Fire Warnings

We have had fire fighting planes and helicopters flying over the town all yesterday, Friday. There is a  massive big fire just East of the town, close to some houses.   There was notices and warning throughout the day telling people what was happening, people coming into Vinnies saying they were leaving there houses because though the fire wasn't near them yet they were surrounded by trees.  I was telling them to make sure they had a bag packed and to be ready to go...The fire was under control and the warnings downgraded.  All was well. 

Seems I should have took my own advice.  I had a call at 4.30 this morning from a friend around the corner, she had taken her horse out of town...I got up and got dressed, cause you know, it's 4.30, why not.  Had 5 calls/messages since then.  Our town is in danger, lots.  The wind is blowing the fire West and though we are not in town it's heading this way.  Lots of buildings between the town and us though so if it gets here it means the town is gone...Have called the daughter and she is coming out here as the main road to the town has been shut down.  Her and her 3 dogs and 2 ferrets will be here soon.  I have put a few things into a bag but have no idea what I am supposed to pack *just in case*

I've had the sprinklers on all night so the paddocks are wet but suppose I better have a coffee and get ready to leave, just in case we too have to get out quick.

After this I will make sure that there is a BOB ready to go, like there should be, like I have been going to do for years.

Stay safe people. 

It's now 5.30AM.  I was just outside having a look, seeing if I should be doing anything...What though?  No idea.  Sprinklers are on, hoses are connected...The road out the front is like a highway, cars heading in both directions and I was thinking that people in our area were getting out, maybe they knew something I didn't...Then it hit me, it looked like a highway as that is what it was being used as.  The main highway being shut all the traffic was diverted down our road.  

Daughter isn't here yet, I still haven't packed anything else in my bag.  What is someone supposed to pack?  I have wallet, water, food for the day, normal stuff that is usually in there...

And you know, having time to sit and wonder what I would pack...there isn't a lot I would.  Which goes to show that the decluttering can star in earnest next week!

The house is now full of dogs!  Two big ones a little one...Gotta go again.  It is so windy...

Ten past six and we can hear the choppers.  The water bombing will start now so hopefully they'll get on top of it.   The town evacuation centre has been evacuated!  

We're fine out here, it's smoky but pretty sure we're safe.  I really feel for the people in town though, houses have been burned, people have had to leave, it would be scarey and so worrying...

Half past 7 and the fire is still going.  Sirens are blaring, planes are flying...We're safe out here and missing all the action but I am thankful for that.  Others are not so lucky.
Have just had another phone-call from someone calling to see if I am alright.  People are so caring in situations like this and if we did have to go we now have a choice of 3 places.  It's good to know that people care.

4.30PM.  The town has been on alert all day, planes, helicopters.  There have been spot fires throughout the area.  The town is now in the process of being evacuated.  Everyone that didn't need to leave yesterday are having to leave now.  Chances are too high that the fire will take off again tonight.  We *should* be OK.  If it starts coming down the hill and across the paddocks I will seriously think of leaving but there is a highway and BIG BIG shed to get through before it reaches us.  Sprinklers will be on all night again.  I have a friend in town who wont leave but she has been told to come out if she needs to no matter what the time.  I need to go and get some beds organised.  This tiny house wont know what has hit it.   All up tonight there could be 9 dogs taking it in turns to be let out to toilet.  By the time the town is safe and people can go home I will be well over wanting a dog of my own!

It's been a scary day for Waroona, I haven't seen the half of it being safe out here but have been keeping up with it all with social media.  I also slept a couple of hours away.   Not enough can be said about all the firies, police and other helpers.   They do such an amazing job.
If you are one or know one, give yourself a big pat on the back.

It's Sunday morning, 9AM,the wind didn't pick up overnight like everyone feared and the town is now on a watch and act alert but it looks like the fires are well and truly under control.  Some are still burning but they are not moving and are under watch.  Daughter and dogs have gone back to the house in town and I daresay most people will go home today though there are still some parts of the top end of town closed to residents.   There is a helicopter flying over the area, I don't know if it is a spotter *plane*, water bomber or news crew.  It's a lot cooler today so that should help with keeping it down but the wind is starting to pick up.  We are due for some more hot days during the next week but hopefully it will be well and truly dead by then.

So some excitement for our little town, not the sort we want but apart from a few looters the town and surrounding areas came together to help each other.  That's good to see.

10AM, it's raining.  Not a lot and not very heavy but still, it's gotta help.

Back Into It....Bedroom Mess.

I am home, had lunch, *eager* to get more stuff out of the house.

Before I left I put the baskets back under the bed but one of them is full of bits and pieces, not clothing that I wear.  And I put stuff off the bed into it to make the bed and floor clearer so I need to get that out again one day and go through it properly but today, there are more important areas to work on. 

This is was the view from my bedroom door after lunch today.   Ummm, yep, still needs work.  And  this is after I put some things into the basket that goes underneath!   So pick a spot, any spot...

 Old bills that were in a plastic bag in the basket.  Why?  They are from 5 or 6 yeas ago.

 I can't shut the top drawer where I keep underwear but I remember doing this drawer last year sometime.

 Second drawer where bathers and nighties are kept.  I wear neither.

 I found this under the bed.  I love this case.  It was packed with stuff for an overnight stay a couple of years ago, everything I might need...Hmmm, obviously I haven't been anywhere to need it.

 Bags of...Dunno, will have a look and sort them out.

 This is the corner at the end of my side of the bed.   Yellow backpack I take to work, checky bag is market stuff, red cloth is a cushion cover, other stuff is other stuff, not needed.

I shall go do 3 areas.  Now.

It's now nearly 6PM and I am starting to flag.  Actually, I have flagged.  What I need is to get finished but as I get rid of something I bring out something else...I need to concentrate on what is in front of me and finish one job before starting another.  But,

The bills are soaking in a bucket of water and will be added to the worm farm soon.  The red case has been repacked and is in the car because I do want to stay away sometimes this year and this will get rid of one excuse.  The market bag is out in the shed with the market stuff.   All rubbish is in the bin, all op-shop stuff is in the car and FreeMarket stuff is out in the van.   There is now only 1 bag on the bed that needs sorting but I need to get outside before dark and get some outside jobs done.  Hang on a bit...The bed is now clear, the not done bag is in the basket under the bed.  So glad I went through that this morning as it has allowed room for situations like this.  The side and end of my side of the bed is clear, Husbands side is clear too.   Let's call it a day.

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

I had an unexpected day at home yesterday, alone, by myself,   I was disappointed that it happened but pleased that I'd be able to get heaps done, all the stuff that doesn't get done when the husband is home.   It was gunna be great, productive, my house would shine...Ummm, OK, maybe not shine but I was going to do another cull and get rid of lots more useless, unneeded stuff.

I didn't.

It was hot so I spent most of the day eating, reading, computering, wasting...I had a late night and didn't get up until 10 past 7 this morning.  I know, how lazy of me, wasted the morning of the new day too.  But no, today will not be wasted.  I will be out from 9.45 until lunchtimeish this morning but before I leave here I am going to go through a couple of baskets from under my bed and make them easier to push under and pull out again.  I keep clothes in these as we have hardly any cupboard space in the bedroom.  They are too full and can no longer be pushed under.  I know I did one of these baskets last year sometime so maybe husband is right and I need to stop bringing stuff home.  We wont tell him that though will we...We will just stop doing it and see if he notices.   But the basket clearing out stuff, I'm doing that for me.

I have just finished my coffee.  I have an hour before I need to get ready and to go.

I'll be working on this.




                     And now have this...



       





And this. 

 
 




                                    To this.
                                              

All this is going, going, gone out the door already.  Plus 2 other bags are out in the car ready to be taken to the op-shop and 1 bag and a few things going to the FreeMarkets are out of the house.  


If I'm quick then maybe this too.  I wasn't quick enough for this but will be home soon and will strt on it then.

 

 

Planning, Doing...Planning to do...

Three weeks in to the new year and things are much the same.  That means the gardens need work, the house needs work, I need work.  But hey, what would I do if I didn't have all this stuff to work on aye?

Umm, what would I do?  Probably spend more time than I do now on this thing so just as well I'm not up to date with it all yet.

I have been busy though.  Still at Vinnies, still liking it.  If I got paid for being there and doing what I do it would be the best job.  Being manager is a lot more work but I am learning and hopefully will soon get the hang of it properly.  It would be a help if I had someone that was more involved with my training but the Area Manager doesn't seem that interested so I am learning as I go. If they don't like it then they can sack me! 
I am wondering now if I could help more on the Welfare side of things.  The Conference women have asked for help and I have sat in on some of their appointments, just as a second person for safety reasons, and think t would be a good thing to do.   At first I thought it would be great, then had second thoughts and decided that I am too judgemental, third thoughts were that maybe some of the people that come in could do with some straight talking to...It would be nice to be able to help the genuine people though and good to get the others help so they can help themselves more.  Telling the difference between the genuine needy and the greedy needy is hard though and the CW get it wrong quite often so I don't know why I think I would be any different.  If they, the CW, ever ask if anyone would like training in that area though I think I will put my hand up. 

I have had a few days paid work during the school holidays but am finished now until the next lot.  Soon these kids will be old enough not to need me and then my main source of income will be finished. Not that what I get is very much, maybe $1000 for the year lol, but better than nothing.  I will have to get serious about selling the honey and getting the gardens producing more so I have some money to call my own and am not totally dependant on husband.   In the meantime I'll just keep the credit card in my purse.

Husband has put a shed up for me/us to use as an extracting shed for the hives.  It works great and everything to do with the hives is now together in one area.   We had the first extraction for the year in it today and it works great.  Quicker, cooler, cleaner.  It will be so much easier to get an extraction done now and best of all it is bee proof!  No bees to worry about while I/we steal their honey.

I'm going down to Nannup tomorrow.  Going down with one daughter to visit another...First daughter will be dropping her daughter off for a weeks holiday.  We need to get back early though so 2and1/2 hours there, stay a bit, 2and1/2 hours back again...Nannup daughter has a HelpXer staying with her and it will be interesting to talk with her again.   I met her last week, she is from Germany and will be traveling around for 6 months, in a van...I want some inspiration for next year when I hope to get another van and try again.

We haven't been anywhere camping since March last year and I need to get it into my head that if I want to then I will need to do it alone.  I'm working on it but...To help with the stupid irrational fear I have I am going away with Nannup daughter in March.  Three weeks in Tasmania.  She is going for some Permaculture thing and suggested I go along for the ride.  I cried.  She says we'll hire a campervan, stay longer and explore.  I cried.  She told me how big the van will be.  I cried.  It seems I am a crier.  I am working on that too.

Over the course of this year I want to get the gardens producing like they did back in 2010, I want to get the house decluttered and some bookshelves up so I can bring my books in, I want to get an extraction done by myself, from honey in a hive to honey in a jar and I want to get out and about a bit more, including overnight stays somewhere by myself.  I'm going to plan at least 2 trips away, invite the husband but go anyway, with or without him.  And, I already have ideas for next year but they will need a lot more planning.   Something else to work on...

How about you, what plans do you have for this year?  Not resolutions but real plans for things that you want to happen, things that will happen...

Lost Them Again.

I *lost* my glasses again tonight.  If it happens again I might have to seriously think about getting another pair.  A spare pair.  But they are too expensive to have sitting around just in case I do something stupid and lose the ones I wear all the time so I will think on it some more.  And in the meantime hope that I don't knock these ones off again.

How did they fall off this time?  I was hanging up the washing, it's dark but I had the back light on so could see what I was doing.  I walked through the washing and the glasses got caught up in a shirt and flung off somewhere.  I dropped down and started feeling around...It was half past eight and I expected the son home but didn't want to be outside too long because of mozzies and was thinking to come in and try to call him when I saw his carlights.  I waited a bit, how long does it take to get out of a car!  Minutes and more minutes, or so it seemed so I called out to him, no response so I called louder.  He comes over but so do all 4 dogs!  Last week I was worried about cows treading on them but tonight it was dogs eating them.  I call out what is wrong so he calls the dogs away and goes and gets a torch.  He finds them about 5 foot from where I was looking/feeling so glad he got home when he did 'cause I would not have been able to.  My other option was to ring the daughter and get her to help again but lucky for her I didn't need to.

This is the second time in 2 and a bit weeks. I either have to be more aware or stop doing stuff.  Or get another pair.  A spare pair.

Home All Day, Yayyyy. List Time.

I have a home all day by myself day today.  Maybe.  There was a whisper of a fairy visiting but I can't remember if that was written whispered in stone or not.  And I should go into town and put some RRFM signs up...Whatever way, I need a list.  Here be the start of it;

I will add to this as I think of things...

INSIDE.
Sink clear and clean.
Bench 1 clear and clean.
Bench 2 clear and clean. clean.
Bench 3  clear and clean.
Table, clear and clean cloth.
Put all crappy carbs in his tuckerbox
Change sheets on bed
Wash sheets
Wash other clothes.  On now.
Vacuum floor.
Do *something* with all the tomatoes.

SUNROOM.
Clear all chairs so I can sit and read anywhere.
Put out empty boxes and any rubbish.
Ashtray.
Bookcase, for me or L?  Decide then put in proper place.

OUTSIDE.
Put some shelves in the extracting shed.
Move all the new jars into the Ex shed.
Plant 6, or 8...all the ones I got, Tomato plants.
Bag up everything for the RRFM
Go through my shirts again.
Sprinklers on tank gardens.  And don't forget to shift it around!

THIS WEEK.
As above.
Pay all bills.
Tidy paper area.
Replace ink in printer.
Add to this as I think of things...
Extraction or another box on Hive 1.

I Love My Fairies.

The Lawnmowing Fairy was here this morning and this afternoon the whippersnipper/raking up the grass fairy visited.  Thankyou Missy Fairy, I love you.

I need To...

I have a busy week ahead of me.  In my head I have a list so long that it will get my house, shed, blog and self organised.  To the max!   If I get around to putting it on paper then doing even some of the things on it my life will be improved.   But I am out all day today, most of tomorrow, Wed and Friday.  And Thursday morning.   And next Sat too.   Then husband is due home again and I never get anything achieved when he is home...So I really need to get the list made out and stuck onto the computer screen.  I really need to make more of an effort.  I really need to go and get ready 'cause I am being picked up soon and still have to get outside and water the plants and feed the chooks and chickens...Have a great one people.

No Different.

Well it's the first day of 2015 and I must say...no different to the last day of 2014.     It's kinda hot, the gardens need work as does the house.  The grass needs to be mowed again and the great pile of mulch out the front still needs shifting.   My house needs to be tidied up again, the bedroom is messy, I have too much stuff, too many clothes and dare I say it...yes, I'm feeling brave, I have too many books.   I'm sure that there were times last year that I promised myself to get all that under control before now but I must be happy with it all aye, otherwise I would have stuck to it.

I'm not making myself, or anyone else, any promises this year.  What happens happens.  Which really is just kinda saying that I am too darn lazy to make any changes regardless of how much better off I would be if I did.

What about you?  Have you made yourself a promise that you will break or are you stronger willed than me and can stick to doing what is best?

We're eating grapes now but of course we need to be careful picking them because the wasps like them too.   And speaking of wasps, the daughter has so far gotten rid of 30!! paper wasp nests from her place over the last few days and thinks there are more.  30, that's an insane amount.  

The chooks are cackling, it's coming from the apple tree area so that means I will have to have another search for their nest.  They have perfectly fine nests in their shed but I'm only getting a few eggs from in there so they must have another one somewhere.  It should be easy to find as the husband spend days cleaning up in the pens, got rid of all my rubbish, pulled out all the weeds and gathered up all the tree prunings.  He is a Trojan and I can't find a simple little chook nest.  HoHum...

Yesterday I dug up potatoes and sweet potatoes to have with tea and started thinking if it would be better to dig as I need and end up with dirty fingernails every time or dig enough to last the week and only get dirty fingernails once.   What would you do?   I also picked capsicum, tomatoes...so many tomatoes...cucumbers.  I need to get out there and do it again today.   I need to make some sort of sauce with the tomatoes and pickles with the cukes but haven't yet.   There are still Oranges on 1 tree, a handful of strawberries most days.  The freezers are full with meat and fish...yet I am still choosing to eat crap.  Why do I do this to myself?  Where is good ol' Dr Phil when I need him...

As for getting the house sorted, I did start removing stuff from the house but put a lot into bags and boxes and put it in the shed.  Son always complains about not being able to get to the coolroom and not being able to use the shed.  He is right and I keep saying I will sort it out and clear it up.  He threatened to *do it for me* if I didn't show real progress by the new year.  Well the new year is here and he still can't get to the coolroom or use the shed.    It will be my own fault if I go in there one day and find that everything is in the bin.   That would male me cry, a lot.  But not enough to actually get out there and get it sorted I bet.  Stupid!

In saying all of that though I think I will make a start with something.  Husband is due home today, tomorrow, sometime soon, and I want it tidy when he gets here.   Coffee first then I will start.  Promise!