Tag: high winds

More wind – still annoying

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Native Bush from the Arid Lands B.G.

Not counting today, only four days left until Spring is here. Not going to miss winter one little bit.  The days have been mild but the mornings and evenings have been very cold. This morning it was foggy and very cold – so cold that I really entertained thoughts of giving up the morning walk, turning round and heading for home and a heater. I didn’t!! However, as soon as I got in I went directly to my room and turned my heater on full. Benji has had his breakfast and is curled up in his bed. However, we can’t really complain too much since the weather this last week has been  mild and it has been  enjoyable walking around the Wetlands  with Benji during the day. It has also allowed my to get back out in the garden and start the process of cleaning up the 40 billion leaves.  Ok so I exaggerate  – there’s only 20 Billion. I also have an area out front that I have tried to grow things in without success. I had a think about this and finally decided this last week to dig it all out and remove all the soil and replace it with new material ( 3 x 70 ltrs of material) and finally, on Saturday, I bought new plants from the Garden Centre and planted them – we’ll see what happens. Oh and I also put down fertilizer. My stick was just that – a stick, so that’s gone.  With the lack of rain the Kangaroos have been wandering well into the  area looking for water and food. In another area, close to bushland, they have Emus wandering around. I see the Roos in the new area beyond me, but I haven’t seen any down near me—-yet.

The fact that we have a shortage of water is illustrated in the level of water at the Wetlands. There is still a fair volume of water in the pools but the drop in water

The new Kiosk at the Wetlands.

level is fairly obvious. The black Swans returned – briefly – but I hope that this is a sign of things to come and the swans and  big ducks will return.  The Kiosk is just about completed  and I believe it’s due to open sometime next week.  If the day is very warm to hot – and it will be in summer – I really think that if the opening hours are good,  the kiosk will do well. I do a full lap and a half when I am there, but if, after a full lap, I could have a drink and  relax, I could end up doing two full laps. A full lap is 3.5 Klms – so Benji and I, when we go to the Wetlands, do 5.35 klms. The front – across the bridge from the car park, is the barbecue areas, the exercise area, the flying fox, the grassed area for family play, and the children’s play area. There is also a barbecue area  just down from the carpark and just beyond that is where the kiosk is situated.

The Wawa (Kongsoon) back with her mun again.

All winter I have escaped colds and flu. There are two days of winter left and I have come down with a very heavy cold.  Seen out winter the cold, fog and wind and now this.  What happened to all this Vitamin C and all those Oranges and Mandarins that I have consumed by the bucket load?? I sort of feel cheated.  To add insult to injury the high winds have returned. So much for my leaves cleaning.       Don’t really know, some blame climate change whereas others ( and a growing number) blame stuffing around  with clock changes and daylight saving. We have always had strange weather up here but I really do not remember the continual and sustained wind that we are having presently causing concern to both country and city. Today (Wednesday) it’s warm, it’s overcast,  the temperature is 26c ,  yet we have high winds 42 – 65 km/h – battering the place again. It is now after 9pm and the wind is still going and no sign of letting up. Reports of dust storms across the mid north and pollen  is being blown arond as a result of the mild conditions.  And still not much rain. The little rain we did have was, according to the farmers, too little, too late.

I had been thinking of the WaWa recently and surprisingly, I actually miss her. In the last three or four months she became my friend and wanted to be lifted up to sit with me on the chair, with Benji. Then she left, but these last months made up for everything.

PS All night. The wind died at 10:30 Thursday – for a whole two hours before starting up again.

 

 

And they call the wind — Annoying.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Thursday and the  heavy  winds came and with the winds came  a health warning that the heavy winds – gusting at around 60kph, – coupled with the dry conditions, are likely to create dust storms. The Health Dept. issued a warning that people with asthma or breathing difficulties are strongly advised to stay inside until the wind storms have passed. The Chief Medical Officer

Dust Storm on the Eyre Peninsula – 250 klms long.
*photograph: Tim Phillips*

was featured on the news explaining the problems of dust storms for people with any breathing concerns. The high winds continued throughout the day and in some parts of the State, gusting at 100+kph. The wind continued  into the night and was followed by  heavy rain.  The dust storms were pretty heavy and covered an area of 250 klms. We did get some but nowhere near as much as the lower peninsula.   It is now am Friday and I have been awake for much of the night. The rain stopped at 4:15 then started again  at 04:50. I am not certain but I think this just might have broken the drought  at least in South Australia.  The worst of the drought was inter-state in New South Wales, so I hope that the rain bands are moving in that direction.  As far as I am aware, more rain is on the way. The seriousness of the drought has caused a backlash against the government – particularly the Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop. Our farmers are struggling, there is no feed for stock, sheep and cattle are dying in the thousands and Julie Bishop announces – with a smile – that the Federal Government have donated $68 Million to assist farmers in Vietnam and another $20 million to Indonesian farmers but it

seems there is not enough in the Federal Purse to assist drought stricken Australian farmers. It’s a worry…

It is now 05:55 and the rain has stopped. I hope that’s it for the morning and I can get out with Benji. We didn’t get out last night – not

Benji at the Port.

even for a short walk. Well,  we did get out for our walk at 07:20. The rain had gone and the heavy wind had gone. Still a bit of a breeze – and cold with it – but the major wind had died away. A temporary respite before it started again.

Finally staggered into bed at 23:30 and went out like a light. I didn’t set the alarm so it was 06:45 before I said good morning to the world.  I pottered about much of the morning trying to tidy up before the forecast wind started again. I took  Benji for a walk around the Wetlands. It was quiet and I was fortunate to have a chat with the manager of the new Kiosk. She said that it’s progressing but slower than she would like, but she should, all being well, open in September. Just a mere three weeks away.      The wind has started up again so I’ve given up trying to clear up leaves that just keep  being blown about. Ah, only 24 days until Spring.

Benji & Yogi out together

Yogi came this afternoon (Saturday) and will be here at least until next  Friday. If not Annabell will have one night of looking after both as I head off to the quarterly conference. Fortunately this one is in North Adelaide, so I will only be gone overnight, plus driving down and back. I have been asked to go out to the RFDS Main base at Adelaide Airport to collect some merchandise  that needs to come up here. I was going to Adelaide, so I’ll end up out there. Oh well, didn’t want to go shopping anyway. Despite what we thought the rain was not nearly enough to break the drought, and there is talk that the Goyder Line could be moving more to the south, which will have the effect of a good chunk of the state being dropped back to the “Marginal Lands”designation, which is a worry. Adelaide is being rained on and subject to strong winds. There is even talk about flooding. So very different from up here.  I think that is part of the problem. It rains a fair bit in Adelaide so they really have no idea what’s like to have no rain up in the farming areas.  Many Adelaide people  have no idea what happens in the 85% of South Australia beyond Adelaide, which in usually the norm for country sv.  city. With us it’s a bit more extreme  since we have a state bigger than Texas and only really one city.

Storms, trees and a clean up.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
A Man and His(?) Offic
A Man and His(?) Office

Some 10  months ago we had a storm which caused a lot of damage and a very high repair bill – mainly trees down , damaged wires, roads and houses. I was lucky in that we eacaped the damage out here. Well, we had another storm the other night and this time I was not quite so lucky.  Three trees or parts of trees came down and the place is a mess. The gum tree at the rear of the property came down and was on my Aviary and the neighbour’s garden – another one out back dropped several big branches and the tree in the front just simply broke in half. Rain, high winds and gusts of over 115kph. Most of the damage was done in the last storm so other places were not too badly off. I got it –  well probably because it was my turn :o).  I have done what I can and the boys are coming over at the weekend with a small tipping truck, gloves and muscle and between the three of us, we should get it down. Once we get it away from the neighbouring property, even if it is still on the aviary, I can cut it at leisure.storm

Anyway, the place is a mess and although I have managed to stack all the branches I can’t clean nor sweep up because although it’s not quite gusts of 110kph, it’s still a high wind and sweeping anything is pointless. I’m heading off to Adelaide in the morning, but I will be back Friday  evening so we should be ready to go on Saturday.

Had an excellent day in Adelaide on Thursday, although I did have to stop at the Tin Man for a while to give my hand a rest. It really has been bothering me this while back. I should go and see about it, and I will – in the fullness of time. I visited my usual haunts in the city and then headed out to one of the major shopping areas in the outskirts of Adelaide – Tea Tree Plaza. I bought a package of paddle-pop sticks for herself to use as stirrers. Can’t think why, she does very well without them  :o) Anyway,  there is a big Fair at Civic Park next Saturday 12th. and along with the paddle-pop sticks I also bought 300 paper coffee cups to go with the 200 she already has. The church Ladies Group will be providing coffee, tea and cakes for sale. And here’s the thing, I can’t help because—- well of course I’ll be in Adelaide, where else would I be?? I have the agenda for the conference and it looks like a lodgevery long meeting and they are already making arrangements for Lunch and Afternoon Tea,  at 3:40, which means I’ll be staying overnight  – at the  Lodge again – coming home Sunday instead of Saturday.

Round 2 begins

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

This morning dawned fresh and clear and until about an hour ago it was still so.  About then I started to see that the sky was dulling down and dark clouds were slowly moving in and sure enough, here we are in the middle of another thunderstorm. This is passing strange – we don’t generally have three in a row like this. Two in one day was bad enough but three in two days is trying the patience just a tad.  There are about 5000 homes without power – 100year old trees were picked up thrown over, along the main streets power-lines are down due to falling trees all of which I said yesterday, but this new storm, if it develops like the last one, could cause more damage. However, having said that, I don’t think it will. It doesn’t have the  same’ feel’ as the ones did yesterday. According to the statistics there were 120,000 lightening strikes across the State.  Anyway, Chienna is in the laundry on her bed and the little man is curled up on my bed. The reason for this is that he must have sneaked in and no one saw him. He was too quiet and it was only a few minutes ago that I went into my room and saw him. I didn’t have the heart to move him so he’s still there.   Yesterday was the first time I have ever seen him concerned during  thunder. Normally he’s not too fussed but yesterday it was very loud and the lightening was very bright.

The “flooding” was a lot of water on the roads, in gardens and elsewhere – it was NOT gushing through people’s houses, it did not threaten lives, it was at best ankle deep and apart from a few smallish puddles, it cleared away very quickly as the storm water drains caught up. The damage we did experience was caused by very high winds that threw down trees and brought down power lines. No one was hurt or injured, but it is interesting that this is the third year in a row that we have had a thunderstorm of this nature right at the very start of summer.