Break Out Area Showing 751-800 of 2,602

[Dj]

Mike wrote: "Wow2, FoxNews and Daily Show...not often mentioned in the same sentence. Guess it really did not energize the Whelm-meter."

Nope it was more in line with the Anti-Energizer Bunny.

[Dj]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

This book I enjoyed much more, even though I had little real hope that it would be worthwhile when it was recommended to me.

[Boudewijn]

On a side note ... finally:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Very good, finally :)

[Lilo]

Hi, everybody!

I just want to let you know that I still love you all. I just haven't been very active in the group lately because I have been so very busy with real-life obstacles (mainly troubles with our real estate properties, which are our main income source). Thus, the publishing of my books has stalled, and I had to reduce my activities on GR.

I am also trying to enjoy the summer a bit. It is rather short at our elevation (6,800 ft), here in Utah. So when you don't hear from me, visualize me boating, hiking, or relaxing on the patio.

More realistically, visualize me trying to get our spot workers to show up so that our properties won't deteriorate, visualize me trying to find someone to farm a piece of land so that we won't lose the water rights, or visualize me fantasizing to strangle a tenant who owes close to $ 4,000 in rent, doesn't show up for badly-needed spot work, and has recently caused $ 7,000 damage by spraying the vinyl siding of the duplex where he (still!) lives with bug spray. :-)

[happy]

Take care Lilo, I hope everything works out for you!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I hope things get better Lilo, hang in there!

[Lilo]

Thank you, Happy and Aussie Rick. I'll try to keep my head above water.

[Paul]

Lilo wrote: "Thank you, Happy and Aussie Rick. I'll try to keep my head above water."

I'm sorry about your problems, Lilo, but I hope 6,800 feet is high enough to keep your head above water! We sure enjoyed meeting you and your husband (along with happy and A.L.)!

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Keep going Lilo and check back with us soon.

[Lilo]

@ Paul: Thank you, Paul. We also enjoyed meeting you all, and I hope we'll see you all again when we are next in Salt Lake.

Maybe you can also come and visit here in Vernal, some time. Because of our pending law suit (with that cursed SLC contractor) we cannot make any plans for this summer, but once things get a bit back to normal (which may not be until 2015) you could all come and visit. We have a guest house, 4 miles up the road. It is on a paradise-like property.

[Lilo]

Geevee wrote: "Keep going Lilo and check back with us soon."

I'll try. And I keep peeking in from time to time.

[carl]

Really cool that some GR folks have got together offline as well as on.

[Paul]

carl wrote: "Really cool that some GR folks have got together offline as well as on."

Even if it was the Utah outcasts, Carl? ;)

[carl]

Hehe, well yeah Paul, what the heck, even those !

[Lilo]

carl wrote: "Hehe, well yeah Paul, what the heck, even those !"

:-)

[Tom]

Louis Zamperini died today.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thank you for posting the news Tom. Here's the London Daily Telegraph's obituary of one of the greatest generation: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obitu...

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That is sad news, thanks for the link Geevee.

[happy]

Thnx for posting that Tom and Geevee

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is a a link to a book catalogue from Casemate Publishers, it's has a range of interesting titles that may interest members in the group:

http://casematepublishers.co.uk/pdf/A...

[Dj]

Okay, I just kicked the Bilbo Baggins virus out of the door and feel well enough to look at the computer screen for longer than a minute and a half and not want to toss cookies.

(I don't know what the actual name of the virus was, but I called it that since I hates it, I hates it forever.)

Worse part of the whole thing is I got no reading done, nothing, it was a total drag.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That sounds like a real crappy virus - no reading - what a bummer, I hope your feeling better now :)

[Dj]

I am, I was even able to walk over to the store yesterday. It kind of wore me out, but at least I was out of the house. And yeah, it was the worst ever. I hate being sick anytime, but not being able to do anything but lay around and listen to the radio was way to much. Especially for just shy of a week.

[Lilo]

Sorry to hear that you were sick, Dj. Hope you'll be all well and kicking again, soon.

[happy]

Glad you're feeling better DJ

[Lilo]

We had quite an exiting day, yesterday. A wildfire came within half a mile of our place and we were told to get ready for mandatory evacuation, which would allow us 1 hour to vacate the property. This would have been impossible with 31 cats and 2 dogs. So we got busy rounding up our cats (caught all but one), and my husband retrieved all 24 pet carriers we keep for this purpose. Our new pet-sitters came to help with 2 SUVs and a trailer (because our van was not in working order). By the time we were ready to cage and load the cats, the fire was somewhat under control, so we waited. And an hour later (at 10 p.m.) the fire was out. We are still exhausted.

Today, we got the van in working order, my husband made new plans for improving our fire protection, and I made new, improved, plans for emergency evacuation. The next wildfire will come as sure as the next winter. During the past 18 years (while we live here), we had 8 wildfires endangering our property. And in 2007, when mandatory evacuation was also imminent, we had to evacuate our, then, 35 cats for 3 1/2 weeks until the fire, which burned all summer, was under control.

We live here in a paradise-like area, but the frequent wildfires are a problem.

I understand that Australia has also ongoing problems with wildfires. Did any of you Aussies ever get endangered?

[Dj]

Glad everything is all right.

According to a book I have been reading recently, frequent wildfires, could be caused by recent deforestation. It would seem that mid-level forest growth burns much more easily than old growth. Go figure.

Although Old Growth doesn't prevent massive burns, just read about the Tillamook Burn sometime and you will realize that in general all trees will burn.



Lilo wrote: "We had quite an exiting day, yesterday. A wildfire came within half a mile of our place and we were told to get ready for mandatory evacuation, which would allow us 1 hour to vacate the property. T..."

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Lilo, glad you didn't have too many problems rounding up your pets :)

This is what happened to my city a few years back and remember Canberra is the capital city of Australia, a bit like your Washington DC:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_C...

canberra bushfires

http://www.canberrabushfires.com.au

[Dj]

I hope it isn't too much like our Washington DC.



'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Lilo, glad you didn't have too many problems rounding up your pets :)

This is what happened to my city a few years back and remember Canberra is the capital city of Australia, a bit like your W..."

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Nah, a lot quieter and more relaxing, it's known as the 'Bush' capital and is very pretty and if it wasn't for the politicians it would be perfect :)

[happy]

Lilo wrote: "We had quite an exiting day, yesterday. A wildfire came within half a mile of our place and we were told to get ready for mandatory evacuation, which would allow us 1 hour to vacate the property. T..."

I didn't realize the Uinta's were on fire, glad everything is okay (for now)

Southern Utah seems to be on fire - lots of lighting caused fires

[Lilo]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Lilo, glad you didn't have too many problems rounding up your pets :)

This is what happened to my city a few years back and remember Canberra is the capital city of Australia, a bit like your W..."

Thank you, Aussie Rick. I just went to the links you gave and read the articles. I can only say: Shocking and scary! I didn't think wildfires could affect a city this badly.

When there was this huge wildfire, here in our area, in 2007, we were told that our nearby town (10 miles from where we live, and 10 miles further away from the fire than we were) was also in danger. I didn't quite believe it. Could not imagine that an urban area would provide enough fuel for a wildfire. Reading about the Canberra fire, I realize that I had been wrong.

This huge (2007) wildfire in our area also caused 3 human fatalities (and, I think, some 2,000 perished cattle and uncountable perished wildlife). Three passers-by, a grandfather, father, and son, stopped to help a farmer get in his hay. The fire was still a good distance away. But then a fire wall approached. The father told his 11-year-old son to run while he tried to help his father (and probably the farmer) to get to safety. The boy, not looking back until he reached the fire fighters, survived, whereas his father and grandfather and also the farmer perished in the flames.

There are lots of junipers growing in our area. Burning junipers develop explosive gases, which cause fire walls and fire tornados.

[Lilo]

@ Happy: It wasn't the Uintas but the area between our town and the National Forest to the north. All that was between us and the fire was the road, the (dry) river bed and a range of rocks.

I didn't know that Southern Utah is on fire. With all the necessary action connected to this fire scare, we didn't have time to watch any local news.

This year, everything is so dry that not even the usual weeds and wildflowers grow, while cheatgrass seems to be taking over wherever you look.

There are no fire hydrants in our canyon. We have an irrigation pond, and we have set up 18-ft-diameter swimming pools as water reservoirs, at our two other properties we have in our canyon, but when bad comes to worse, I am afraid, these water reservoirs will be like a drop in the bucket.

[Lilo]

Dj wrote: "Glad everything is all right.

According to a book I have been reading recently, frequent wildfires, could be caused by recent deforestation. It would seem that mid-level forest growth burns much ..."

Thank you, Dj. I don't think deforestation is the problem in our area. We are high desert with natural growth of sage brush (which burns rather fierce) and juniper forest which burns like gasoline. While Happy Cats Ranch, where we live, is mainly surrounded by sage brush (some of which has been cut down by the federal government to reduce the fire danger), a rental property we own 4 miles up the road, is surrounded by juniper forest, and our guest house, 1/4 mile further up, has also juniper forest nearby. The guest house has river frontage and lots of deciduous trees, but the river only runs about 2 months per year, and this year, it only ran for 3 weeks.

In 2005, there was a wildfire right up in the area of the guest house and the, then not yet built, rental property. Luckily, the river ran that year longer than usual. If it hadn't been for that, 5 houses would have been lost for sure, and maybe some more. Our guest house might have been included. The fire fighters could have never brought enough water in water trucks.

I wish they ran city water up our canyon. They keep talking about it, but nothing has happened, so far. Our canyon is particularly endangered by fire because of the chimney effect.

[Dj]

Well that last could be said a great many places. LOL.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Nah, a lot quieter and more relaxing, it's known as the 'Bush' capital and is very pretty and if it wasn't for the politicians it would be perfect :)"

[Dj]

I remember what high desert fires can be like. Only got an up close look at one once when I was trying to drive from Glodendale to Yakima. Then only after it had been declared safe for us to travel on the road. That thing had leapt the road and they still had places that were burning but they were in the middle of black spots where everything had been burnt pretty much to the ground.

For those that aren't sure where those towns are, that would be Washington State in the Pacific Northwest of the US, east of the Cascades. Both Washington and Oregon are like two different places east and west of the Cascade Range. To the East, you get lots of rain and great growing soil, the the West you get High Desert, with great growing soil. Gotta love Volcano's if your a farmer.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gol...

All that green along highway 12 in the map is irrigated river valley land. Great place to live if your asparagus, but not really if your anything else. I learned what the word parochial meant living in Yakima my high school years.


Lilo wrote: "Dj wrote: "Glad everything is all right.

According to a book I have been reading recently, frequent wildfires, could be caused by recent deforestation. It would seem that mid-level forest growth ..."

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Lilo wrote: "We had quite an exiting day, yesterday. A wildfire came within half a mile of our place and we were told to get ready for mandatory evacuation, which would allow us 1 hour to vacate the property. T..."

Glad you are okay Lilo. For us in the green and wet UK (actually it is sunny at the mo) reading of wildfires does make us think about mandatory calls and having plans. Certainly having a van working sounds like a good idea ;)

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Dj wrote: "Okay, I just kicked the Bilbo Baggins virus out of the door and feel well enough to look at the computer screen for longer than a minute and a half and not want to toss cookies.

(I don't know wha..."

Love the Bilbo Baggins bit Dj :) Good to see you are up and about.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

The discussion on wildfires reminds me of this good book I read after holidaying in the Arcadia National Park in Maine a few years ago:

Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned, 50th Anniversary Edition by Joyce Butler

My review should anyone be interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Manray9]

Geevee wrote: "The discussion on wildfires reminds me of this good book I read after holidaying in the Arcadia National Park in Maine a few years ago:

[bookcover:Wildfire Loose: The Week Maine Burned, 50th Anniv..."

I like Maine very much. In my USN days aboard USS DEYO (DD-989), we spent the winter of '84-'85 in the shipyard in Portland. Loved Portland, hated the shipyard.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

I'm a fan of Maine and the nearby states Manray9 (much like my view of the USA as a whole).

[Manray9]

Geevee wrote: "I'm a fan of Maine and the nearby states Manray9 (much like my view of the USA as a whole)."

You should come down to Dixie some time.

[Bob]

Oh Lilo, that is so scary! I was at a summer family camp a couple of years ago and we were evacuated as a forest fire crept close. It was so dramatic as the forest rangers came right next to our cabin and did some cutting of some of the foliage to make a barrier to stop the fire. It ruined our vacation, but we were just glad to get out safe and the camp did not get destroyed so it all worked out. I am so glad it did not touch your home and you are safe!

[Helen]

Hey, fellow World War 2 fanatics! I have a research question for something I'm writing. Can someone tell me the difference between Reichsleiterung and Reichsleitung?

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Hi Helen - one for our fellow member Lilo I think.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Manray9 wrote: "Geevee wrote: "I'm a fan of Maine and the nearby states Manray9 (much like my view of the USA as a whole)."

You should come down to Dixie some time."

It's on my list :)

[Helen]

Geevee wrote: "Hi Helen - one for our fellow member Lilo I think."

I'll try her. Thanks!

[A.L.]

Glad you are safe, Lilo!

Speaking of wildfires and eastern Washington, I was visiting my parents in eastern Washington (state, not DC) last week. The city banned fireworks within the city limits, but put on a their own fireworks display . . . and started a small brush fire. We could see the flames from several blocks away.

While on my trip, I also borrowed this book A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II from my dad. It's been on my to-read list for a while and I've heard good things about it from other goodreads members, so I think it will be my theme read for the month.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I nearly started that book A.L. I had it in my hands ready to go then another book with a shiny cover attracted my attention and diverted my interest :(