brenda wrote: "Tori, totally off what you just asked...I love your profile pic:)"

Thanks Brenda, I found it browsing the internet one day. It's brilliant. I want to get a cat and do this to it :D

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Michael wrote: "Brenda wrote: "This is sooo weird! It's still 40 degrees outside, and it's raining...heavily!!! Yay for the rain, but cool down, please~~~~"

Damn hopefully you wont have too hot a night Brenda."

It has dropped a bit Michael...it's about 30 now!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks Michael, we have everything crossed!!!

[MH]

Wow, the southerly just hit the Central Coast! What a relief!

[Phrynne, Series Queen!]

The Southerly came through here about an hour ago. Bliss. I have every window in the house open!

[Margaret]

The southerly is doing its thing in Sydney, thank goodness! The hottest day on record: and didn't my garden know it....

[Tracey]

I'm so glad Brenda that you're OK. These fires have claimed too many lives so far in my opinion. I can't help but wonder if there isn't another way to stop/control bushfires before they even begin. I know they do controlled burn off to create barriers but I'm just wondering if there's something else available that we haven't tried yet. Anyway, many prayers for those of you suffering the effects and much praise to our brave fire-fighters who risk their lives to save ours.

[Margaret]

Glad you're okay, Brenda!
We had a fire on the same block as us about a week ago, but it wasn't a bush fire. Worrying, though.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Thanks guys....we drove past where it was this morning, and there was one fire truck there mopping up. It was RIGHT at the back of the houses in the street!

And the one which was/is at Aberdare was deliberately lit! That's a half hour drive from here, but closer as the crow flies (or the fire storms!). Have a look at the photos in the gallery in this link...it's our local paper, and there are 9 photos. Check out the size of the fire truck and the people in the forefront, then the height of the flames! http://www.theherald.com.au/story/124...

Such an absolute pleasure to be cooler today...just over half of yesterdays temperature!!

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Also, check out this link about our own Greg Field, http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Greg owns a book shop in Raymond Terrace, NSW.. Sunset Books and Music, and he's having to close his shop after 2 decades of business...ebooks especially have contributed to the problems for Greg, as they have for numerous other book stores. I first met Greg when I went to a meet and greet by author, Jaye Ford.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/124...

[Tracey]

I think it's terribly sad to see bricks and mortar book stores close down. Yes I love my ebooks and the ability to carry many titles on the run but I still love my old paperbacks and hard covers. Life won't quite be the same should they go the way of the dinosaur but progress tends to happen regardless of how people might feel about it.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I agree Tracey...very sad:(

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

I hope you're right Michael...I just feel so sorry for the small bookshops that we all loved:(

[Blue Eyed Vixen]

I still prefer to read a real book to an ecopy any day and will buy my favorite authors (I read too much to buy them all) but from another point of view I sometimes find it difficult to get to some bookstores in the limited business hours they open. I rang a secondhand shop at Morisset and was told they only open Monday to Friday pretty much the same hours I work....won't be browsing there anytime soon. Another secondhand dealer at Rathmines only sells online because they don't have public liability insurance to allow the public on the premises...a sign of the times! (once you factor in the postage it's just cheaper to go elsewhere). Some others want to charge n premium price, but they need to be realistic....charge a fair price and look after your customers and they will keep coming back. I have a couple of local secondhand dealers that ill stick with even after I develop a hunchback from lugging those hefty volumes around. :)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Really good points Vix:)

[Faye]

Hi all, I thought I would not like reading on an e-reader, however, I do! A friend gave me an e-reader he was not using. I started using it just to see what all the hype was about. I like it because it is light to carry around, the books are all cheaper than hard copy, I can buy the ebooks so cheap that when my favourite authors release a neew book, I have it straight away, don't have to wait for it to come into store, most times I can purchase before it hits the shelves in store. I have not gotten rid of all books, however, my buying has changed. I buy more coffee table books now and fiction mostly on e-reader. I feel sorry for tsome of the book stores, however, some of their prices are way too high.Today,I went to two fetes (where books are normally cheap and go quickly), both places were complaining they could not sell the books they had been donated. I wonder if this is because of e-readers?

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Absolutely beautiful, beautiful heavy and steady rain here at the moment! It's been light and sprinkly all night, now it's really heavy! I can hear the garden sighing in relief!!! ;)

[Dale]

Lovely and cool here today and yesterday as well. Such a relief after 46 on Friday. Thank God for aircon.Glad to hear all are safe.

[Blue Eyed Vixen]

Brenda wrote: "Absolutely beautiful, beautiful heavy and steady rain here at the moment! It's been light and sprinkly all night, now it's really heavy! I can hear the garden sighing in relief!!! ;)"

Feeling the same way...had to actually pull out a light throw-over this afternoon when watching a movie... both dog and I snuggled under.

[Tracey]

Brenda wrote: "Absolutely beautiful, beautiful heavy and steady rain here at the moment! It's been light and sprinkly all night, now it's really heavy! I can hear the garden sighing in relief!!! ;)"

Fantastic news Brenda :) Let's all hope it stays like that for a while.

And Michael I really hope your right about DTB's and Book Stores. I've seen every single Second Hand Book Store close down in my area. As for the bigger stores they seem to be confined now to the big shopping centres with no regional shops - it's very sad.

Of course then I become conflicted because ebooks are what's paying me right now ;)

[Margaret]

Tracey wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Absolutely beautiful, beautiful heavy and steady rain here at the moment! It's been light and sprinkly all night, now it's really heavy! I can hear the garden sighing in relief!!! ;)..."
There's a second-hand bookstore in our little suburban shopping centre, and it seems to be doing okay. It opened a couple of years ago, and is run by charity.

[Mark]

Tracey wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Absolutely beautiful, beautiful heavy and steady rain here at the moment! It's been light and sprinkly all night, now it's really heavy! I can hear the garden sighing in relief!!! ;)..."

I don't think you need to feel conflicted, Tracey. I lament the demise of brick and mortar stores, too, but I think "the book's the thing," not the paper artifact, and the advent of ebook publishing has allowed broader and easier dissemination of such excellent fiction as your own. :)

[Ian]

Michael wrote: "Had a good laugh after reading Manley library moves Lance Armstrong's biography to fiction lol. :D"

It's been picked up worldwide. Saw it on the BBC website. New fame for Manly.:-)

[[deleted user]]

It's horribly dry here in southern Tasmania. In fact, to quote Amanda Vanstone (from her comment to my ex-chef husband about the steak sandwich she'd just eaten, at new Parliament House) it's as dry as a dead duck's arse.

Classy, eh? But seriously, so brown, so dry, very un-Tasmanian. I WANT RAIN! I'm going to have to perform a rain dance, despite my fears that my ducks will laugh at me! (And no, I never repeat that comment within their hearing. I have tact! Well--sometimes...)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Michael wrote: "Had a good laugh after reading Manley library moves Lance Armstrong's biography to fiction lol. :D"

Haha!! Good one!

[Zoey]

Georgina wrote: "It's horribly dry here in southern Tasmania. In fact, to quote Amanda Vanstone (from her comment to my ex-chef husband about the steak sandwich she'd just eaten, at new Parliament House) it's as dr..."

Pretty much the same up here in the North of Tas as well. Would love some rain. Wishing for rain is certainly not something that happens a lot in Tas, we usually have plenty!!!

[[deleted user]]

Zoey wrote: "Georgina wrote: "It's horribly dry here in southern Tasmania. In fact, to quote Amanda Vanstone (from her comment to my ex-chef husband about the steak sandwich she'd just eaten, at new Parliament ..."

I miss the rain! Will send it up your way after we get some, visa versa?

[Elizabeth]

Hello Hello! How are you we all? I hope you all are keeping cool or warm depending on the climate :-P

Take Care everybody :-D

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Hi Liz...lovely message:) Hope you are well also? :)

[Elizabeth]

Brenda wrote: "Hi Liz...lovely message:) Hope you are well also? :)"

Hello Brenda, I am doing alright :) However someone stole my porch light a few nights ago which was rather desperate of them. -_-

But whatever.. The next door neighbours was stolen as well.

[Tracey]

Mark wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Absolutely beautiful, beautiful heavy and steady rain here at the moment! It's been light and sprinkly all night, now it's really heavy! I can hear the garden sighing ..."

Thanks Mark for the kind words - sometimes I think it's tough being an author AND a reader. One part of me likes the cheap books but the other part wants the high royalties lol - talk about a rock and a hard place :)

We've had a couple of nice days in a row now and it looks like the rest of the week will be equally nice. I certainly hope so because I'm already having nightmares about my electricity bill ;)

[Dale]

Thunderstorm here yesterday. Rain, what a blessing! Hope it came and helped in other areas where fires are still burning.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Liz wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Hi Liz...lovely message:) Hope you are well also? :)"

Hello Brenda, I am doing alright :) However someone stole my porch light a few nights ago which was rather desperate of them. -..."

That is terrible Liz! There are some low lives out there, that's for sure....we had a rock...yes a rock...stolen out of our rockery wall a week or so ago!!! I said to my husband, oh well, they obviously needed it!!

[Tracey]

It often astonishes me the things that people will steal. I remember going through a stage where a lot of Mum's ceramic potted plants were getting stolen - my younger sister came up with the solution of buying pots 3 times larger than needed and stacking the bottom of the pot with bricks or cement and then putting in the soil and plant etc - haven't had a single pot plant stolen since then... Of course now I can't move them but that's another story :)

[Elizabeth]

Brenda wrote: "Liz wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Hi Liz...lovely message:) Hope you are well also? :)"

Hello Brenda, I am doing alright :) However someone stole my porch light a few nights ago which was rather despera..."

Its a joke. But like you said the obviously need it.... -_- I just don't get why people do such things.

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Tracey wrote: "It often astonishes me the things that people will steal. I remember going through a stage where a lot of Mum's ceramic potted plants were getting stolen - my younger sister came up with the solut..."

Hahaha!! Brilliant idea Tracey!! And yes, moving them would be a problem;)

[Brenda, Aussie Authors Queen]

Liz wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Liz wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Hi Liz...lovely message:) Hope you are well also? :)"

Hello Brenda, I am doing alright :) However someone stole my porch light a few nights ago which was..."

Me neither!