Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Jul 31, 2009 9:18:32 GMT 9
 To those of you in Washington State, let me clear something up about or water woes in Texas. Got a note from a former friend in Richland about the drought. He tells me that some of your TV stations in Washington are saying things about the Texas drought. Yes, it is rated at Exceptional, the most severe stage of drought. Yes, it has been going on for 23 months. Yes, we need rain. Yes, the aquifers and springs are getting low. Yes, we are on water restrictions. Yes, the cattle ranchers and farmers are wondering what to do. One rancher says he has to spend too much money on feed to make it worth keeping his 400 head of cattle. So, he will probably sell them and lose $75 a head, compared to the cost if he can keep them until October. Yes, the lakes are at record lows. At least since the dams were built. There are few, if any natural lakes in Texas. This is hurting the boating and lake resort operators. It also is causing problems for people who live around the lakes and get their irrigation water from the lakes. One story said the drought has caused the City of San Antonio let the River Walk part of the river go dry. NO. The River Walk is along a concrete and rock drainage ditch that is filled with water from the San Antonio River. Each January the gates are closed and the ditch is drained and cleaned. They take out cutlery, chairs, dishes, clothing, jewelry and other stuff that has been dropped or thrown in to the water. Oh, yes, lots of cerveza containers. So, when you hear the River Walk has no water, tell the station to make sure they know what they are talking about. The River Walk brings so much tourist money and taxes to Santone, they would probably fill it with bottled water if they had to to keep the tourists happy as they sit on the restaurant chairs and slurp warm cerveza and eat overpriced food. Just thought you would want to know. Jim :god_bless_usa
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Post by Gene on Jul 31, 2009 10:18:43 GMT 9
the river walk was never mentioned in any of the news stories i'v heard... but i did see a lake that showed the dock completly surrounded by dry lake bed.. you know how the news hounds like dramatic footage... and one boater was talking about running into new shallow spots everytime he went out.... like i say, im interested in the cattle and cotton situation...
:patriotic-flagwaver
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
Senior Staff
FORUM CHAPLAIN
Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,075
Location:
Joined: July 2007
Retired: USAF
NBA: Spurs
NFL: Niners
MLB: Giants
NHL: Penguins
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Jul 31, 2009 11:50:41 GMT 9
Gene, when we drove through the cotton country of West Texas in June, there were not too many plants showing. The ground looked pretty dry. We went from Colvis, NM to Lubbock, Abilene and then the Hill Country. So we drove through a good bit of the cotton area. The only thing I saw up that way was dry fields. If there was any green, it was an irrigated field of alfalfa, wheat or barley. There was some corn and sorghum, but not much else. Don't know what it is like now. But, with no rain, I doubt if many will have much of a harvest.
The cattle situation is serious. Like the young rancher I wrote about, many are selling early and some don't look real good. Could be a good year for canners and cutters and bologna beef.
Jim
:god_bless_usa
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Post by Gene on Jul 31, 2009 13:22:18 GMT 9
for once, the news media is basically telling it the way it is... thank you for the info... lts hope for some relief soon... gene
:us_flag
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Post by lindel on Jul 31, 2009 19:28:38 GMT 9
About 3 years ago, most of the lakes in North Tx and East Tx were down by double digits. Lake Lewisville being one of the worst. At Cedar Creek Lake (it has the most shoreline of any lake in Tx) was down by 10 ft, and the entire north end of the lakebed was visible. Along with several boats and 4x4's...  All but one lake in Tx is man made, and as such are relatively shallow. A lake only has to be down a few feet and you'll see several hundred square feet of "dry" land. What's even more fun is the idiots that try to drive on it. Only about the first couple of inches will be dry, that covers the muck...  |
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Post by jimpadgett on Aug 1, 2009 0:05:53 GMT 9
Sounds like a 'blue norther' or two is needed in Texas, and like Eastern Washington has invaded Western Washington (dry wise) almost makes me glad to be near all the hot air flowing out of Washington, DC. Almost.....!
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Post by Gene on Aug 1, 2009 7:57:50 GMT 9
well i'll tell ya... i got up about 10 am this morning and went out to the deck. the sun was hot but there was a very chilly wind blowing in from the north... you could smell snow... i just got done loading some army vehicles on a "rusky" 124.. hot as h#LL... and just then the wind changed and blew in a chilly breeze... i swear i could smell snow...  |
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Post by Jim on Aug 1, 2009 8:52:18 GMT 9
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Post by Gene on Aug 1, 2009 14:47:12 GMT 9
russian an-124....it looks like a c-5... only stinkier.... they have an over head crane with a 10,000 lb. cap....they slung a 8,500 pallet right out over my k-loader
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Post by Jim on Aug 2, 2009 0:54:05 GMT 9
russian an-124....it looks like a c-5... only stinkier.... they have an over head crane with a 10,000 lb. cap....they slung a 8,500 pallet right out over my k-loader what inhell are you doing loading a RUSKY 124......  ? Military cargo for Afganistan? now that is an irony ;D ;D ;D......... The Old Sarge |
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
Senior Staff
FORUM CHAPLAIN
Commander South Texas outpost of the County Sligo Squadron
Currently: Offline
Posts: 5,075
Location:
Joined: July 2007
Retired: USAF
NBA: Spurs
NFL: Niners
MLB: Giants
NHL: Penguins
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Aug 2, 2009 1:41:24 GMT 9
 Not too bad a report this morning on the rain. We have had scattered thunderboomies in the general South Texas area the past three evenings. Nothing to fill the lakes, but has pushed the Edwards Aquifer level up enough to keep us from going to more stringent watering restrictions. But we are still 24 1/2 feet below the level last year on this day. That, however, is only in the general Santone area. The Edwards is where most of us get our water. At our house we got 1/2 inch in our rain gage. Good enough to make the ground around our foundation swell and get back to the cement. Otherwise we have to put a soaker hose around the house every few days. Same with our three trees. Oak trees are the dominant tree in the area and in some areas they are having problems because the deep water is not there. We have two live oaks that seem to be doing OK. Our Lace Bark Elm looks good, but I put the soaker on it about once a week. We do have an automatic sprinkler system that helps. At least it keeps the Bermuda grass alive, and pretty green. One thing with the drought, you don't have to mow so often.  There are some areas that are really hurting. Some towns are completely out of water and have to truck it in. No outside watering at all, except soakers around foundations. Some of the smaller lakes and ponds have dried up and the cattle ponds are mud holes, at best. So we still need lots of rain. Maybe El Nino will come early and we will get some rain before October. If you want more information about the Edwards Aquifer, go to: www.edwardsaquifer.orgJim 
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Post by Gene on Aug 2, 2009 5:37:25 GMT 9
russian an-124....it looks like a c-5... only stinkier.... they have an over head crane with a 10,000 lb. cap....they slung a 8,500 pallet right out over my k-loader what inhell are you doing loading a RUSKY 124...... ? Military cargo for Afganistan? now that is an irony ;D ;D ;D......... The Old Sarge you know.. i always thought the same thing...but in this new world we live in even russia gets to bid on contracting air frieght services... and yes, its our army vehicles being airlifted to Afganistan |
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Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Aug 24, 2009 23:27:10 GMT 9
The long hot summer is ending with Hurricane Bill going up the east coastline.
Any of our members have any first hand experance of the Hurricane?
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Post by lindel on Aug 25, 2009 0:52:11 GMT 9
Not that I know of, but I saw that 20 from Maine got swept out to sea by it.
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Post by pat perry on Aug 25, 2009 8:06:54 GMT 9
The long hot summer is ending with Hurricane Bill going up the east coastline. Any of our members have any first hand experance of the Hurricane?Hey Bull, 1968 (I think late summer) we had a Typhoon (forgot her name) move over an island south of Naha AB, Okinawa called Miyako (sp?) with winds at 205 knots. Leveled the island and we caught the dirty side at Naha. All the birds flew out to Japan except a few in the hangars. A few of us went downtown (Namanouie (sp?)) for a Typhoon party. Got a cab back to the base late afternoon and the wind was over 100 mph by then. Our barracks was on top of the highest hill on base. A concrete two story raised wall structure shaped like the letter H with a covered walk between the buildings. Had steel storm doors over all windows. Later that evening I sneaked a look toward the southern beach at the end of the runway. Waves were breaking over 100 feet. That night wind was blowing so hard over the top of the barracks, the low pressure area on the leaward side actually broke the windows with the suction. Good thing we were still full of beer or we might have been scared! Worse than that was a 7.0 earthquake a few months later that centered off shore. The old barracks was rocking and rolling and we all evacuated to the outside in less than 30 seconds. That must be why I never cared for living near the coast in the good old US of A. Pat P. :us_flag |
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Post by Gene on Sept 16, 2009 6:43:22 GMT 9
The long hot summer is ending with Hurricane Bill going up the east coastline. Any of our members have any first hand experance of the Hurricane?in '59-61, we were stationed at charleston afb, s.c.. we had at least one good one each year. the electrics went down along with a lot of trees. we leaved just outside the main gate in a subdivision called "river bend" .it was on the ashley river. we were always invited for showers and meals with people living on base. in '88 or so i was the shift foreman at ramp service(graves) at the aps... that year one of the biggest went thru charleston... it was one of those that took out hangars .... FEMA was staging thier little act thru mcchord.(how much further away can you get... oh i forgot it could have been from hickam)...they had cargo on trucks wanting to belly load a couple of 727's. i tried to visually show him how a 20 lb. box didn't fit thru a 5 lb. hole... he pulled out a sat phone and called the white house and handed me the phone.. 'he said , o.k. you explain it...i handed the phone to a buck sgt. standing with me in the dark behind this 727 and said"bucky" this is your big chance...he got on the phone and explained in the most professional terms just exactly what the situation was... about 40 minutes later the command post radioed over to us that there was a c141 cut to take the cargo...it was a heck of a couple of days shipping all these cases and boxes...(our cargo people worked hard to palletize all this stuff so it fit our starlifters..) all went well after that... :patriotic-flagwaver |
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Bullhunter
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318th FIS Jet Shop 1975-78
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Post by Bullhunter on Sept 16, 2009 8:02:04 GMT 9
Neat story.
Just wonder what went all wrong in New Orleans?
I understand it all started locally within the city.
All history now.
Wonder what big systems will hit next year.
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Post by dude on Sept 16, 2009 11:50:55 GMT 9
 I just spent 4 weeks in New Orleans and saw some of the rebuild. According to some of the locals it was the initial reluctance of the local and state to get the feds involved followed by the slowness of the Governor to call out the Guard that mucked everything up. Don't know how much of that fits, but its what they said.
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Post by lindel on Sept 16, 2009 21:53:43 GMT 9
That pretty much fits with everything that I heard and saw on the web and news. The feds can't officially come in, unless invited/requested by the state.
You have to wonder why it was only New Orleans that had the problem, when so many other places were torn up as well.
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The Old Sarge
I just spent 4 weeks in New Orleans and saw some of the rebuild. According to some of the locals it was the initial reluctance of the local and state to get the feds involved followed by the slowness of the Governor to call out the Guard that mucked everything up. Don't know how much of that fits, but its what they said. 
