How'd it go today?

[MasterBlaster]

So, American soldiers brought raccoons into France?

 

[SeanKroll]

Paratroopers jumping with raccoons strapped to their packs, with little raccoon goggles and all.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I remember reading about that... some sort of experimental fresh K-rations?

 

[FireFighterZero]

It strikes me that you could stand to plant some back-up trees.

Absolutely.

I got some little crab apples starting under the big tree. Going to try and dig them up next spring.

I don't know if they are suckers or seedlings.

Going to plant a bunch of trees if this drought ever lets up.

 

[cory]

Probably root suckers

 

[FireFighterZero]

Well, I could not find out for sure if this type of crab apple reproduces by sucker or seeds or maybe both.


I am gonna try and dig up a bunch in the spring.

 

[Steve Mack]

We have an estimated 3,5 million feral cats in this country.
That is half as many as we are people.




On the other hand, there are 8 times as many pigs

Around six million feral cats here, so you have sure have got some. 23 million feral pigs, close to the amount of people.

No racoons, but quite a few other introduced things we could do without.

 

[SeanKroll]

Its raining here, seriously raining. Thought I'd prune 3 fruit trees in a backyard since there is supposed to also be a bit of wind and rain. Pissing down rain, I'd call it. Dry in my 'office' chair.

 

[flushcut]

It hit 50 today and now on it's way down to 12. What a winter!

 

[FireFighterZero]

12 below now.

35 below wind chill.


76% humidity.

 

[flushcut]

Ug! It is going to get more seasonal here but -12 or -anything is just not right.

 

[treebilly]

Had 59 here today and it’ll be high of 14 Saturday. Gotta love it.

 

[flushcut]

Up and down up and down I miss when winter came it was cold for months straight not hot/cold hot/cold. I find myself packing my winter cloths, fall cloths, and wet weather gear in the truck daily. You just never know.

 

[Steve Mack]

Same here in reverse, 45C Sunday & Monday and 23C yesterday. I had to find some winter shorts.

 

[Mick!]

Around six million feral cats here, so you have sure have got some. 23 million feral pigs, close to the amount of people.

No racoons, but quite a few other introduced things we could do without.

Dem gubbas are an introduced species

 

[stig]

 

[Steve Mack]

Yeah, bloody poms sending their Irish rabble here. If La Perouse hadn't of piked out we'd have giant snails and nice wine.

Well actually we have nice wine.

 

[flushcut]

Same here in reverse, 45C Sunday & Monday and 23C yesterday. I had to find some winter shorts.

Winter shorts!

 

[Mick!]

Yeah, bloody poms sending their Irish rabble here. If La Perouse hadn't of piked out we'd have giant snails and nice wine.

Well actually we have nice wine.

Yes, you do.

Never heard of La Perouse before. Every day a school day.....

http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/la-perouse-jean-francois-de-galaup-2329

 

[Steve Mack]

A bit of news turned up on what happened to them a couple of months ago. http://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/new-clue-may-reveal-the-fate-of-famous-french-explorer

If you click on the maps it shows his voyage, a pretty big one.

 

[Mick!]

They had some cojones in those days.

 

[flushcut]

And skill, lots of skill! It's not like they just got into port and went to the store to gather provisions they had to hunt, farm, and preserve crazy amount of skill. All but forgotten today.

 

[pantheraba]

Those are both great reads...the first had this "consequential line"...

In September he put in to Kamchatka to replenish his supplies. From there he dispatched an officer, Lesseps, overland to Paris with accounts of his discoveries,

For someone to go from Katchatka to Paris???? Hard to imagine that was even possible back then. The distance is 8146 km (5061 miles).

That must have been a helluva story, too. Edit...it WAS. I just found this. Lesseps actually did make the journey...he ended up being the only survivor of the original mission.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barthélemy_de_Lesseps

 

[stig]

Ain't Wikipedia just great!

 

[Burnham]

Amazing...both Wikipedia, and that overland excursion to Paris. Stories there, no doubt.