Tag: Thunderstorms

Towards the Final Curtain P

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Early this morning

Friday 31st. January.  The temperature  yesterday (30th) peaked at 46c and didn’t drop below 28c the whole night. The ground being still hot, I waited until after the sun had gone down and things calmed down a bit before I ventured out with Benji, after I checked the road.  It was muggy (very humid) but bearable for the first five or six minutes of the walk, then the wind suddenly sprang up. At first we kept on walking but the wind became stronger and started lifting the dust up. This dust was hitting my face and Benji looked uncomfortable,  so I made the decision to get home. When we did get home the first thing Annabell asked me was “where did that come from?” Shortly after, the wind just vanished and the rain started. Now, the forecaster said that we would have heavy rain with the possibility of flooding. We could hear the rain on the carport and I went outside to have a look and came back in and told Annabell that the ground wasn’t even wet. What it did do was increase the humidity and made for a more uncomfortable night. I have not had a lot of sleep.  It did rain a bit off and on during the night.  This morning Benji and I went out but being tired I sort of put it off and finally made the decision to go out at 06:30. It was still sticky but not too bad and there was some (not a lot) of water in the guttering and the spoon drain. I looked at the weather on the BoM page and it says a 9% chance of rain, 77% Humidity, Temp. 36c.  Tomorrow is the first day of February. This has always been the month we were most concerned with because it was always the hottest month of summer. Be interesting to see how it plays out this year.  This section was written early this afternoon and it has been fairly quiet

Well the thunderstorms have made their way up the Peninsula and it has been really chucking it down for the last few hours – almost non-stop since about 8:30pm and it is now almost 11pm and it’s still going. This is flooding rain and  I expect some flooding around the town but not too much since the storm water drains should take away most of it. Of course, that’s what they said at Port Lincoln and that flooded badly. However, we are not as low-lying as Port Lincoln.  I had a look out of the back window and the back garden is flooded – almost a pond . The noise is incredible when added to the thunder and the little bit of lightening (not a lot) If it stops by the morning I really want to go have a look at the pit at the far end of the area and see how much water is in that. Given the ferocity of the storm I should imagine it will be pretty full.  The Pit is about 16 feet deep. It is

The “pit” is close to overflowing, but it didn’t.

almost midnight and it’s still raining – not with the same ferocity as it was earlier but still raining. There has been serious

Bunnings and Mitre 10 have also been flooded

flooding in Port Lincoln and the Lower Eyre Peninsula but it was too late before we got it hit to be able to determine, what, if any, damage there has been here.

Saturday 1st February.  The rain continued fairly heavy until after midnight. It then eased off a bit but it rained the whole night. It is now 05:45 and although I turned off the alarm I still woke up and it was still raining and starting to get heavier again. It’s still not light enough to see outside – and in case you ask – no we are not going out for our walk this morning. With the flood water drains in operation this rain should do wonders to the sort out the  lack of water in the Wetlands. However, it has now been raining for about 11 hours and still no indication that it’s about to stop any time soon. Yes, it did stop but it was almost 1pm before it did and even after that there was a bit of a smattering of light rain for a bit. However, Benji and I did drive to the outskirts of town and photograph the second of the new “Welcome” posts.

There has been some minor flooding and the road to Iron Baron has been cut off by floodwater and closed by the police and State Emergency Service. Other than that nothing much else reported other than a few minor leaks in the food court at the shopping center. It is certainly strange, Australia- On Fire today – Flooding tomorrow. Annabell has been sick again and we visited the Emergency Dept. at the Hospital. In the morning I will make an emergency appointment with her doctor. Really, something has to be done about these continued  UT infections and the on-going damage to her liver and kidney functions. We have to get to the bottom of this – and soon.

Around the area.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Benji relaxing – which he is good at :o)

I mentioned before that the day I was outside was a lovely warm, sunny day. The contrast is that yesterday afternoon it started raining, was cold and Adelaide had a major thunderstorm. We got a little bit of a side swipe, some lightening, bit of thunder and some rain. Today it’s dry but cold and overcast – very much back in winter mode although not quite as cold, but still cold. The army has now left  their Cultana Playpen so we have a military free month until the next  group come over from Canberra. The next group will be the Officer Cadets from the Military College in Canberra who will come here for their final exercise before returning to the College to undertake their final exams. This group will not be out at the PlayPen, but will be under canvas at the  showground – same as last time – and they don’t have tanks. Not that we saw much of the tanks this time round. Interesting in that we were told to expect live-fire shooting from tanks and artillery. We heard nothing, but then the Training Ground ( Playpen) is over 2500 Square Kilometers in size.

Much of the last  week has been cold and miserable with rain off and on. Also it is now dark again in the mornings since the clocks went forward an hour.  My  6am walk with the dog  is dark with the light not happening until close to the end of our walk at 7am. The forecast for the week is dull and overcast with possibly some rain. The weekend, however, should be warm  and sunny.  Today and tomorrow  the RFDS Local Group are guests at the new On The Run (OTR) Service Station. Apparently the  billionaire  owner of the OTR is now a sponsor of the RFDS so we have been invited to the pre-opening tonight and the official opening tomorrow.

The problems and concerns with WordPress are not getting any better and I have to rescue more and more posts and comments from the Spam Folder. In fact most of the posts from  Tales around the Ranch,   Glasgow Galavanter, Spoon you, My Golden life (sort off because they do vanish and I have no idea where to). These are the main ones but there are others – Scotland with the Wee White Dug, is a frequent visitor to the Spam Folder. I am  really thinking of adding a new  comment when I reply to people  – RFS – Rescued from Spam   :o) Always providing that I find them in the first place. Others have either stopped writing or they are somewhere else and I have not found them yet. – but I will. This is only recent and I have no idea why it is happening.

The pre-opening of the OTR Service Station was interesting and attended by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, The State MP for the area, the Federal MP for the Region, councillors, and business

Wetlands Kiosk
New OTR Service Station

leaders and the RFDS. It was quite an evening, lots of food, some speeches and some presentations. The  Regional Manager of OTR will attend the RFDS Meeting in November and explain to the members how the sponsorship works and how the  charity money is distributed by OTR. The RFDS is their preferred sponsor but they have a few other charities that they  contribute to.

I have decided that I am well and truly over walking in the morning dark and the sooner we get into summer the better. Apart from being dark, it is cold and windy and not really  the best time of the day.  It was fine until the clock change. If I leave it until later his biological clock gets put out of whack and there could be an “accident’. When the alarm goes off he’s up and ready to go but he has to wait for me getting dressed – “come on dad, hurry up” .  The Wetlands Kiosk has its opening today, so,  sometime during the morning I will get down with Benji and have a coffee and a walk – depending on the weather, of course and the length of time I am at the OTR Service Station.  I did drive  around that way going home from the Service Station last night and there were a few cars and light on in the Kiosk and the area around it getting everything ready for the opening today, I expect.

 

Boxing Day and it’s raining again !!

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

38:35:40:41:32 – No that’s not some secret number code – it’s not even  Bingo numbers – it is the local temperature for the next five days. After the second 40c on Sunday it drops to 32c with rain and possible thunderstorms for the next two days. The boys and I were out early (5:30am)  for our walk this morning before it got warm and we will be out late tonight – after the sun goes down Generally these figures are fairly conservative and the  possibility is that it could change quite quickly as the cyclone of the Coast of West Australia makes landfall – flooding rather than heat.

Interesting Sky last night
Interesting Sky last night

The one think I dislike about this weather is the fact that I get such a pained look from Benji when I go out without him and I feel bad at not taking him with me, but I can’t. In this heat I cannot.  If I were to go into the supermarket and leave him in the car – even with the windows cracked open – he could go into heat distress very quickly – I know this, but he does not and I get the “why are you abandoning me daddy?”  look.  He always comes out to get the mail with me and I don’t let him do that in this weather because the ground is hot and could be too much for his paws. However, in a few hours that will all be academic since the storm clouds are gathering and there has been a drop or two.  But as far as I can see we are still on track for 40c on Christmas Day. – Actually – it was 40c today and it’s not Christmas Day – yet.

I hope Christmas is fairly quite in the air. What I mean by that is that  we have a small but busy airport and I would like not to look up and see the Red and Blue of the RFDS coming in because there is no base here so they come here for  emergency reasons. Last year there were over 572 landing of the RFDS here making it among the highest number of landings in Australia. It would be really nice if  the RFDS didn’t have to come here at all over Christmas and New Year. Although, having said that, it’s not all bad – sometimes they are bringing a patient back home, or at least for on-going  treatment at the local hospital. I think I mentioned before that we do not have any Therapy Dogs here and  only in Adelaide. However, having said that I do remember they there was a Golden Retriever in one of the nursing homes many years ago

Christmas Day and we had a short service in the morning.  The Watchnight Service last night was well attended but the Service this morning was not. Still although short it was an enjoyable service

Didn't have enough cash for the Boxing Day sales
Didn’t have enough cash for the Boxing Day sales

none the less and  no  coffee after since people were going home to  prepare for family  arriving or to get ready to go out to family.  Annabell and I went over to my  younger  Son’s house and we had all the family there for Christmas Dinner and drinks afterwards. It was a really nice meal and  getting together of the family. Annabell and I didn’t  stay too long since we had to get back to feed the dogs and let them out for a bit. After the sun went down the rain started and continued on for a while. There was also rain and high winds during the night and it was starting to rain again when we were out for our walk this morning – a short walk but at least we did get some done. It was over 42c here on Christmas Day and  pretty hot but a cool change for the next couple of days. The Church Magazine is ready so over the next few days I will get that printed, collated and ready for distribution, so other than shopping with Annabell, this should keep me occupied for the next few days. It should have been completed last week but one of the contributors was late and since I had reserved two pages for her article, I couldn’t finish  until  that was in. Anyway, it’s done now.

Our friend is still hanging in and has defied the dire predictions of his doctor and a week after he was expected to depart from us, he is still here.  A special meeting will be held in Mount Gambier on the 19th January, so I will be away for  a few days and unable to help if anything happens. I can’t put this off – it is a Special Meeting that I need to attend in Mount Gambier.  I thought I would put in the photograph I tool this morning of the ATM – even in our little backward place, we have our share of drama. And it’s raining again and has been for most of the day.

Where is Noah when you need him?

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Supermarket Carpark
Supermarket Carpark

I haven’t the foggiest idea who said  “be careful what you wish for – you might actually get it” Four serious thunderstorms in less than three days. That was fun!!  A fair amount of  property damage, serious damage to crops and structural damage all across the peninsula. Port Lincoln,  at the bottom of the Peninsula,  took the brunt of the damage but we took a fair hit ourselves with damage in the city center and the major shopping center. There was  flooding all around the place – not the damage to houses and sandbag kind of flooding, but the streets and carparks were flooded with the storm drains unable to cope with the volume of water. There was also a lot of leaks in the roof of the new  supermarket and several of the new shops were partly flooded with one still closed for repair.  The

Taken at the Garden Center - Not my photograph
Taken at the Garden Center – Not my photograph

thunder abated and the lightening faded and the rain stopped and we thought it was all over. Poured again an hour after that and kept going until after midnight. That’s when much of the flooding took place. The morning was quite but by lunch it started again – another cloudburst and thunderstorm. That stopped about 3pm and we had a break until about 5pm when we got hit yet again. We had a shorter, smaller storm the following morning and according to reports we had over 63mm of rain in two and a half days. Eveything is still damp and wet but the good thing – the thing we should be thankful for – is that it was thunderstorms and rain – THERE WAS NO WIND. With that amount of rain a high wind would have been a disaster –  these  gum trees would have come down like they did  some years ago. That was only light rain then but a very high wind and enough rain to loosen the soil. That would have been really serious.  So it’s all been fun and games these last few days and like me, even people who have lived here their entire life said they had never seen anything like it. Makes you thankful that we don’t have a river anywhere near here.

That's What Port Lincoln looked like - not my photograph -
That’s What Port Lincoln looked like – not my photograph –

Up here at my end of the town no flooding to speak of but the road and the gardens of the new houses are awash in water and mud. With only bare earth the workmen driving in and out – when they can – as well as people who have done nothing to the earth in the front of their houses, the area is like a giant mudbath. However it will dry out in time. At the moment when I have managed to get out with Benji, I have had to change shoes and wash his paws when we come back  for our  between storms walk.  At the moment the damage to crops is still being assessed but reports are that it could run into $$millions.

Thunderstorms, Lookouts and a Goldfish Bowl

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs

Tuesday 19th May – time 3:48 am. Last night around 9:30 we had a serious thunderstorm – the works, thunder, lightening and heavy rain. Chienne was not a happy lady. By 11:30 it seemed to have gone and everyone settled down. The rain had gone and more importantly the thunder and lightening. By 11:30 I went to bed, herself went to bed and Chi settled  down on her bed. At  2am I was wakened by an incredible crack of thunder and the storm had not only come back, it seemed to be right overhead – the combined noise of the  thunder and the rain crashing on the roof was almost deafening and to say Chienne was going gaga is definitely an understatement. At the moment things have quietened down somewhat and Chienne is spread out on the floor at my feet. The poor thing must be exhausted – two very stressful periods so close together.

I finally got back to bed and reset the alarm for 7am which gave me an extra half hour. Poor little lady. Must be horrible to have such sensitive hearing where even a loud noise

From the Lookout
From the Lookout

can set you on edge. She’s not neurotic – the word I would use is skittish. Other than unexpected thunderstorms, Chienne has been good and  there has only been a couple of nights this week when we have not been out for a walk.

I was out and about today and I actually remembered to take my camera with me. Nothing much happening but I thought I would take a couple of photographs from the Lookout Area,  The large building slightly left of centre  is the High School. At the outbreak of  WW2 ( you must have heard of it – it was in all the papers) there was a shipbuilding industry here. It was believed that it needed to be protected so the hill was fortified with big gun emplacements and like Singapore all pointing out to sea. But then again, there is one of the world’s largest deserts behind us so it is unlikely an enemy could have at us overland. In the second photographs there is a hill to left of centre – this is where the gun emplacements were

We had a lunch at church today and I was talking to one of the ladies. We got on to the subject of photography and it turns out she is a keen photographer and is a member of the local photography group. I  expresd surprise since I was unaware that there was a  local photography group.  It was an interesting chat and it looks as I might be going to a couple of meetings when I get back from Naracoorte and we’ll see if it meets my needs. At least I will have some photographs to have  judged from my stay in Naracoorte and, of course, for anything interesting I see on the journey.  On the subject of Naracoorte, I leave in the morning and the agenda only arrived this afternoon. And it was in a very odd format that my  computer did not

Another from Lookout Point
Another from Lookout Point

recognize, so I asked for it to be resent and it was. Just as well since it seems I have been allocated a role in the Second Sederunt . So much for my plan of having a leisurely breakfast and walking in at the morning tea and biscuits break  :o)

A couple of the ladies will keep an eye on Herself during the week. She had a bit of a fall last week – nothing too serious, but worrying. We have everything set up and Andrew gets back from Roxby Downs tomorrow so he and John will also keep an eye on her. Great – nothing like living in a goldfish bowl  :o)

Bushfires and flooding rains.

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Today in the Adelaide Hills
Today in the Adelaide Hills ( Not my photograph. Photographer unknown)

At this moment of writing there are two fires burning out of control but the one causing the most concern is that in the Adelaide Hills. Already much  property has been lost but, thankfully, no lives. There are 100 units and 550 fire fighters together with 8 water bomber aircraft. Some 200 rural firefighters from New South Wales are on their way to South Australia to help our people. Units and firefighters are also being sent from Victoria – which is battling its own fires. At the moment this is not shaping up to be a good fire season. This is now deemed to be the worst fire in the Adelaide Hills for 30 years.  The fire is now burning on a 130 klm

distance between two new houses
distance between two new houses

perimeter  with over 10,800 hectares burnt. By any stretch of the imagination it is a significant fire. Today (Sunday) the temperature has fallen from 44c down to 35c and the wind – at least up here – has died away. It was still a Little bit windy when I took Chienne out for walks last night. The recent reports say that 30 homes have been destroyed and 14 firefighters injured – not seriously- and that almost 600 firefighters are trying to contain this blaze which is now burning on a  200 klm perimeter. The concern is to try and get it under some kind of control before the temperature build up again – which is forecast for tomorrow.

Things are starting to get under control and I now understand about 85% of the fire is within containment lines and the wet weather this weekend should help. Adelaide is dry and I head off to Adelaide on Monday morning.  No meetings – shopping expedition.  I’m looking for a Dalek for my son’s birthday on the 19th. There was one here and I thought I would get it later but when I went back – it had gone. I should be able to get one at the ABC Shop in Adelaide. I will only be away for the day and no more trips until February. Apart from which I am not driving.  Andrew and Trish are going down for a medical appointment so I’ve bummed a lift with them. They drop me off in town, I do what I want to do and get the evening coach home. No stress at all.

On the subject of stress, four of our young people were on their way back from an archeological dig  on the far side of the Peninsula and were only 35 klms from town when they happened to meet up with  a driver who was determined to kill himself.  He ran – at  full speed into them head on.  The driver and the front seat passenger  were killed outright, the two in the back seat were seriously injured – one flown to Adelaide by the RFDS in a very serious condition, the other to the local hospital. The other driver  was also flown to the RAH by the RFDS. He was so badly smashed up it is unlikely he will survive. The funeral of one of the young people was held yesterday, the second is today. And before you ask, yes I knew them. Not one of them was over 24 years of age. The other driver is 36 years of age – he was driving a Nissan Patrol –  I do not know him. As far as we know he is under guard at the Royal Adelaide and if he does survive, ( he is in a coma) charges will be laid against him by the SA Police.  A sad start to the new year for many.

My New System for 2015
My New System for 2015

Something made me think recently about librarians (probably because I like the TV Show) and I was considering our local library and we have no young people there at all. Sad really. Do not know about other places, but our library shows no sign of  decline – always well attended. After days of 43/44/44/42 degree heat everything goes haywire and we are right in the middle of a major rain and thunderstorm. Chienne is, of course, going slightly crazy and I have medicated her. The forecast is for flooding rains in this part of the State. I don’t see it, but you never know.

 

Fires, thunderstorms and fires

by edgar62, posted in House, Garden and Dogs
Fires burning out of control 90 miles from here.
Fires burning out of control 90 miles from here.

Over 20 fires are still burning in South Australia and the residents in the Northern Grampians in Victoria have been told to be ready to evacuate as a massive fire burns out of control. Once our fires are under control we will be able to spare firefighters to go over to Victoria and help out. I am so glad that we don’t do fires or floods here. The heat has not abated any and we are still in the mid to high 40s and have been for five days now.  I have tried my best with water and mulch but my plants have just burned off and the Natives are struggling. And the constant wind means that my garden has become a leaf depository on steroids. Once this heat is over and we go back to normal it will take me ages to clean the place up. The heat I can take but I have never known a period when we have had constant wind day in-day out and it becomes more of a struggle to keep the place clean because the dust gets everywhere.  The wind is fanning the fires burning out of control some 95 miles away in the National Park. However the main threat is in Victoria where several small town have been evacuated.

Right at this very moment we are in the middle of a thunderstorm and Chienne is going gaga. Her distress is now passed to the Man and he is a bit upset. It is loud and it is a bit scary. I have medicated Chienne but I am reluctant to give anything to the Man that I have not already cleared with the Vet.  The Thunderstorm is a cause for further concern and it is believed that the lightening could spark off further Fires. Tomorrow the temperature is due to crash from 44c today to an overnight low of 30c and then down to a cool 28c tomorrow, and then we just wait for the next belting  :o)

It’s down to 29c at the moment but over the border in Victoria fires are still burning out of control and although conditions in the South East of  SA are starting to ease, we still have a couple of fires burning out of control with over 12 homes destroyed. If the cool weather lasts for a bit. I’ll  go out and  plant the Pencil Pines.

The cool weather is really not helping the areas where the fires are burning because of the wind change – and it’s a fairly strong wind. All it’s doing is causing the fires to change direction and

The fires on the far side of the Spencer Gulf
The fires on the far side of the Spencer Gulf

add more problems for the hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes.  I have posted here a photograph that was taken from a hill at the foreshore. In the foreground to the left, is the Iron Ore export jetty and in the distance, over the water is the fires burning on the hills at Port Germain about twenty miles away. And yes I did say that the fires were a long way from us and that’s true (170 klms by road) but I have not yet seen or heard of a fire that can travel across 20 – 25 miles over open water.

I am still having major problems with my email system and I know I’ve just lost another batch of mail. It was there this morning but when I went back into MS Outlook a little while later it was all gone. I cannot find it anywhere, so it looks as if I am going to have to bite the bullet, buy a new MS Outlook – from Outlook 2010 –  Outlook 2013- and see where we go from there. If it cannot be fixed it might be just as cheap to have a new battery put into the AppleMac and abandon the PC. Please understand I am not ignoring anyone. Everything else is fine, just MS Outlook.