Now that Texas is completely dry, it will burn! by Kwicko

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Now that Texas is completely dry, it will burn!

POSTED BY: KWICKO
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 07:46
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Wednesday, September 14, 2011 9:24 PM

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

"Kiki, did you get any of that last one?"

Yes, we did! Thanks for asking.

In the last 7 years we've had major national-news wildfires come within a mile of the house three times. (Me, being the nosy lookey-loo I am, I try to go see.) That whole thing about waking up and smelling smoke - worse - having large ash flakes falling down like snow and the day dim as evening - it's sort of normal for where I am. But Austin? Worse, I don't think as hot and dry as it normally gets here could match what Texas had / has. Despite my experience with hot dry weather and out-of-control wildfires I literally can't imagine it. And I'm just sick at the ecological destruction. Some things you just don't get back. I was reading about how forests once established can become self-sustaining through moisture capture, but when destroyed through logging - or I guess fire - can't be re-established. I'd hate to think the Lost Pines would be like that.

Something interesting to me anyway. I've been watching the water level in a couple of gravel quarries drop year by year - I'd guess 20 - 25 feet in the last 15 years due to chronic rain shortfall. The dryness of course has been the reason for a lot of the wildfires - trees weakened by drought are further injured or killed by the western pine beetle, the dead trees make kindling for the forests. The last pineapple express during winter dropped SO much water AND SNOW that the reservoir operators were still releasing water up to 4 weeks ago. And in just a few months the gravel quarries are back to where they were 15 years ago. Obviously one good year isn't going to bring the dead and dying trees back. But it highlights to me the extremes we seem to be experiencing. - prolonged drought followed by massive precipitation.

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011 10:06 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

That big step up in December - that was the pineapple express responsible for half our rainfall this year. Otherwise it would have been another dry la Nina year.

Remember when teachers, public employees, Planned Parenthood, NPR and PBS crashed the stock market, wiped out half of our 401Ks, took trillions in taxpayer funded bailouts, spilled oil in the Gulf of Mexico, gave themselves billions in bonuses, and paid no taxes?

Yeah, me neither....

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Friday, September 16, 2011 10:13 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Oh, goodie...at least someone got something out of it. Not a drop up this way. I'm envious. We're FINE, as far as that goes, but I so love rain, and there are so many months between the last of it and it coming back...sigh. I'm trying to be patient...only a month or two left...

Yeah, we get lots more water than you guys, and this last year really drenched us, even into June (which I adored!). Our lakes' water levels have been fine this year, tho' we suffered too during that years-long drought (not as much as you did, tho'!). One year definitely won't make up for it, but this Summer has been so cool I'm hoping we get another year like last one, that WOULD make a dent!

How I love Pineapple Expresses!! They are my joy--probably the single most wonderful weather event in my life--and I revel in them. However, you can keep your Santa Anas, thank you (they call them something else up here, but they're so dramatic down your way, I still call 'em Santa Anas). THEM we can do without nicely!

It's always saddened me to see your fires devastate so much each year, and then the subsequent slides, etc., when the rains come. So. Ca. was never intended to be as populous as it is, another (tho' less noticeable in its way) illustration of mankind determined to live where nature didn't intend!

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Friday, September 16, 2011 2:04 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:

Mike, how goes it down there? Your fires have been eclipsed by politics (of course!) recently, so I haven't heard much, if anything. I hope they're getting the fires under control at LEAST, even if the drought hasn't broken.

Oh, it goes. The smaller fires seem to be contained, and the monster Bastrop fire is about 75% contained now. Number of homes lost is now nearly 1600. But there has been an enormous outpouring of help from people here, from people in the state, and from people everywhere. And it is much appreciated, and much needed by these folks who've lost everything.

Today it rained, for almost ten minutes in a row. Big, fat, COLD raindrops. I was caught in it at lunch, trying to get to my car. I danced, and got soaked, and was happy as could be to feel the rain again.

It wasn't enough, but somehow it was. It was hope, in liquid form. There's a chance we'll get more this weekend.

We're alive, we're strong, and we don't give up. We'll be okay. We survived Bush and Perry "leading" our state; we'll survive this. ;)

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Saturday, September 17, 2011 7:37 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Oh thank gawd, SOME rain at least! I hope you get more, lots more--I believe Texas is mostly flat? Because I wouldn't wish for "lots more" right away unless it is, or you'd have the same kind of flooding/mud slides as So. Ca. gets every year. You've had enough already!

Here's hoping that little bit of rain has broken the back of this shit, more comes and things begin to get back to normal...for those for whom it CAN. Gawd, 1600 homes, it's inconceivable. Or maybe I just don't WANT to conceive of it!

Hippie Operative Nikovich Nikita Nicovna Talibani,
Contracted Agent of Veritas Oilspillus, code name “Nike”,
signing off

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Monday, September 19, 2011 11:28 AM

ARTCAT81

More rain again this morning, about 1.5" - we even got a lightning show :)

*Happy dance*

Still over 2ft rain deficit. But so glad to have some rain.

To answer your terrain question, Texas has everything here... flatlands, deserts, mountains, hill country, forests, beaches, swamps...

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse
www.texasartcat.com/bluesun.html <--my bluesunshop

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Monday, September 19, 2011 12:53 PM

FREMDFIRMA

You can GLADLY have some of mine, it looks like I am all but gonna need a damn boat out there tonight!

-F

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Monday, September 19, 2011 1:51 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Yay rain!

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011 4:18 AM

SHINYGOODGUY

Hey Kwix, sorry to hear about Texas' plight. I hope that you and your family will be safe until some relief arrives.
The weather pattern in the States has been quite erratic record rainfall in flooded areas and dry spells in parched lands. Global warming or El Nino weather pattern, who knows? Hope you're okay buddy.

SGG

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011 7:46 AM

KWICKO

Quote:
Originally posted by artcat81:
More rain again this morning, about 1.5" - we even got a lightning show :)

*Happy dance*

Still over 2ft rain deficit. But so glad to have some rain.

To answer your terrain question, Texas has everything here... flatlands, deserts, mountains, hill country, forests, beaches, swamps...

Browncoats are the shiniest folks in the 'verse
www.texasartcat.com/bluesun.html <--my bluesunshop

Good to hear ArtCat - we got some rain Saturday, for about 20 minutes. Still more than 24" behind for the last year, but anything helps.

The big Bastrop fire is now 95% contained; they're hoping to get the last hot spots taken care of today and tomorrow. Meanwhile, aid continues to pour in, from local, state, and federal sources, and from good people everywhere. People have even stepped up to volunteer to take care of pets and even livestock, which has to be a huge relief for those who lost farms and homes.

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