Marguerite
Active Member
G'day, folks.
The weather is hot today, even driving with the car window down was too hot so I had to turn on the a/c in the car. I would have stayed home and gone to the beach if I didn't have to go out to the doctor (monthly appointment for prescriptions plus referral for difficult child 3 for his next pediatrician appointment for medications).
Earlier I had been called by difficult child 1 - daughter in law had been camping on her own for a few days, could I collect her for him please, since he was at work? So I headed off, she was about 15 minutes away in a beautiful spot where a freshwater stream flows over a smooth sandstone waterfall into a palm-fringed lagoon by the ocean. All wilderness (except for the car park and barbecue facilities right up the back). If you saw "The Black Balloon", this was the place where they filmed the swimming lesson scene in the bush, just before the thunderstorm. It's called Wattamolla.
I fetched daughter in law then headed home, grabbed difficult child 3 and grandma and we headed out. I did my shopping while I was out, got back just in time to drop difficult child 3 off at his tennis class, dropped mother in law off home with her shopping then took my prescriptions to the pharmacy. Got to tennis, arrived just as difficult child 3 was finishing, talked to tennis coach for half an hour (including showing her the film clip of difficult child 3's interview about autism on TV last Sunday night - posted about it elsewhere) then headed home. husband took some CDs back to the library for me (he's feeling a bit better, hoping to go to work tomorrow). It's been busy today.
The doctor says I'm lacking Vitamin D. It's a problem in Australia, we actually cover up too much from the sun, use too much sunscreen. So I have to take Vitamin D and also get some sun every day. Because I have dark skin (for a so-called white person) I needed more sunlight than average. My doctor is Egyptian and I'm darker than her.
Today was the first day anywhere in Australia for the new fire warnings (developed after the disastrous Vic bushfires early this year) to reach the "catastrophic" rating (the highest alert status). I really hope this system works and is taken up by other countries around the world. The message today was - "we know there are no fires in the area, but the forecast is sufficiently worrying for us to tell you - implement your fire safety plan NOW. If you don't have one, or your plan tells you to evacuate, then get out now. Go to the city."
Pre-schools were closed, child care centres were closed.
There were more details, but the point is - only stay if you are properly prepared and you know you can fight the fire safely. Make sure you have a safe refuge. Because if people wait until there's a fire to make the decision, it can be too late. When the fire danger is catastrophic, it means there can be spot fires miles ahead of the fire front, which can totally change the picture.
Here is a link to the news item:
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/catastrophic-bushfire-warning-prompts-evacuations/13081
There may be better links but this gives you an idea.
Tomorrow in Sydney will be very hot and I think the fire danger will be bad at some level. Total fire ban, I believe (that means no naked flames permitted outdoors). Throwing cigarette butts out of the window on total fire ban days results in HUGE fines.
The next few days, the thermometers will be around 100 F in the west of Sydney, at least. It's a bit cooler here close to the sea, I'm going to remedy my Vitamin D lack as soon as I can!
Enjoy your Wednesday, people.
Marg
The weather is hot today, even driving with the car window down was too hot so I had to turn on the a/c in the car. I would have stayed home and gone to the beach if I didn't have to go out to the doctor (monthly appointment for prescriptions plus referral for difficult child 3 for his next pediatrician appointment for medications).
Earlier I had been called by difficult child 1 - daughter in law had been camping on her own for a few days, could I collect her for him please, since he was at work? So I headed off, she was about 15 minutes away in a beautiful spot where a freshwater stream flows over a smooth sandstone waterfall into a palm-fringed lagoon by the ocean. All wilderness (except for the car park and barbecue facilities right up the back). If you saw "The Black Balloon", this was the place where they filmed the swimming lesson scene in the bush, just before the thunderstorm. It's called Wattamolla.
I fetched daughter in law then headed home, grabbed difficult child 3 and grandma and we headed out. I did my shopping while I was out, got back just in time to drop difficult child 3 off at his tennis class, dropped mother in law off home with her shopping then took my prescriptions to the pharmacy. Got to tennis, arrived just as difficult child 3 was finishing, talked to tennis coach for half an hour (including showing her the film clip of difficult child 3's interview about autism on TV last Sunday night - posted about it elsewhere) then headed home. husband took some CDs back to the library for me (he's feeling a bit better, hoping to go to work tomorrow). It's been busy today.
The doctor says I'm lacking Vitamin D. It's a problem in Australia, we actually cover up too much from the sun, use too much sunscreen. So I have to take Vitamin D and also get some sun every day. Because I have dark skin (for a so-called white person) I needed more sunlight than average. My doctor is Egyptian and I'm darker than her.
Today was the first day anywhere in Australia for the new fire warnings (developed after the disastrous Vic bushfires early this year) to reach the "catastrophic" rating (the highest alert status). I really hope this system works and is taken up by other countries around the world. The message today was - "we know there are no fires in the area, but the forecast is sufficiently worrying for us to tell you - implement your fire safety plan NOW. If you don't have one, or your plan tells you to evacuate, then get out now. Go to the city."
Pre-schools were closed, child care centres were closed.
There were more details, but the point is - only stay if you are properly prepared and you know you can fight the fire safely. Make sure you have a safe refuge. Because if people wait until there's a fire to make the decision, it can be too late. When the fire danger is catastrophic, it means there can be spot fires miles ahead of the fire front, which can totally change the picture.
Here is a link to the news item:
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/catastrophic-bushfire-warning-prompts-evacuations/13081
There may be better links but this gives you an idea.
Tomorrow in Sydney will be very hot and I think the fire danger will be bad at some level. Total fire ban, I believe (that means no naked flames permitted outdoors). Throwing cigarette butts out of the window on total fire ban days results in HUGE fines.
The next few days, the thermometers will be around 100 F in the west of Sydney, at least. It's a bit cooler here close to the sea, I'm going to remedy my Vitamin D lack as soon as I can!
Enjoy your Wednesday, people.
Marg
The self destruction begins next week again. 
