Well that was a diversion

[Rabbitz]

As some of you may know we are having a little bit of fire trouble here in Sydney ATM.

(An interesting view from the mighty BBC - http://t.co/0u7j6gLKo4)

So the concert broadcast this afternoon was a welcome diversion from checking and rechecking Fire Brigade websites and making sure (again) that the property is secure for the week ahead.

So thanks Radio Margaritaville and Mr Buffett for going out live to cheer at least one parrothead up.

Nothing too close at the present but this weeks weather forecast, while not dire, is not helpful.

If any of you know a good rain dance - now would be good

[Dino69]

Hi Rabbitz, left Port Macquarie last Sunday morning and the fires chased me all the way down the Hume back home to Albury. I lived in Myrtleford when the 2009 fires tore through the area, scariest time of my life.

Looks like it's going to be another one of those summers.

Hang in there, keep the ABC radio on 24 hours a day and when it's all over (as someone wise once said) breathe in, breathe out, move on.

[sistergoldenhair]

Stay safe!

[Rabbitz]

Hi Rabbitz, left Port Macquarie last Sunday morning and the fires chased me all the way down the Hume back home to Albury. I lived in Myrtleford when the 2009 fires tore through the area, scariest time of my life.

Looks like it's going to be another one of those summers.

Hang in there, keep the ABC radio on 24 hours a day and when it's all over (as someone wise once said) breathe in, breathe out, move on.

Thanks Dino,

Those Myrtleford fires were terrifying - even from the safety of my couch in Sydney.

Summers like this are part of living in the Wide Brown Land I guess, and we need to take the good with the difficult.

Anyhoo I am glad the hear you made it out of Port OK.

The house & yard are as secure as they can be, and I am about 500m away from the nearest scrub, so direct fire impact is lessened - really we have to deal with the ember attack.

If it comes down to it, the Mrs has instructions to grab the animals, camper trailer and other assorted bib & bobs and make for my Grandmothers place on the coast. I'll make the call to stay or fight based on the day. I've got the gear, pumps and stored water - plus a few years in the RFS (NSW version of the CFA) to call on the make the right call.

I am not too worried for us, but there are a lot who already have lost the lot so some rain would be nice.

Regards

Col

[Rabbitz]

Stay safe!

Thanks.

We intend to do just that.

It's just a pity we can't have a "Bush Fire Party" to wait it out - In a similar vein t the famous Key West Hurricane Parties...

[sistergoldenhair]

Stay safe!

Thanks.

We intend to do just that.

It's just a pity we can't have a "Bush Fire Party" to wait it out - In a similar vein t the famous Key West Hurricane Parties...

Sounds like a reason to invent a new cocktail -- how about a "fire hydrant" ?

[Dino69]

Hi mate,
I'm hearing distant thunder in Albury right now, not good - no rain, just thunder. This could mean ground strikes.

Clean out your gutters then put a tennis ball inside a shopping bag then place them in your gutters covering the down pipe holes around the house. Keep the ladder leaned against the house. Fill the gutters up with water from the garden hose - every half an hour or so go out and top the gutters up. This will give you some protection from embers falling on the roof.

Next, fill as many buckets as you can with water and put them on each corner of the house and each corner of your property, as many as you can. When you see any embers fall in your yard you can put them out straight away.

And remember, if your seeing embers fall, it's too late to flee. You're best of staying put, if it hits your house the best you can do is move to the opposite side of the house from the fire. Hope that it burns fast and try to exit from where the fire first hit the house. This was the advise my father in-law gave me when we were surrounded in Myrtleford. The only 2 people to perish in our area had too many native trees planted too close to their house and when the fire hit they tried to out run it. I drive past the vacant block where their house used to be, the perverse thing is they built a cubby house for their only daughter and it remains at the back of the property, untouched by the fire. Bloody evil things bushfires!

Keep safe,
Dean