Got Rain?

We finally got some rain, I hope we get a lot more we sure need it.

Austin’s year to date rainfall of 12.94 inches through September 30 makes this the 7th driest year on record. Most area streams have dried up and most springs have slowed to a trickle.

Area lake and aquifers levels have dropped several feet over the past few months due to the persistent hot and dry weather.

Meager inflows into the Highland Lakes over the last few months now match all-time record low inflows recorded in 2006.

The Rain Missed Us Again!

Will it ever rain again... Here are some tips from the city. There is a permanent burn ban within the City of Austin prohibiting the burning of trash, leaves, and brush. Beyond that, there are additional precautions you can take to prevent your property from going up in smoke during the hot, dry Texas Summers.

1. Maintain a 30-foot or greater safety zone around your home that is clear of brush, tall grass, and other flammable vegetation. Fire moves more quickly up steep hills so extend that fire safety zone if your home is situated on a steep slope.
2. Use Fire-Resistant Plants and Trees.
   Use fire-resistant species of plants and trees throughout your property and especially within your safety zone.
3. Maintain Your Lawn.
   Keep trees and shrubs pruned around chimney outlets and stovepipes and keep your entire landscape mowed, raked, and free of dead limbs.
4. Store Firewood Safely.
   Stack firewood at least 15 feet away and uphill from your home.
5. Cook Safely Outdoors.
   Barbecue and Texas go hand-in-hand. Practice safe grilling by maintaining a 10-foot brush-free zone around outdoor grills and propane tanks. After grilling, place ashes in a metal bucket and soak in water. Never leave a grill unattended.
6. Don't Park on Grass.
   Don't park vehicles and other motorized equipment on dry grass or near shrubbery. Exhaust systems can far exceed the 500 degrees it takes to start a summer brush fire. If you need to pull off to the side of the road during a road trip, stay on the paved shoulder or find a nearby parking lot or rest stop.
7. Use Spark Arresters.
   Check and replace spark arresters — special mufflers that suppress fire-starting sparks — on any vehicle or equipment with an internal combustion engine. Use an approved spark arrester on chimneys and stovepipes to thwart the escape of burning cinders.
8. Have Fire Extinguishers On-hand.
   Keep fire suppression tools handy including working fire extinguishers, shovel, bucket of water, shovel, and a water hose that can reach all areas of your home and outlying structures.
9. Teach Children Fire Safety.
   Teach children about the dangers of playing with fire and make sure they know what to do in the case of a fire, including an evacuation plan for the home.
10. Be Careful with Cigarettes.
    Don't dispose of cigarette butts by tossing them out a car window or onto the grass.

Tips:

1. It's not enough to have a fire extinguisher. Know how to use it. If you have several, check the operating instructions for each because they do differ. Inspect extinguishers regularly.

What You Need:

• Fire Extinguishers
• Spark Arresters
• Lawncare Equipment

Gas prices and moving...

Because of the rising cost of gas again moving yourself with a rented truck is more expensive. Hiring an Austin Mover might be the way to move now days. I think with all these hurricanes and tropical storms coming this way we need to use our time and money as thrifty as we can...

Hurricane Gustav, energy analysts say that the fate of gas prices in coming days could hinge on possible damage to the area's dozens of refineries that turn crude into gasoline.

Gas prices declined following Monday's plunge in oil prices and gas futures. But the extent of the damage from Hurricane Gustav remains to be seen.

On Tuesday evening, Hurricane Gustav was losing strength over Haiti, and the National Hurricane Center said the storm may be downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane overnight before regaining intensity on Wednesday as it approaches eastern Cuba.

Light, sweet crude oil futures for October delivery settled $1.16, or 1%, higher at $116.27 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after a volatile session.

Nymex natural gas futures for September delivery jumped 5.8%, or 45.3 cents, to end at $8.278 a million British thermal units.

Gustav forces people to move out.

Gustav officially became a hurricane early this morning, and its eye made landfall on the southwest peninsula of Haiti shortly after 1 p.m. At 2 p.m., Gustav was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph.

The National Guard was scheduled to begin convoying into New Orleans on Friday, while some nursing homes and hospitals planned to start moving patients further inland and the state began moving 9,000 inmates from coastal lockups.

Projections showed Gustav arriving early next week as a Category 3 storm, with winds of 111 mph or greater, anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to eastern Texas. But forecasts are extremely tentative several days out, and the storm could change course and strength.

Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches across Jamaica, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 25 inches possible. These rains will likely produce life-threatening flash floods and
mud slides.

Gustav is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph (120 km/hr) with higher gusts. Strengthening is forecast during the next couple of days and Gustav could become a major hurricane near the time it crosses Western Cuba.

Moving out was never this hard.

Austin growth.

The Austin-Round Rock metropolitan statistical area increased its population 21 percent between April 2000 and July 2006 to just over 1.5 million people. That makes Austin the 19th fastest growing MSA in the country. In terms of overall numerical gains, Austin ranked 15th in the nation with 263,802 new residents over the six-year period.

The only other Texas metro growing at a faster rate than Austin is the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission area, which increased its population 23 percent since 2000, according to Census data.

The top U.S. cities in terms of percentage growth were St. George, Utah; Greeley, Colo.; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.; Bend, Ore.; and Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.

The metropolitan area with the largest overall population increase was Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, which added 890,211 people during the study period. Atlanta is followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (842,449 gained), Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown (824,547), Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (787,306) and Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario, Calif. (771,314).

Austin Movers and TxDOT

There are a lot of Austin Texas moving companies and choosing an Austin mover can be difficult, but we are here to help. We are registered with the Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) and insured for your protection. All Austin Texas moving companies are required to be registered with TX DOT. To check an Austin movers TX DOT status contact TX DOT at 1-800-299-1700.

Moving Tips

Be available on all loading days. Movers will have questions.

Before the driver leaves do a final walk through the house checking all closets and storage areas to make sure nothing was missed.

Provide the driver with contact information in case he needs to reach you during the course of the move.

Make sure the driver has the correct address of your new home or storage facility.
Provide the movers and helpers with a clean water supply (either individual bottles or cups) and restroom facilities.

The items that will be traveling with you, clothes, papers, etc. should be put in one place (a bathroom that has been previously packed) or in the vehicle that you will be taking with you. This will help prevent them being loaded on the truck and having to find them later.

When possible arrange for the house closing to a day or two following loading. This will help reduce the stress of having to be available for the movers and having to concentrate on closing at the same time.

Get a good night’s sleep and have a good breakfast the morning of the move.

No matter how prepared you are, things occasionally go wrong, Fido will decide to chase the neighbor’s cat, Jr. will decide that he has to have the toy in the bottom box of a stack, it will seem that everyone you know has to drop by for one last chat, try to relax this is a normal part of moving.ave all your boxes packed and sealed on the top and bottom before your movers arrive