And F U Mother Nature Summer 2012/13

[Chromatix]

Why would it be a big deal getting to the sleeper? I thought British railways had sleepers every couple feet along ALL their tracks.

Well, I mean the night train. The normal, daytime trains are faster *and* take a more direct route, but then you miss the last connection at Inverness and have to sit there for hours on end, so it's two hours slower overall.

The other possible meaning of "sleeper train" is as part of major engineering works...

[Jester]

If you're looking for long distances in the same state, all that's dwarfed by I10 across Texas. According to my atlas, it's around 840 miles from El Paso to the Louisiana line - or around half the distance from where TC17 crosses from Manitoba to where 417 reaches Ottawa.

Oh, there are definitely longer distances within a state. I was trying to find a distance comparable to the one being described, so that Americans would appreciate the distance.

And yes, I've driven I-10 across Texas. Still remember crossing the border from Louisiana into Beaumont and seeing a sign that read "Exit 889." Which told me just how far it was going to be until New Mexico. 889 miles is a looooong way to drive....and beyond my personal capabilities for a single day. (Although different websites cite different distances from the east end of I-10 in Texas to the west end. But I am guessing it is closer to 889, since they tend to number the exits by the mileage.....)

[wolfie]

Well, I mean the night train. The normal, daytime trains are faster *and* take a more direct route, but then you miss the last connection at Inverness and have to sit there for hours on end, so it's two hours slower overall.

The other possible meaning of "sleeper train" is as part of major engineering works...

I was making a pun - in Britain, "sleeper" in the railroading sense means the same thing that "tie" does on this side of the pond - the chunk of 8x10 creosote-soaked wood that the rails are spiked onto.

And yes, I've driven I-10 across Texas. Still remember crossing the border from Louisiana into Beaumont and seeing a sign that read "Exit 889." Which told me just how far it was going to be until New Mexico. 889 miles is a looooong way to drive....and beyond my personal capabilities for a single day.

Definitely a long way. Commercial drivers in the U.S. are allowed 11 hours of driving per day, and unless you've got a FLAT all-interstate route, 600 miles is about the furthest you can get in one day. Assuming a 60 MPH average speed, you'd be looking at almost 15 hours, which is longer than the elapsed-time "window" you have before you're required to shut down, regardless of how many hours you've driven.

[Jester]

From many road trips, including my tour around the country in '98 and '99, I know that my personal limit is 800 miles or 15 hours, whichever comes first. I'm not a commercial driver, so I have no legal limits set on me, but I know the time I drove from Key West to Florence, SC--a total of 820 miles--I was quite literally seeing things by the time I finally pulled over.

And I should have pulled over sooner, not just because I was no longer a safe driver, but because Florence--at least the part of it by the interstate--was a major shithole.

[Ree]

So, anyway, getting back on topic about the terrible fires - hope all our Australian members stay safe.

[protege]

We've had some wildfires here...but nothing like the ones Australia gets. Last one I remember, was deep in West Virginia...about 250 miles or so south. Even with that distance, we still got the smoke. Couldn't smell it, but it did block out the sun for a couple of days.

With that said, I do hope that everyone in Oz stays safe.

[Mishi]

I'm well away from the fires, but I'm stealing all of the rain again.

[Seshat]

So, anyway, getting back on topic about the terrible fires - hope all our Australian members stay safe.

Working on it, Ree.

[fireheart]

I'm well away from the fires, but I'm stealing all of the rain again.

Darn you Queenslandians! *fistshakies*

[Seshat]

Not to mention that those damn Queenslanders get first dibs on Murray/Darling river system water. I ask you - is that fair?


Heh. Quote from the Wikipedia article: "The many rivers it contains ... carry a volume of water that is large only by Australian standards."

We RELY on that 'large only by Australian standards' water. That's our agriculture water, and also feeds four of our capital cities - the four largest, in fact. But I'll bet the entire Murray/Darling system's water volume is dwarfed by any 'medium sized' river on the other continents.

[Mishi]

Hey! I'm sharing now!
Also, I really wish I had water tanks. I think we must be the only household on the street without them.

[fireheart]

Hey! I'm sharing now!
Also, I really wish I had water tanks. I think we must be the only household on the street without them.

No kidding in that you are sharing! Adelaide's been getting anything from a drizzler to a full on soaking.

Also, we don't have water tanks either. Tempting though.

[Mishi]

Would you like some more? I don't mind sharing!
Our ground is now saturated, and I'm hoping for a short break in the rain tomorrow so I can throw some seeds at the garden.

[LesserSouthernFroglet]

Send it down to Tasmania, we really need it.

We had a rainy day earlier this week, it was wonderful, but typical Tassie rain (mist with attitude rather than a good pounding downpour) and didn't last long enough.

The amount of roadkill on my commute to work (along the river) is astounding, I've never seen it this bad in the 4 years I've lived here. It's because all the little feral furries are coming down to the river for water, or chased down by the bushfires in the hills behind the road.

One night in a 15km stretch I counted 27 wallabies on or near the road - I make that trip at that time at least once a week, and I've never seen more than two or three. And now they're out there in groups of three or four... it's no wonder I see so many poor little squished ones on the road each morning.