The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Nothing yet, but we do finally have clouds which is a bonus because it means that it isn't as warm.
However the fire, now around 19,000 hectares, is big enough to actually be changing the weather in the area. Smoke being a cloud seeder! Still at least it is not the size of the ones up north that are still burning and well beyond the 800,000 hectares mark.

I've just looked on the rain radar and there is a tiny chance that the train in the Snowy's right now might not peater out before it gets to us. Though I'm not holding my breath because it is only pale green on the radar and that often turns into nothing...


Sadly most livestock do not survive bush fires. They die of smoke inhalation first, the same as humans. It is why they say when a fire is in your location to keep all animals penned up (or kept inside for dogs and cats etch other small animals etc) so that you can easily load them up to evacuate. It is also why we have agreed to set a timer on our phones. When that time is up, that is all we take. The rest are released so that there is a tiny chance they may survive. But we don't expect any to.

I also forgot to say we will take the crowbars with us as well. (It's on the check list on the fridge). It is just in case we have to evacuate cross-country and the bolt cutters are not big enough to deal with locked gates. Better not to hit locked gates just in case there is damage to your vehicle. (Both radiators are protected by substantial roo bars, it's the underneath of the vehicle that is my bigger concern).Changing a tyre on my 4x4 is no small job and could easily cost you everyone's life for the sake of opening a padlock. We have 2 sizes of crowbars available (not to mention 2 sizes of lump hammers and 3 sizes of axes ). I have no idea what would ever happen if we were stopped with more than 1 of each in a vehicle! Explaining 1 would be easy, explaining all well that would make life much more interesting to say the least!
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Bring a good strong rope or chain, or better yet, a tow strap. You can back up to a gate, and use the rope/chain/ strap to pull it down.

I've seen a picture of your truck/ute. You could easily pull down a gate.

But, the bolt cutter I have can take out a pretty substantial lock. For backup, I have a Colt .45. One shot would destroy a padlock. :wink:

BTW, a Colt .45 is a Texas legend. It was called the "peacemaker" when Texas Rangers (the law enforcement arm, not the baseball team) carried them. Their motto was, "One riot, one Ranger."

I have one. It's worth at least as much as my car.

CD
 
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caseydog said:
Bring a good strong rope or chain, or better yet, a tow strap. You can back up to a gate, and use the rope/chain/ strap to pull it down.

I've seen a picture of your truck/ute. You could easily pull down a gate.

But, the bolt cutter I have can take out a pretty substantial lock. For backup, I have a Colt .45. One shot would destroy a padlock. :wink:

BTW, a Colt .45 is a Texas legend. It was called the "peacemaker" when Texas Rangers (the law enforcement arm, not the baseball team) carried them. Their motto was, "One riot, one Ranger."

I have one. It's worth at least as much as my car.

CD
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I wouldn't go telling too many people about the gun!!!

Russ
 
caseydog said:
Bring a good strong rope or chain, or better yet, a tow strap. You can back up to a gate, and use the rope/chain/ strap to pull it down.

I've seen a picture of your truck/ute. You could easily pull down a gate.

But, the bolt cutter I have can take out a pretty substantial lock. For backup, I have a Colt .45. One shot would destroy a padlock. :wink:

BTW, a Colt .45 is a Texas legend. It was called the "peacemaker" when Texas Rangers (the law enforcement arm, not the baseball team) carried them. Their motto was, "One riot, one Ranger."

I have one. It's worth at least as much as my car.

CD
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The rope isn't a bad idea. We've plenty of straps for the trailer and roof rack and one usually lives in each vehicle. I just hadn't thought of using it that way. Towing in Australia via a rope (even a dedicated tow rope) isn't permitted at all unlike the UK. If you break down and need recovery it is a low loader by default. I guess there are just too many 4x4's and also dirt roads for it to be viable. I'm so used to it from the UK that it seemed really odd when we first arrived but I can understand it here for the circumstances.

As for firearms, until we get citizenship, we can't have anything. So that's not an option despite my experience. I'm not prepared to cost us our visas and hence hubby his job. There are alternatives (ring a friend) for the times it has been needed.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
As for firearms, until we get citizenship, we can't have anything. So that's not an option despite my experience. I'm not prepared to cost us our visas and hence hubby his job. There are alternatives (ring a friend) for the times it has been needed.
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Oh yes, I forgot you live in a country with actual gun laws. What a concept. We talk about them from time-to-time -- like right after another mass shooting. But the NRA has lots of money to purchase members of congress, and our President is an idiot. Oooops, did I say that out loud? Sorry sir.

CD
 
:hyper:
35228
 
Well, I've watched every bit of Hairy Bikers stuff available on Britbox and AcornTV, and I've just watched "The Man Who Invented Christmas," that was nice.

Now I'm just looking forward to starting all the Advent calendars tomorrow.

Our front porch Christmas lights are crap this year. I'd forgotten that I'd purged our front porch lights last year, so I don't have lights to wrap the columns and the wife has strongly recommended that I leave it alone.

That meant I had to dig out some old, sad, mismatched snowflake lights and put those out. :(
 
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caseydog said:
Oh yes, I forgot you live in a country with actual gun laws. What a concept. We talk about them from time-to-time -- like right after another mass shooting. But the NRA has lots of money to purchase members of congress, and our President is an idiot. Oooops, did I say that out loud? Sorry sir.

CD
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You're only saying what kiwis are thinking. Unbelievable!!

Russ
 
Woke up with a head cold, care of daughter, she's been here for two weeks, has her hip replaced tomorrow so we are looking after her and grandson. School duties,lol. She's here for a few months.
Her hip replacement will change her life, she's put up with it for years. Her gait is terrible, how people put up with this before medicine kicked in ill never know.

Russ
 
rascal said:
Woke up with a head cold, care of daughter, she's been here for two weeks, has her hip replaced tomorrow so we are looking after her and grandson. School duties,lol. She's here for a few months.
Her hip replacement will change her life, she's put up with it for years. Her gait is terrible, how people put up with this before medicine kicked in ill never know.

Russ
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Good luck to your daughter with her hip replacement. Kudos to you for helping her out and have fun with grandson.
 
Same here, rascal, good wishes for your daughter. My sis had both hips replaced about 15 years ago (car accident) and it was rough duty getting through the recovery.
 
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