Hurricane Katrina

[cyndeelouwho1972]

I was wondering if anyone across the pond has seen what has happened in the US with Hurricane Katrina and what your thoughts were. Here in the US it is 24 hrs a day on the tv. I don't know if the world is getting the new coverage that we are. What were your thoughts of how to proceed or change in the Louisianna area. Personally as harsh as it sounds I believe the Levies must come down and let the Mississippi run it's natural course. The Creator had it engineered so perfectly. Although most of New Orleans would be under water, if we continue on our present course we will loose an extremely important ecosystem of marsh and wet lands. The marsh is what protects low lying coastal plains from being flooded. It wasn't meant to be built on and disturbed. Just my opinion.

[Wombat]

G'Day CindeeLou,

Well it's certainly getting plenty of coverage in Aus! That is some expensive real estate to go under the river, but from what I see on the TV the place is pretty well stuffed anyway, so maybe you are right!

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

Loads of coverage on British and French TV. It couldn't not be, could it? Also loads of discussion about the rising price of oil and therefore petrol for cars and heating houses etc etc. Thankfully I bought my winter wood in June because there's been a run on wood in France.

[Wombat]

Smart! Very Smart, Mandy.

[cyndeelouwho1972]

My in laws just recently switched to natural gas. Their oil tank still had oil, so we cyphoned it out and stored it in barrels to put in our above ground tank when needed. A storm during spring produced a little tornado that touched down in the forest a few miles away. We plan on going out there to cut up the wood and haul it home. There were about a hundred full grown oaks and pine taken right up from the root and are just laying on the ground. I plan on chainsawing the smaller ones that I can handle and splitting them at my place to let them cure. My parents have an old cast iron wood stove that I am going to install in my dining room. It will be useful for heat and cooking! I never cut standing timber and since the tornado layed them down for me, I will be happy to take some. Luckily a forest fire ranger is a friend of mine who pointed out where my little gold mine is!

[diver]

Hi, CDL, wherabouts in the US are you....you sound very self sufficient. the news coverage here is heavy...(to be replaced today by the cricket!)...but quite a lot of it is critical of your President for a slow response...too little too late sort of thing.....hope all your family are ok though

[Millymollymandy]

Cyndeelou, do you burn pine and resinous woods? We are always strongly advised not to as they gunk up your chimney. Shame as we just felled two Norway Spruce yesterday which we'll have to try to burn outside to get rid of them! Can't even do that at the moment due to the drought and boy do they take up a lot of room on the ground!!!

[cyndeelouwho72]

Pine can be burned as long as the fire is very very hot! When burning pine you must always keep your chimney clean because if the fire is not hot enough the residue sticks to the sides and an unclean chimney collecting residue will eventually catch fire or back up smoke into the home. Keep a clean chimney and a not fire and burning pine in my opinion is not a problem, not to mention the fragrance it releases is so nice.

[Guest]

Diver, I am in the southern part of new jersey. Jersey is a small state and is coined the garden state but now I call it the condo state! My sister's inlaws entire family lives in Gulf Port, Mississippi which is another location that was devastated. These people are very resourceful though and are all sticking together. My sister gave them 8 generators and her camper because two uncles lost their homes, nothing left but a concrete slab! My brother in law is in the music industry and has started his tour with his band, ALTER BRIDGE, or else he would be there too. I know he has given cash assistance to friends and family but now he is back out on the road trying to make his living. All of you across the pond, his band will be over there soon, check them out! Pretty good Rock if your into that sort of music. Anyway, I was not personally effected as I live in the NorthEast of the US. My other sister who is in the airforce voluteered to go down there for relief efforts but the powers that be refused her request,,,,she offered to do it without pay and use her own leave time! She has experience with this because of deployments to bosnia and somalia. Right now the Carolina's are being hit pretty bad and I am in fear for my husbands cousins and brother in law. Havent heard from them but assume all is well. Bad news always travels fast!!!!

Yes I try to be as self sufficient as possible. I wish I had the knowledge to go solar and be off the grid! I just had my well drilled which knocked out all my savings! 8 Grand! But now I have clear clean water right out the tap with no chlorine and governmental additives like flouride! I collect clothes from family, friends and aquaintances, wash and store them by size and give them to those in need or trade for the next size up for my own growing children. I only buy shoes, socks and underwear. Most everything else is bartered, gifted or traded. My children don't go to school in rags, they are well dressed, just not slaves to the "IN" labels.

Read the Book Affluenza

[Millymollymandy]

Sounds great about the water but I guess you have to be pretty sure you are going to stay at that house for many years to come to justify that sort of price. Did you use to be on a water meter, like we are, and pay lots for it? I don't know how things work like that in the US. Lots of people in France have wells but they are not for drinking water but good for watering the veggies, garden etc.