Grab Bag

Quick snippet. Normally I don't blog in Feb. It's my annual blogging holiday.


Winter wonderland

From the safe distance of an Australian summer, this snowstorm business in Pommyland and Europe and America looks rather fun. I loved the story of the train passengers stuck in the Chunnel for 18 hours with nothing to eat but packet sandwiches and fruit loops. And the thing where Washingtown has been shut down by massive piles of snow is quite entrancing for this snow-virgin sweltering away in Woy Woy. `Course the Washingtonians and Chunnel users might see it slightly differently.

Must pop over very soon to my fellow bloggers and see how they're enjoying it.


Local linkage

Trawler at Woy Woy (nice arty snap of Woy Woy Channel)

Pop across to Stevo's for some excellent local WWII snaps and info. Love that old landing barge at Brooklyn, ta mate. Also, that Woy Woy Theatre graphic you did is the one that was where Woolies is now right? Looks great.

Michael puts his new camera going through its paces at the Rumbalara Res look-out. My favourite is the misty one of Lion Island.

The Biker Bunnies are hard at it again on the Gossie to Woy Woy on the cycle path with some nice scenery snaps.

Bivoir always gives good photo. Check out Umina Beach in HDR.

Caitlyn and the knocking shopper: the tale of a lonely brain cell.

Photo of Ett jett, the Ettalong jetty on Ferry Road, the wharf from which you catch the ferry across to Palm Beach. The fact that the ferry wharf road is called Ferry Road leads to confusion amonst non-locals trying to get back before the last ferry goes.

Non-local: "Excuse me, where's the ferry road?"
Local: *points* "Go along there a bit."
Non-local: "What's it called?"
Local: "Ferry Road."
Non-local: "Yes, thanks, but what's it called?"
Local: "Ferry Road."
Non-local: *cries*

Add in an accent and/or a tenuous grasp on English and you end up escorting the poor dears down far enough to point at the sign.

It's back

Today's dust storm is mostly clear now. The sky's a sort of weak blue round the edges but otherwise clear. It was pretty mild today compared to Wednesday's red dawn, just a white-grey haze at six, like a slightly dirty fog. Made me sneeze and itch though when I took the garbage out and it didn't smell great.

Brizzie copped it again too and New Zealand copped Wednesday's dust on Friday.



Embiggen satellite image

Wednesday's dust made world headlines and the bastard could be seen on satellite stretching from Cape York to Sydney. Cape York is the pointy bit at top of Australia. NASA put it at 3,500 kays (2,170 miles) and it grounded water-bomber choppers fighting Queensland bushfires. The air quality was clocked at 15,000+ grotty bits per something or other. A normal day is 20 grotty bits and a bushfire makes 500 grotty bits. Fark.

Pop over to the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water for air quality updates. Or just stay home and have the phone sex.


Sex Degrees of Separation

Everybody's doing it. Calculating how many people they've indirectly shagged. I got 13 million. Hope they were all hot.

Sex calculator


Ugh

Going back to the sofa with a pillow and the remote. Buggered after a month of half-sick half-not crapulence. Normal services will resume shortly.

Fire and boats

Bushfire to the West of Woy Woy. Taken yesterday, the 11th August 2009.

Can't find out where exactly the fire was but it looks like it could have been in Ku-ring-gai or around Mooney Mooney up on the F3. (The F3 is an intercity highway with a fearsome reputation for prangs.)

We got a new thingy added to our fire safety signs: Catastrophic AKA Code Red. That's because of the Victorian bushfires.

The signs used to say: "Low / Moderate / Very High / Extreme". Catastrophic is obviously higher than Extreme. Catastrophic means get the kids and go now.

NSW Rural Fire Service (Woy Woy falls under the RFS)

Current Fire Danger Map (NSW RFS)

Bushfire report: Stay or go policy on the line (It's your ABC)


Ferry news

"The SS Baragoola (as she was originally named) was built in 1922 for the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company Ltd. ...
Her name (in a local Aboriginal dialect) means "Flood Tide". ... In the 1970's and early 1980's, along with North Head, Baragoola was the backbone of the Manly ferry service. Baragoola was withdrawn from service and passed into private ownership in 1983.

Following a failed attempt to use her as a floating university, she was sold again in 1988." (Baragoola website)

Floating university? The mind boggles.

Baragoola in 1922


Putt Putt Regatta 2009

It's on again for putt putts and people young and old. Sunday 1st of November down at the Davistown waterfront.

Putt Putt Regatta website

Local boating news linkage: centralcoastferries.com.au


Argh

I am going back to bed. Feeling rather crook again. Stupid health.