Saturday, April 01, 2017

GIVE THEM AN INCH AND THEY’LL TAKE A MILE!



Area covering Scenic Rim
The above two pics are what was, until Thursday, the John Muntz Bridge across the causeway on the Tamborine-Oxenford Road that leads up here to Tamborine Mountain
Beaudesert Area
A rescue at Lismore, Northern New South Wales


Before continuing with this new post, I feel a further addendum to my previous post is necessary....a postscript....or a post-postscript...

Cyclone Debbie and her lengthy, seemingly endless aftermath brought devastation and heartache to thousands.  After she finished throwing her tantrum in the northern areas of our wonderful state, Debbie decided she wasn’t satisfied.  She wasn’t finished playing her games. Cyclone Debbie may have changed her methods, but she continued spreading havoc far and wide.  Turning into a relentless, unforgiving rain depression Debbie dumped flooding rains, not caring where they fell.  

From Tuesday forth, the destructive weather system engulfed a wide area of Queensland, extending from north Queensland, through coastal and inland areas down to the southern Queensland border, into northern areas of New South Wales.   

Thousands throughout Queensland and areas in northern New South Wales are still suffering from the cyclone’s catastrophic effects.  Five people are reported to have lost their lives. Three are, at time of my writing, missing.  The number of animals - pets, native and livestock - that have perished is unknown...and I don’t want to know. 

The ex-tropical cyclone was forecast to turn into a low pressure system and move inland, taking along with her heavy rain. But no one expected how fast or how far south it would reach, or how much rain it would dump on those areas in its path.

Debbie brought wind gusts of up to 263 km/h an hour and widespread wind damage and coastal inundation due to storm surge when it struck the Whitsunday region of Queensland and surrounding towns on Tuesday. There are not yet precise estimates of the damage bill, but it will be in the billions, most likely.  

In 48 hours, Springbrook, in the Gold Coast Hinterland received 900mm (35 inches) of rain.   Here on Tamborine Mountain we received a similar amount of rain (400mm/16 inches) in a 24 hour period on Thursday last. 

We were/are very fortunate up here on the hill...we’re not suffering the flooding and destruction many other areas are.

Beaudesert, a country town 34kms (21 miles) south-west  of Tamborine Mountain is presently surrounded by floodwaters.

In 24 hours, Lismore in northern NSW received in excess of 400mm (16 inches approx).

My heart goes out to those people everywhere who are victims of Debbie’s callous behaviour.


To continue with my new post......

Being the age I am I was brought up in the old school of imperial measurements. 
A friend pointed out to me the other day that I always use inches, etc.  She didn’t mean it in a rood way, though, unlike Nauti Cal. He’s purposely rood all the time. 

My friend didn’t realise she’d put her foot in it. I didn’t give her comment an ounce of thought - not furlong anyway.

The young ones today are in a league of their own, aren’t they? There’s a ton of things they don’t know.  If they knew a quarter of what we do how much easier everything would be. They create a rod for their own back because they’re not interested in the tonnes of useful information we oldies have stored in our brains.  I’ve just about given up trying to fathom them. 

The comment made to me by my friend was but one brief link of a chain of pleasant moments.

At the time we were sitting in the yard talking while sipping on a pint or two feeling like we were miles away from everything and everyone. We had a gallon of matters to discuss, but we’d only touched the tip of the barrel when Hectare from across the way, like a beady-eyed raven sitting on a perch, called out to me, his rather square foot tapping the ground.  I began to inch away. 

Hectare can be such a pest.  I wanted to pick up a stone and throw it at him, but that wouldn’t have been a very neighbourly thing to do.  Instead, through gritted teeth I smiled and waved.  I then proceeded to ignore him, giving his annoying behaviour no currency. 

Hectare is a prime example of “give them an inch and they’ll take a mile” – or - “give them a centimetre and they’ll take a kilometre”.  See what I mean?  Hence, in my defence, the former statement makes far more sense than second convoluted one. 
Succinct, unlike imperial in this country, is not extinct! 

I’d had enough.  My head began to pound thinking about the acres and acres of chores awaiting my attention.  The mere thought of what needed doing made me feel like I had a hundredweight hanging around my neck.  It was time for a cup of Bushels tea (sic).

When I attended school, primary and secondary, I was taught the imperial system for measurements - the system inherited from the UK (blame Dampier, Cook and Governor Phillip, not me)! 

Decimal currency wasn’t introduced to Australia until 14th February, 1966 (St. Valentine carries the weight for that one, not me)! 

No longer a scholar, I’d already been working for six years by the time the holler for an Australian dollar was heard and obeyed.  In for a penny, in for a pound – and, not giving tuppence - it was out with the penny; out with the pound, and in with the dollar and cents. 

From 1970 until 1988 when the total conversion was completed in its entirety imperial units were finally withdrawn from the mainstream, but not entirely from my brain.  Other than it being what I was taught, I give no excuses for still thinking in the old system. 

Unashamedly, I admit I’m old-fashioned - too old to change.  For younger readers of this article, perhaps, a translator will be necessary.

Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Scones: Preheat oven 190C. Line baking tray with baking paper. Sift 2c S.R. flour into bowl; mix in 2tbs raw sugar; using fingers, rub in 2tbs cold butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg, 1tbs milk and 1c mashed cooked pumpkin; fold through. Turn dough onto floured surface; with floured hands pat it out to about 2-3cm thickness (1 to 1-1/2inches – not a mile). Use floured cutter to cut out rounds; place onto tray so scones are just touching. Gently pat excess dough together; let it rest a few minutes; then pat out and cut more circles. Bake scones, 10-15mins or until golden.

Nana’s Cranberry Scones:  Preheat oven 190C.  Combine 1-1/2c plain flour, 1/2tsp baking soda, 1/4tsp salt, 2tbs sugar and 1tsp cream of tartar. Cut in 3tbs cold butter cut into pieces, rub in the old-fashioned way, using fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in 2/3c dried cranberries and 2tsp grated orange rind; add 3/4c buttermilk; stir just until moistened. Turn dough onto floured surface; knead 4-5 times. Divide into 2 portions; pat each into 5-inch circle on prepared baking sheet; cut each circle into 4 wedges; don’t cut through to bottom. Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Bake 20mins or until golden.

Coconut Cream Pound Cake: Preheat oven 162C. Coat a 10 cup bundt pan with non-stick spray; lightly dust with flour, tapping off excess. Set aside. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat 1c butter and 240g cream cheese on med-speed until smooth; add 3c sugar; mix 2mins until light and fluffy. Add 6 eggs, one at a time, 2tsp vanilla extract, 1tsp salt, and1tsp baking powder until mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn mixer to low; add 3c plain flour, mixing until just incorporated; stir in 2c shredded coconut. Spread batter into pan; bake 70-80mins. Allow cake to cool in pan 10-15mins; invert onto wire rack. Glaze: Whisk  2c icing sugar and 2-3tbs milk until smooth. Pour glaze on top of cake while it's still warm. 

19 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:59 PM

    Much to my disappointment we have gone backwards with metric. Imported tyre pressure checking machines from the US read in lbs per square inch, when people had actually started to learn hectopascals. We are reverting from kilojoules to calories. Even young people who have never used pounds and ounces are expressing baby weights in pounds, not kilos. Clothing and shoe sizes have returned to imperial. We need a Metrication Authority to clean this nonsense up.

    As for me when asked what the length of a piece of timber is, I reply, about a foot longer than a metre. Length is about the only one I still think of in imperial, at times. I don't really know pounds or ounces anymore, or stones, that is, I cannot visualise them (visualise is the wrong word, but you know what I mean). The metricated alternative to getting hit on the head by a piece of fourbetwo is unthinkable.

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    1. You're not only confused, but now you've confused me even more than I already was, Andrew!!

      Thanks for coming by....I'll stick to what I know....less confusion that way! :)

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  2. I can cope (just) with most of the metric system. Except height. Telling me how tall someone is in centimetres means nothing.
    And yes, Debbie was and is and vicious beast. Your assessment of billions of dollars in damage is certainly right. She hasn't finished yet either.
    My heart goes out to everyone who is affected. And even miles away we will feel share some of the pain in grocery prices. Which will hurt some, but can't be helped.

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    1. Hi EC....With the many "food bowl" areas being hit badly we will all be affected one way or the other with food prices, etc., but I'd rather pay a few dollars more at the supermarket or greengrocers than have lost my home, contents etc. Those of us not directly affected by the cyclone or by flood waters invading our homes are the lucky ones, I reckon. Mother Nature is the boss, not us.

      I still think height in feet and inches, too....old habits and learnings are hard to break!

      Thanks for coming by, EC,. :)

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  3. It's devastating the event and then the aftermath of Debbie, she certainly held her tantrum quite a while. I've looked on my map of Australia for Mount Tamborine, but it isn't there. I suppose it's too small, the map is an old one too, I've had it for years.
    My newspaper this morning had a couple of pages about the flooding.

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  4. I was still in high school when the metric system was introduced, so I learned the money and the measurements for a couple of years and I'm able now to assimilate most of them. As a guide, 12 inches, a foot, is supposed to be 30 cm, so that's what I work on, although my ruler tells me 12 inches is actually 30 1/2 cm. I know the equivalents to a pint and a pound for cooking, someone 6 feet tall is about 180cm, so with division and approximation, I do pretty well. 180C is the old 350F on the oven. It's the miles and kilometres that have me stumped, probably because I don't drive. If anyone asks me how far is the city, I tell them it's twenty minutes by bus.

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    1. http://www.stonehavenmanor.com.au/map.htm

      Perhaps if you type in "Tamborine Mountain" when searching on Google, River...you will find it....however the site shown here should give you a good indication of where we are.

      I guess I've utilised a bit of poetic license in my post re the measurements etc....I am allowed to use a bit of exaggeration...only because I allow myself to do so! :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  5. One just doesn't know what to say about the EX Debbie, dreadful is just one word. We have no control over her or had no control at all. We are a land of flooding plains for sure.
    Interesting to read your statistics as we down here don't get to know unless we search each area on the WWW.
    Imperial for me, and it's amusing how the young ones say babies weight in the old etc.

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    1. Hi there Margaret..."Dreadful" is one good word to describe what has occurred throughout the past week. It's going to take some time for everything to return to some semblance of normal for those poor folk who have been affected...far and wide.

      Imperial makes more sense to me...or a cup of this and half a cup of that! lol

      Thanks for coming by, Margaret...you'd not recognise some of the places up north at present...places you are familiar with. It's sad to see, but everywhere and most people will bounce back, which, in itself, is heartening. :)

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  6. Our country also switched over to metric....I however did not switch. Something lacking in my brain perhaps. I still go by inches and feet/pounds and ounces, miles, all the good old fashioned stuff. Fortunately they still make thermometers that show both Fahrenheit and Celsius otherwise I'd never know if I needed a parka or a swim suit. When people start gabbling about measurements in metric I find myself asking them what that is in 'real people' talk.

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    1. Hey there Delores...I think the old imperial system makes more sense....inches, feet, acres etc. They're fine by me. I understand and can visualise them more easily.

      Celsius I'm okay with...and I'm really okay to with grams and kilos etc., but my brain is still wired to imperial. And I can see no wrong in that. As long as I get it right in the end, either which way...that's is what matters, I guess! lol

      Thanks for coming by. :)

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  7. Good Lord, Lee! I'm glad you are intact.

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    1. Hey there, RK....Nice to see you. Thanks...yep! All is well with me and my two furry mates. Thanks for coming by. :)

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  8. Hi Lee don't no if you get notification on your other blogs but I have commented on your Newry island blog doug

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    1. Below is a QUOTE - Doug's response to my December, 2015 post describing Cyclone Joy's visit to Newry Island.....

      "Hi Lee me and my family was talking about cyclones' as my daughter was studying them at School i then told her about my time in a cyclone even thou I have told her this story many times before .yes you were right lee I have bin telling this story from that year in 1990 with you .i came over from the backpacks .to have Christmas dinner .i found your blog to day as I google the cyclone found alot out I did not remember .so I though I see if their was anything about Newry island and found your blog some of the things I remember very well some I don't any more . I wonder if a photos done and if you have any . The 3 days I spent on that island I will never forget. My name is Doug my mate Andy and his aussie girlfriend and her baby named sky was there two."........END QUOTE


      Wow! My goodness, Doug! I'm in shock! This is incredible....I've just gone back to my December, 2015 post re Christmas on Newry Island and the visit by Cyclone Joy, and found your comment!

      To put my reaction into a common expression - "I'm speechless!" This is amazing.

      That certainly was a Christmas to remember, wasn't it? Only yesterday I was telling someone here where I live how I was cutting up towels to make nappies for the couple of babies/toddlers who were there with their parents...obviously, baby Sky was one of them. :)

      I always say to people when I'm relating my stories, whether here on my blog, or in person, that I don't embellish; I don't lie and make up anything about the stories...they're all true, no exaggerations...and here you are...proving what I say is the truth. Wow! Wow! Wow!

      Thanks for coming by....you've made my day! :)

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  9. Anything about math gives me a headache. Stuff like metric system gives me a sort of mental block. Haha.

    Oh, but delicious food.

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    1. Forget the math, and stick to chocolate, Lux! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  10. So glad you are OK, Lee!

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    1. Thanks, Lynn. All is well with me, but not for thousands of others...it was a wide, wild, destructive system.

      Thanks for coming by. ;)

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