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Thread ID: 119466	2011-07-24 14:46:00	It's Burning Near Anza	SurferJoe46 (51)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1218825	2011-07-24 14:46:00	We got fires again . This one is over 10,500 acres now since the overnight estimates are just coming in . The fire is just about 2 miles away, in a deep canyon that is both below and to the SSW of us . The biggest problem is this is burning on Indian Land and any culling of trash brush and debris growth is forbidden because the Indians think their gods' spirits and their dead ones live in the brush, so it cannot be cut to keep these wild fires from causing a lot more damage than they would if the cleaned up or allowed controlled burns to immolate the trash they like to call their ancestral worshiping and stomping grounds . Even the firefighter's access to the lands requires a medicine man to accompany them to keep from stepping on a reclining invisible spirit or grave site . Using bulldozers and hand crews is severely impeded for this reason . Maybe they have a god made of charcoal, burnt bunnies and smoked antelope . The prevailing winds drive the smoke right through our canyon and that's where I'm getting the funnel effect of heavy smoke and flaming embers falling on us . The smoke here is pretty thick and I am having a really bad time breathing . There's ash falling outta the sky and I have my emergency gas-powered water pump and two 1 1/2" lines rigged for any possible flaming shingles and trees . We have some very old growth poplar or cotton-less cottonwood trees and a few sycamores in the orchard among our apple and pear trees, but they don't appear to be in any danger at all . Surrounding us is a lot of Manzanita and ribbonwood (commonly called: 'greasewood') which burns like: er, grease . I ran the irrigation system all night to really wet the area down and I have 250,000 gallons of water in the reserve fire fighting tank all ready to go . The well is running over 20 GPM - so that's not gonna be an issue either . We don't get municipal water or any utilities but electricity and phone service here . Last month I created a 100-foot 'defense-able zone' for just such an occurrence as this . My nearest neighbor got a very serious fine for not having his abatement done and the fire department came out and did it FOR him to a hefty fee too . Next year he'll learn of have to pay again . Good thing I have the well and emergency generators and gas powered water pumps for such a circumstance . Life in the country . 103ºF yesterday and humidity at 12% and winds alternating from the SSW swinging to the SE and gust to 40 MPH as the fire generates it's own weather . Here's an incident report from the SoCal State Fire Facility:: . fire . ca . gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=534" target="_blank">cdfdata . fire . ca . gov We'll be just fine ---- except for my breathing, that is .	SurferJoe46 (51)
1218826	2011-07-25 01:27:00	Sounds a bit unfriendly. Ensure your Vegemite levels are at, or even slightly above, optimum.	R2x1 (4628)
1218827	2011-07-25 01:32:00	Snowing in most areas in upside down land which is a bit unusual for it to be so widespread. Stay Cool SJ	Arnie (6624)
1218828	2011-07-25 01:41:00	Sounds a bit unfriendly . Ensure your Vegemite levels are at, or even slightly above, optimum . Is this my internal-stomach level or what's on the cupboard shelves level? Quite sure the one jar and the one tube of it is safe from my consumption or predators and vermin too . Does that count? I use it to keep the wombats away - and ya know what? Ever since I got that original shipment, there hasn't been nary a wombat in the neighborhood . There are a higher-then-normal headcount of dire wolves though . Any connection there? Dang! I hope not .	SurferJoe46 (51)
1218829	2011-07-25 01:50:00	What can I say, Joe? Except hang in there. We hear you loud and clear about the Indian dried brush and their culture. You have to wonder if someone is going to come up with the idea that it is still their culture to burn witches at the stake and be allowed to continue the practice. We could quote a few instances here about one law for some and one for others.	Marnie (4574)
1218830	2011-07-25 01:59:00	I wonder - since the Indians self-declared themselves as a sovereign nation - why they don't need passports and visas to visit the US? But I CANNOT go on their land without an escort or a written letter from their tribal councils and they just bop on out and rob a liquor store and cross over into their nation and they're free there without fear of extradition by the US courts. Just a couple of months ago, one of their warriors repeatedly stabbed himself in the back by accident and died. Sounds about right to me!	SurferJoe46 (51)
1218831	2011-07-25 02:01:00	Geez - that humidity is low: 12%!!! Keep drinking Joe (water, or your preferred beverage) - or you'll dry up into a small pile of powder and get blown away!!	johcar (6283)
1218832	2011-07-25 02:08:00	We are a high-desert here and the humidity factor is usually in the low teens, if not in the single digits. That's all good though since we use swamp coolers for keeping the house cool. I can get to 52ºF (NZ= I dunnow at the moment) if the moisture is low. I prolly drink 6-10 liters (yes, we use liters for our store bought water) all my waking hours and I haven't floated a kidney yet. I can't speak for sleep-imbibing though. After all, if I'm drinking while I'm asleep - how would I know? Dang! I thought my stepson was taking my beer! When all along it mighta been me! On second thought - I think I'll keep on a-blaming him anyway! Can't hurt - right? Now if only he'd steal my Vegemite. (Fat chance of THAT happening though!)	SurferJoe46 (51)
1218833	2011-07-25 06:11:00	I wonder - since the Indians self-declared themselves as a sovereign nation - why they don't need passports and visas to visit the US? Because they were there first and the ones who own most of the US moved in and took it all uninvited?	pctek (84)
1218834	2011-07-25 06:19:00	The Indians are a vanquished people. They never build freeways, high rise buildings or a monetary system - useless! If they had the atomic bomb, they'd STILL lose	SurferJoe46 (51)
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