Fire down below!

This morning while tending to my vegetable garden I detected the faint smell of smoke, however when I looked around I could not see where it was coming from.

Click picture to enlarge

As I walked up the stairs to refill the watering can I looked down the hill, and froze in my tracks as I caught sight of the fire and billowing smoke from the field across the road. For a moment I didn't know what to do, but then came to my senses and raced inside to the phone then dialled 000 and asked for "Fire", then attempted to give the location of the fire. I guess I must have been in shock because although I was very familiar with them, I couldn't remember the street names "The Boulevarde" and "Deepwater Ave" but managed to say that the fire was near the Russell Island Lions Park.

I anxiously waited what seemed like an eternity, while the flames began to lick the tree branches and thick smoke billowed into the sky. I looked at my watch... I wasn't sure, but thought it must be about 15 minutes from the time I first phoned, but there was still no sign of the fire brigade.

I than ran outside and hosed the house and surrounds, as a precaution from flying embers which were being carried on the wind which then changed direction as I heard sirens in the distance.

When the firemen arrived, they quickly brought the blaze under control before it could cause damage to any homes. I watched on as they continued to monitor the smouldering field and dowse the spot fires which appeared. While watching them I suddenly felt overwhelmed and close to tears. After two hours or so, they left and life returned to normal. I was relieved, but also knew I would continue to remain wary as I had good reason to believe the fire may have been deliberately lit... please contact me if you would like the link to a recording of threats (contains obscene language) made approx 20 minutes before the fire broke out, from which you may draw your own conclusions. The threats were not directed at me, but at the owners of the neighbouring house, where the person making the threats was renting... first he complained about them spying on him because their boat was "moored" in the bay within view of the house (I was tempted to tell him it was anchored, not moored, but I didn't want to risk aggravating him further), then he threatened to burn their house down (was that just coincidence?). He has since been telling a questionable version of how the fire started. How would he even know without firsthand knowledge and especially when he said he wasn't here when it started? I also think the his leaving approx 10 minutes or so before the fire broke out and returning approx 5 minutes after the fire brigade arrived and saying he had followed them and had stopped to talk to them, despite the fact that I had been able to see through a clearing in the bush when he drove past only seconds before he came around the corner, was suspicious. I was also abused for overreacting when I called the fire brigade because "it wasn't a real fire". I am fairly certain the fire brigade would differ in their opinion about that!

I know the fire was not extreme, however I have had basic firefighting training several years prior when I worked as a security guard and other jobs which included regular emergency fire training, and am well aware of their potential to quickly become a uncontrollable wildfire in similar dry conditions and therefore make no apology for calling the fire brigade. I also refuse to accept this persons claim that "it needed to be lit", regardless of whether or not they lit it themselves. As I said to this individual, "little fires can grow into big fires very quickly"... but the response I received from this person would seem to indicate that person just doesn't care about other people's property.

 

Video: Fire at Deepwater Ave (near Lions Boulevarde Park), Russell Island QLD
Saturday June 25, 2011

Moroccan style media cabinet

Media cabinet before adding doors, timber stain,
and other embellishments.

I'm nearing completion of a Moroccan style media cabinet I am making from reused timber. I am very happy with the way it is evolving, and not having all the necessary power tools has given me the opportunity to learn more traditional methods.

Currently, I am searching for information regarding the correct type of hinges to hang the doors flush inside a "frame-less" cabinet.

Media cabinet door with
reused "clear hammered
glass" and ceramic knob.

Having never made doors for anything before, I didn't realise there were so many variations in hinge configuration, and I'm even more confused by the apparent inconsistency in their names.

If you can help with info regarding hinge types, please post a comment.

Cleaning up after floods

My clean-up after the local flooding here is bigger than I expected... after everything had almost dried, I had a chance to take a proper look and get to work cleaning up under the house.

Part of work area under house,
during clean-up showing erosion from flood water.

I thought I could cope with the clean-up on my own, after all it's comparatively nothing compared to what others in Brisbane have experienced. But to me it's a lot, as I've now lost a fair amount of what I've spent the last 6 years setting up to produce artwork to supplement my limited income from a disability pension and am struggling to get my head around the clean-up let alone the physical challenges. But I'm often very resourceful and know I will get through it one way or another.

Queensland Floods

My heart goes out to all the Queenslanders affected by the floods, and I wish you all a safe and speedy recovery.

I've received a few enquiries from concerned friends... the floods being shown on TV did not affect me here, as I live on an island. I did however have a substantial amount of rainwater over the last few weeks running down the hill on which my house sits (or stands, depending on your point of view, as it is on "stilts"), which resulted in a mud pit under the house as well as the usual stagnant water in the front yard which almost always happens after the rain here.

The downside to the mud under the house, is that I won't be able to do much woodworking until I've cleaned up there, but I am thankful that I didn't put my gym there which the removalist suggested would be the best place for it, when I moved in. I was kind of prepared, and had raised everything I could off the ground soon after moving here, so thankfully the damage is minimal.

I am also very pleased to say that as from this morning, I've now heard from all my friends that they're all safe and none suffered anything serious... and I am so very grateful for that!

I think the street name needs to swap with another nearby... "Deepwater".

The Queensland Premier has set up a website for those wishing to make a donation to help people affected by the floods, but please beware there are also unscrupulous websites with false links for donations... the proceeds of which end up lining their own pockets. If in doubt, please refer to the media for the correct links to the Queensland Premier's website for flood donations www.qld.gov.au/floods

You may also like to visit the Australian government's Scam Watch website for further warnings of scams arising from the floods, as well as other scams.

If you found this post interesting, you may also like to read these articles,

Digital Armageddon for flood victims containing some useful data recovery tips, and Flood devastation mapped by high-res sky cams.

In my garden

With all the heavy rain we've been getting, I've been itching to get back into my garden. New plants have sprung up everywhere, with many others flowering... enticing me with their multi-colour perfumed displays!

The rain also brought a heap of frogs with it, and the sounds of their croaking filled the air. It's a sound I find rather comforting because I know if there are frogs around, it means that my tiny part of the world is ecologically healthy.

While mosaicing away in my studio this morning, I decided to investigate a louder than usual frog whose echoing calls seemed very close. I found the little green tree frog pictured here, trapped in an urn on my balcony and then 'rescued' it so that it wouldn't drown in the next downpour which would most likely have filled the urn. Frogs can drown if the water is too deep and there is nothing for them to use to climb out. If you have a frog pond, you should include things such as rocks and pebbles or even a fallen log for your little green friends to disembark

Free, at last!

I love frogs, and seeing that they're one of the most vulnerable species here, I looked up information about local frogs and decided to build a frog pond where the water always sits in my yard. Now that it's built, I just have to add a few more water plants and wait for the frogs to come.

Ribbit!

The next downpour brought more of those ugly poisonous cane toads than I've ever seen in my life. I really wish they would go back to where they came from! I also saw a wallaby (a small kangaroo species, in case you're not familiar with them) grazing in my front yard... so far not the 'hoppers' I am trying to attract to the pond, however the wallaby was also a very welcome visitor. To help discourage those vile toads, you can use plantings of tall water grasses and other dense plantings which provide cool damp places for your welcome visitors to hide, but are too tall for Mr Toad to jump over.

After breaking the window pane which was originally destined to be the base for a wall fountain, I was left wondering what to do with the window frame. With a quick sand down, and a couple of coats of paint, it has found a temporary home in the garden until I decide what to do with it. I wasn't too sure about it, but I have seen three leprechauns hanging around it ever since!

The McShortee brothers, Seamus, Eoin and Oisin (pronunced Shay-mus, O-in and Uh-sheen).

 Well, it's that time of year again! ...so here's wishing you all peace and happiness, and a very Merry Christmas.

In the Workshop

I haven't posted for a while, as I've been busy on my art projects, some of which Santa wants completed before Christmas... and who am I to disappoint him. Santa is very secretive, and has asked me not to post pics or other details of these projects just yet, as he wants them to be a surprise.

Mosaic fountain being constructed in my studio.

The 'new' fountain glass substrate is finished and is much closer to my original drawing, without the constraints of the square window frame. I've added the faces, and am now working on the background. IMO it's turning out to be a very interesting mosaic.

Cracked

Wednesday afternoon I cleaned and began to prepare the large window pane I was going to use as the substrate (backing) for the glass wall fountain. As I carefully scraped off the silicone sealant at the bottom of the window, I found a crack which was beginning to run upward and thus made the glass unusable as I had planned.

I had been wondering how I could curve the top of the mosaic, to echo the round 'faces' I had planned... the difficulty being that the window frame was square. So perhaps this was the universe answering me, as I quickly came up with a solution... 3 smaller panels, which I have now cut to shape. This will also allow more flexibility when positioning the finished fountain in my rocky hillside garden.

Lotus mosaic vase

I've just finished sketching plans before changing my studio layout to give it a better work flow. Drawing a plan could potentially save a lot of time, as it helps determine whether or not the layout will work, before I move anything. I also drew plans to build new shelves after finishing gluing the final pieces on 'Lotus Vase' recycled glass mosaic which I'll post pics of after it is grouted.

If you've enjoyed reading any of my blog, please consider following it. I also welcome all kinds of feedback.

Colour

Choosing the colours for your #mosaic is not always as straight forward as it seems, and even the geographic location should be considered due to subtle variation in the colour of natural light in various climatic zones. The colour of grout is also an important choice, as it can fragment, blend or enhance the final appearance of a mosaic.

Much of my early #mosaic work has been abstract, which works well with bright or contrasting colours and doesn't require as much thought of colour choice as when trying to make something appear lifelike. With these projects I allowed the materials I had on hand to dictate the design and flow, such as in the 'Flow Dreaming' mosaic box pictured in the October 31, 2010 post on this blog.

Vitreous glass on stained & lacquered wooden tray.

My first pictorial mosaic (pictured above) almost four years ago, began with an attempt to use realistic colours, but was also limited to the available palette of the materials I had at hand, and thus it ended up a mishmash of colour. I don't consider that mosaic a failure, as it taught me some valuable lessons. It was part of the beginning of my creative journey, which will no doubt continue to grow and evolve.

Since then I've moved on from designs found in books, and have begun developing my own style. Time to cut some more materials for the fountain...

The beginning of my current project;
a large wall fountain mosaic.

Grouting

Today I grouted my outdoor work desk. I use this desk when I am cutting messy materials such as glass and ceramic, as it's so much easier to clean up afterward. I also use it for gluing mosaics, which requires plenty of ventilation... no shortage of that out here! I love working here as it has a great view, and my feathered friends can drop in whenever they feel like it, which seems to be quite often.

This Laughing Kookaburra is looking for home decorating
tips for the nest she built behind my house.

My grouting area is under the house where it's shady and cool. It is important to ensure your grout doesn't dry out too quickly, to prevent cracks in the dried grout. I like to cover the wet grout with plastic, and in hotter weather also spray it with water.

Grouting is one of my favourite parts of making mosaics. I feel like I'm unearthing buried treasure as the mosaic reveals its new look when I clean off the excess grout. So, now I just have to wait 2 days or so until I can use the new table top.

I finished off the afternoon, taking advantage of the cool weather to do some garden chores and dug up a few grubs to feed the kookaburras which flew down to join me almost as soon as I unearthed the grubs.