We continue to have a hot, dry, smoky summer. Breaking all kinds of records. 5 million acres burned. Fire 16 miles south, but not threatening, not advancing fast. We've had a lot of air quality warnings, and it smells ashy, like a doused camp fire. But we're safe. I look forward to fall! :-)
Tina
Tina -- as you know, I was/am fascinated by states that catch on fire. It was not something we experienced in Ohio. The thought of Alaska, which I think of as being cold and wet, on fire is just weird. I know so little.
Becki "In between the moon and you, the angels have a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right." -- Counting Crows
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :
]I look forward to fall!
so do i!!!
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
What's even weirder is that it's causing problems with perma-frost. In a couple areas, the roads have been closed by permafrost uphill melting and crossing the road as mud. This is the worst I've seen by far in the almost
20 years I've been here.Tina
Only 20,000 acres around Redding. one fire to the east and one to the west.
100 homes gone. no deaths or serious injurious so I guess we have some luck. the "bear" fire in the east is contained 100%. the "french" fire to the west is 35% contained. both are in seriously rough, isolated terrain. lots of gulleys, canyons and ridges. And, no roads. some of our local firefighters are in Alaska helping there. ArmandAs a teenager, I spent almost every summer, all summer in the Shasta Trinity National Forest, up on the South Fork Trinity River. And my father hunted there since before 1940 (maybe even 1930). Frequently they would set up road blocks and dragoon all men to fight fires, and he'd be home several days late.
This is such a bad fire year here. Usually our fire fighters are fighting fires Outside.
Lots of foliage is looking kind of singed from the heat, and looks leggy from the lack of sunshine due to the smoke.
On these real smoky days, I notice my joints aching and a slowing of my thoughts from decrease in oxygen.
Tina
you probably know or know of the locations of the fires. The french fire is in French Gulch, NE of Whiskeytown Lake. The bear fire is in the Jones Valley area next to Shasta Lake. Some of the guys based at the Redding Airport fire response station are in Alaska. You must have grown up somewhere around here. I am a transplant from Kentucky by way of TN and N.C. Alaska is the only state I have never visited. My mom just got back from her second Alaskan cruise. Any way nice to know someone way up there knows about our little back water. Good Luck with the weather and smoke. Armand
Yes, I've been following the fire information. Most of them seem to be in the Trinity Alps, rather than my old bailiwick, out be South Fork Mountain (longest unbroken ridge in the world).
What town are you in, Armand?
If you plan a trip up this way, be sure to let me know.
Tina
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :
]Yes, I've been following the fire information. Most of them seem to be in ]the Trinity Alps, rather than my old bailiwick, out be South Fork Mountain ](longest unbroken ridge in the world).
the 'Bear Fire' and the 'French Gulch' fires seem to be contained at this point, at least!
we MIGHT get RAIN on Monday or Tuesday. RCB is more powerful than i thought. It NEVER rains here in August!!!!!
----------- @vicki [SnuggleWench] (Books)
Sending the rain from UK. There is the legend about St Swithin on the 15th July. If it rains that day it is said to rain for 40days and 40 nights. Well it rained on St Swithern this year and it as done its best to keep up with it. We may have had 2 dry days since then.
Hey what's that I see between my toes, webs growing. LOL Shirley
In message , vj writes
Glad to hear you're ok, Tina! I wish I could send you some rain!
Mom's place is about halfway between Red Bluff and the coast, just south of Hwy 36. I've been checking the GeoMAC wildfire site.
Here I don't think we've had more than half a dozen smoke free days since the end of June. National Public Radio announced this morning that "the air quality sucks". Lots of days when we are advised not to be active, emergency fresh air sites, people wearing air filter masks. Even with a Living Air air cleaner ($600 unit we found at the dump!) and 2 HEPA filters, it's still smoky in the house. Lots of people noticing joint pain, nausea. I notice a lack of oxygen effecting my thinking. Even the fish aren't running. Doesn't look like we'll be getting our usual winter's supply of fish this year.
The one good thing. Hardly any mosquitoes.
Tina
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Christina Peterson" :
]Here I don't think we've had more than half a dozen smoke free days since ]the end of June. National Public Radio announced this morning that "the air ]quality sucks". Lots of days when we are advised not to be active, ]emergency fresh air sites, people wearing air filter masks. Even with a ]Living Air air cleaner ($600 unit we found at the dump!) and 2 HEPA filters, ]it's still smoky in the house. Lots of people noticing joint pain, nausea. ]I notice a lack of oxygen effecting my thinking. Even the fish aren't ]running. Doesn't look like we'll be getting our usual winter's supply of ]fish this year.
**sigh** i'm sorry, Tina. that really sucks rocks!]The one good thing. Hardly any mosquitoes.
**chuckle** only you would find the positive in all that!The highly allergic to mosquitos ~Candace~
Orphan Beads ~low cost and bartering for the financially challenged beader~
we are in Redding. actually 8 mi out, off the road thru igo & ono. Gold mining towns with an interesting history. both fires now contained. AND, the temp today is in the 70s, has been in the 100s for 2 wks. Cloudy, maybe rain???? to finish off the fires and prevent new ones as long as it doesn't bring too much lightning.
vj found this in rec.crafts.beads, from "Armand Vine" :
]AND, the temp today is in the 70s, has been in the 100s for 2 wks. Cloudy, ]maybe rain???? to finish off the fires and prevent new ones as long as it ]doesn't bring too much lightning.
that really astounded me when i saw it on the news last night. it NEVER rains in August!!!!!!!! so glad to know you are safe and the fires are on their way OUT!
when the fire started here, the temperature jumped 5degrees all at once!
I saw pictures on the news in the last week or so from Boscastle, IIRC, virtually been washed away in a flash flood! You could send some of that rain Down Under as well, if you like.
You can have it with pleasure. I have just got up and guess what? It is raining, its still so dull that I need a light on to type this at 7.40am.
Thank goodness we should get a bit of sun in November in Malta to set us up for winter. Not getting the vitamin D with no sun.
Shirley
Best friend and I went up to Trinity County yesterday - nearly to Willow Creek, and when we passed the French Gulch area going west I was shocked to see the extent of the burn area, right down to the road. Talked to a fire investigator last week who was expressing some feeling about the fire's behavior as it bore down on French Gulch. The cooler weather has been great, we spent part of the day in the Big Flat area - locals there were happy about the change in the temperatures, and it sure had not kept the kayakers and rafters off the Trinity. Much different from the previous week when we could not get home on the hwy, and came across the mountains on a logging road, to keep from being stuck in a traffic jam on a closed two lane hwy in the burning hills. Noticed a few raindrops this afternoon here in Redding, and a few fell on us yesterday as well. Sunset was rather colorful tonight as well.
Annie
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