I'm a typical fire idiot, which means I get my information from the local news. The only times I hear about controlled burns is when they go bad and temporarily get out of control. Plus, for the tinderbox areas east and south of me that provide most of my fire risk, I have never seen or heard about a controlled burn. If I add some brain processing to these observations, and throw in California's highly litigious leanings, I would form the loose conclusion that controlled burns are generally avoided here.

As for the influence of the conservationist crowd, I know this: We live adjacent to a valley. In fact, our property is much of that valley, but the valley portion (about 60% of our property) is declared as a nature preserve - can't build on it, can't plant in it, can't change it, can't MAINTAIN it, or you get fined by the county. Ever since we bought the property, I have wanted to thin out the brush in our portion of the preserve, as it is the dry scraggly stuff that grows native everywhere. I have written letters, asked neighbors and HOA for advice, and the answer has always been Sure Try It But You May Get Fined.

In the 2007 Fire, that valley burned right up to a corner of our usable lot, with a nice straight line where the burn stopped in the last 100 feet of wild bushes - according to a fireman who visited us after the fire, that was a well-targeted water drop. Thank you!! That burn sure thinned out the fuel, but within 6 months nature had Found A Way and it was all grown back. Still no success getting permission to cut it back.

Recently, we submitted plans for some work on our property. The fire marshal pointed out the need for 100 feet of defensible space from structures, and I pointed out that we have never been allowed to touch the stuff in the preserve area. He sighed, pointed to his stamp and signature on our plans, and said "This here gives you permission to go in there. Get it done." Yessir! I had been writing to the wrong people, duh. $2,000 later, we have our full 100 feet of defensible space, with the valley thinned out by half of its previous density. It'll probably cost us a grand a year to keep it up, but it's money well spent.

Hopefully I won't have to fight with a different government agency that wants to fine us. Yes, I have plans with The Man's signature, but that may be bringing a toothpick to a gunfight when it comes to a Real Government Administrator which is our County Offices of Land Use or whoever else might come knocking.

Manfred

I hadn't thought of that either, but I know that a Fire Marshall has a tremendous amount of power. That probably was your golden ticket, as you were "forced" to comply with his orders. I don't know about CA law, but common sense tells me that he should be very hard to trump.

We have large controlled burns here in FL every year. My family used to burn their fields etc off every year in the other states I mentioned. Most of that has been replaced with a bush hog, but others still do it on their property. I got really interested in this stuff when, many years ago, I rented a house and 17 acres out of a 100 acre tract of dense woods and a few houses owned by one family. If someone had dropped a match at certain times of the year, it wouldn't have been pretty. Part of my rental agreement was property upkeep, but of course that was limited. But, if I had owned it, there would have been some major work done on it. If you are going to build a house in that kind of area, the underbrush has to be kept clear, or you are asking for it.

How's everyone doing this morning?

Please can I have my 7th pint of Stella please, the LDB have declared war on The Looney Bin, I'm so scared I'm getting p'ssed.

So the weekends almost over gimme one o those world famous Oreo milkshakes

After the 8th pint, you get a free car wash!

I mean, plane wash. Look for someone with a hose out back. If no one's there, just roll your plane down into the river. That's our automatic wash.

Manfred

Ace of spades44 wrote: So the weekends almost over gimme one o those world famous Oreo milkshakes

With fresh Oreo's.

Greetings from the greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Nice weather ya'll got, for a change. Please keep all tornados and or freak May snowstorms until I exit your area. Thank you!

Hey Luna, wonderful post over on Skully's thread... I'll take a Heineken, give Luna the change...

Jack,

You stepped into Swop's neck of the woods....hey...great to cya... Kansas City is my home town. GreyGhost's too and a few others.

Not sure if this is the place to share this but Triple Taps' mom just passed away. For those familiar with him and otherwise, please feel free to drop by the Foreign Legion thread to send their condolences..

That is completely relevant here. Please send the Taps family our regards, and best wishes. If any of you Legionaires need a place to be during all of this, my bar is you bar.

A toast to Ms Taps. Rest in Peace!

Im landing my plane out back for a few. The holes in my radiator are finally messing with my plane. Well, till I get the money to replace its engine, ill blow my money I here. I say a toast to TTs mother, who he so tragically lost today. Lets raise our glasses in respect!

My condolences. I've never had the pleasure of acquainting myself with Triple Taps, but I'm sure he's a great person, with a wonderful mother who raised him.

Triple Taps was the first of the many high-ranking pilots who guided me around the big boy server when I first entered it late last year. The patience, character and camaraderie that he showed is a testament to the woman who bore him into the world and raised him.

Cheers to Taps' mom.

I'm so glad things are cooling down here in SoCal. After a week of high 100's, and 22,000 acres of scorched earth (in Camp Pendleton alone), I'm welcoming the 60-degree overcast weather! There was even a light drizzle this morning... better late than never, huh?

How's everyone else doing?

Luna wrote: I'm so glad things are cooling down here in SoCal. After a week of high 100's, and 22,000 acres of scorched earth (in Camp Pendleton alone), I'm welcoming the 60-degree overcast weather! There was even a light drizzle this morning... better late than never, huh?

How's everyone else doing?

I'm pissed. That i was stupid enough to use Facebook for this game. Now I'm locked out by a stupid "logging in" screen.... I'm literally so angry, I'm getting heartburn.

G.I. Mac McMelkor wrote: I'm pissed. That i was stupid enough to use Facebook for this game. Now I'm locked out by a stupid "logging in" screen.... I'm literally so angry, I'm getting heartburn.

Might you need an Oreo milkshake? This one is combustible.
M

Ouch, sorry to hear that. I'm sure Zup will get that fixed soon.

I never really was into the social network scene, so I always skip over when it asks to integrate my non-existent Facebook account.

Have a drink on me, if it'll make you feel better. I'd give you some Prilosec or something for that rage-induced heartburn, but Jack says I'm not allowed to hand out PX.

Jinx on you, Manfred. You owe me a drink.

We got a little of that drizzle last night. Nice change from the past week.

Certainly no solace for folks who lost their houses, for the guy who died in the Carlsbad fire, or for anyone injured, but in general we were luckier than back in 2007. Lucky, and blessed by all those fighting and helping. Long fire season ahead.

I'm watching ESPN Classic: 1982 Indy 500. Never been to that. I went to the Kentucky Derby once. What a party that was! Yeah yeah, I know, many of you weren't even born in 1982.

Who needs a pour? Grape Nehi? Davy, where'd ya go?

M

G.I. Mac McMelkor wrote:

Luna wrote: I'm so glad things are cooling down here in SoCal. After a week of high 100's, and 22,000 acres of scorched earth (in Camp Pendleton alone), I'm welcoming the 60-degree overcast weather! There was even a light drizzle this morning... better late than never, huh?

How's everyone else doing?

I'm pissed. That i was stupid enough to use Facebook for this game. Now I'm locked out by a stupid "logging in" screen.... I'm literally so angry, I'm getting heartburn.

Yea... I try to keep things separate. Sometimes connecting everything too closely together doesn't work out too well.

Hey Jacklpe!
sup my friend...
Sry it's been awhile since last spoke to ya.....
hope all is good with the family and all...
i c the bar still looking lovely and fresh..
had a lil break from the game...
but good to be back and full force....
ps. so umm..... how do i get my plane out the water?

Manfred wrote: We got a little of that drizzle last night. Nice change from the past week.

Certainly no solace for folks who lost their houses, for the guy who died in the Carlsbad fire, or for anyone injured, but in general we were luckier than back in 2007. Lucky, and blessed by all those fighting and helping. Long fire season ahead.

I'm watching ESPN Classic: 1982 Indy 500. Never been to that. I went to the Kentucky Derby once. What a party that was! Yeah yeah, I know, many of you weren't even born in 1982.

Who needs a pour? Grape Nehi? Davy, where'd ya go?

M

DAVY says. MANFRED im so glad that the weather has calmed down and that you are ok. I was there in 2007, scary stuff.

I've been very busy with the rentals, lots of evictions going on right now. The economy here is horrible. There is over 200 evictions a month here in knoxville. The knoxville paper wants to use me to do a story on the rental business.

And then comes DOGFIGHT. For some reason im in direct contact with half of dogfight it seems. Well that's a good thing I guess as there are a lot of friends here. My wife gets so jealous when I will spend an hour talking to a dogfight buddy and then not want to talk to her. Lol lol. YAKUZA, welcome back, stop by the misfits and say hi, we all love you.

Still waiting for for JACKIPE to come see me. HARLEY was here last week, what a nice guy he is, see pictures on MISFIT Thread.

Take care all and MANFRED give me a GRAPE NEHI please.

Whoa 200 evictions a month...wow... What year did you go to the derby, Manfred? The airshow two weeks before the derby is awesome!! They had the Blue Angels, F-22, a Pitts biplane, WWII planes, then night flying with a Lima Lima plane. After the airshow, we have the biggest firework show in North America...its an awesome time!

Hi Davy. We'll make it out there some day! Grape Nehi for ya, a very good year, "still has all the fizz in it."

Nijen, that was a looong time ago, late '80s. We were in the infield, so the view of the race wasn't so good. The infield crowd is like Daytona Beach at spring break. I don't remember who won. That same summer, I went to the Dayton Airshow. Actually, I went to a few airshows, including a small one in Michigan, where I flew an RC copter demo in high winds.

That was a fun summer. I was moving to Maryland for a new job, so I took a couple months off in between.

Manfred

Davy, I'll be back through soon I'm sure. I'm playing around in the west this week... I'm sure I'll be in TN this next week, but as always in the western part. I'll holler at you the next time I'm thru with any time to spare.

Hi.
Just played protect the zepp. I was first there. It went mad. Nearly bombed our own airfield, then reversed back over it. I thought it was going to finish the job off. But no, it just stopped and refused to move for the whole game. Had a real mood on.
Meant we couldn't actually win, but it was hell of a long way to come and kill it. Took then about an hour..Lol..

hey davy did jacklpe take care of ur plane?

yakuza wrote: Hey Jacklpe!
sup my friend...
Sry it's been awhile since last spoke to ya.....
hope all is good with the family and all...
i c the bar still looking lovely and fresh..
had a lil break from the game...
but good to be back and full force....
ps. so umm..... how do i get my plane out the water?

Thanks for coming in. The family is doing great. I'm glad to see you back and around. Don't worry about that plane. We'll pull it and fix it later. Here are the keys to a shiny new one for you. It even has a cupholder!