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.