So of course my first thought was lets check out the river, which was a little swollen, so then we thought lets go to the dam. Well in Yass it is really just a big weir. So the 1st photo is on the 15th, the second day of rain. Note the overflow on the far right is not being used. But is still looks good.

Yass Dam 14th Feb 2010

Now by the 15th the rains eased but all the water was still flowing into the dam from the Yass River.

Now note the far right overflow. Also there was a tonne of branches being wased down.

Yass dam 15th Feb 2010

Now further down the river has busted its banks

And now down at the Riverside park. (Near the old railway bridge). Right here there is an actual path that allows one to cross the river (normally).

Now here is the other end of the park. There is an actual road crossing here and to the right of the posts a footpath. The riverbank here has come up at least 15 metres. Also in the background you can see the street sign.

Riverside Park, Flat Rock Crossing

Now finally behind our place you can access Yass River prior to the dam wall. Now there is a bridge under that water and it is usually 2 metres above the bridge to the water. As you can see no bridge and the water level would be at least 1 metre above.

And a final one of Yass River once again before the dam wall and were there is a boat ramp.

Yass River

So Sunday was my first day and Kate the owner showed me how it all works and next Sunday I open and close, no help. And one other thing about the shop – it is certified caron neutral.

Little Dog Bookshop, Yass

Remember shop local, you are not only helping the community but also the environment.

Looking at the Yass Council website I find this

Yass PAMP and Bike Plan

In 2005 Yass Valley Council engaged the services of Community Development Initiatives Pty Ltd to prepare an integrated Pedestrian Mobility Plan (PAMP) for the township of Yass and a PAMP strategic overview for the villages of Murrumbateman, Bowning, Binalong, Gundaroo and Sutton. The project included a review of the existing Bike Plan for the township of Yass and was funded by the Roads and Traffic Authority and the Motor Accidents Authority

Key aspects of the development of the PAMP and Bike Plan were:

• To facilitate improvements in level of pedestrian access and priority, particularly in areas of pedestrian concentration.
• To reduce pedestrian access severance and enhance safe and convenient crossing opportunities on major roads.
• To facilitate improvements in the level of personal mobility and safety for people with disabilities, older persons, children and other user groups, through the provision of pedestrian infrastructure and facilities which cater to the needs of all pedestrians.
• To ensure pedestrian facilities remain appropriate and relevant to the surrounding land use and pedestrian user groups.
• To link existing and planned road user plans in a coordinated manner, such as maintenance programs.
• To meet obligations under the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (1992).
• Increase bicycle usage in the Yass Valley Council area.
• Encourage alternative methods of transport.
• Improve community health.
• Provide safer routes for bicycle users.

A number of community consultations were held in each of the towns and villages as part of the development process. This also included individual meetings with representatives of community groups such as the Access Committee, aged care facilities, community centres and schools. In total 54 consultations were held, with 27 group/services and 27 individuals being consulted. For further information please contact Yass Valley Council Road Safety Officer on 6226 9249.

Nothing else, but pointsbelow are encouraging

• Increase bicycle usage in the Yass Valley Council area.
• Encourage alternative methods of transport.
• Improve community health.
• Provide safer routes for bicycle users.

As I cannot find anything else on the website regarding this or cycling. I quickly fired off an email this aftrenoon.

Hi there, I have noticed in 2005 that there was a Yass PAMP and Bike Plan. Could I get a soft copy of this as I cannot find it on the Yass Council website (obviously if it is on the website could you email me the URL).

Also did Yass council apply to any of the Federal Gov stimulus packages in relation to  cycling? There has been at least two packages that could be used.
Package: $40 million National Bike Path Funding as part of the Jobs Program
Package: Regional and Local Community Infrastructure (CIP)

If no request were made for the above, where is Yass Council up to in adopting the Yass PAMP and Bike Plan in particular in regards to the points mentioned on your website?

* Increase bicycle usage in the Yass Valley Council area.
* Encourage alternative methods of transport.
* Improve community health.
* Provide safer routes for bicycle users.

Andrew Dodds

Lets see what they make of this

The reason for this is that our place is not at the bottom of the valley. The main street and township of Yass is at the bottom, but we are approx 2km from the GPO and up the ‘hill’. So as I type this at 10.39 am the fog is infact getting thicker as it raises from the town. So sometime around lunch (or soon after) we will see the sky.

These people make no money off it, they do it for their own meat supply. And a qualified butcher does everything else. They reduce cost by giving a lamb to the person that supplies the grain etc.

So really not sure what we would get, we basically said, give us the legs, shanks, shoulders (boned), scrag (neck) and the other main cuts, which has basically become various chops. When the lamb was delivered in a big tub we needed to separate the meat, this is where Hugh Fearnley-Whittinstall (http://www.rivercottage.net/) and his book ‘River Cottage Meat Book’ comes into its own. And I do recommend this book. it goes thru all the cuts of different meats. We basically bagged and labeled each and placed them in the freezer (and we have a bag of liver, kidneys and heart).

Lynsey next to the lamb

The other thing about this lamb is that it is spring lamb. That night we made crumbed french cutlets which the kids devoured. Lynsey was gnawing the last bits of the flesh from the bone. mmmm meat. That should do us for a while anyway.

So the temps here have been

• Thurs 29 Jan -38
• Fri 30 Jan – 38.2
• Sat 31 Jan – 38.6
• Sun 1 Feb – 35 (and how it felt so much cooler, seriously)
• Mon 2 Feb – 36
• Tues 3 Feb – 36
• Wed 4 Feb – 35
• Thurs 5 Feb – 38.5
• Fri 6 Feb – 39

Expected today Sat 7 – 40 and the same for Sunday – we will see what happens. While our house is insulated and the eaves do their part, the house still heats up. And as this block was a ‘blank’ canvas there are no mature trees, near the house. As you would see in previous posts I am building a deck, this will one day hold the grape vines providing shade in summer. And some of the plants that we have planted around the house will also provide more shade, but that is years away. Anyway two more days and then hopefully a cool change and maybe some rain.

So due to no rain since the last week December 08, and also having friends and family stay etc I had, last week cut over to the town water. Due to the massive downpour on Thursday and Friday our tanks were full again and so I had switched the house back to tank water.

Friday afternoon I notice a council vehicle dropping off something in the post boxes down our street, so I went and retrieved the paper from our letter box.

URGENT BOIL WATER NOTICE

Yes some disturbing levels of E. Coli have turned up in our section of Yass water.

As we have full tanks Yass water should have the problem fixed by mid Feburary (hopefully).

So on Saturday morning Lee-Ann, Alyssa and I headed off early, Lynsey thought it would be boring and none of her friends were going, so she stayed at home. It was good day, tiring as it is quite spread out. One of the good things they do is give each child a card to get stamped at certain stalls so it means that we had to visit every corner of the place to collect all the stamps, which meant backtracking as we missed stalls.

While there we managed to speak to some producers of products we buy or intend buying in the future. Like Brinadabella bee keeping supplies we spoke about our small hive in our gum tree and how and when we can start our own hive. We spoke to Tony who makes the Le Barre olive oil that we buy from our local butcher and found that he can supply a large 4 litre tin of olive oil and since we buy a lot of olive oil seems to be a good idea for the future.  No-one in yass wishes to stock it due to space issues whcih sems strange as it is a nice size tin.  We spoke to the owners of  Minto Galloway who rear their beef and we can also order direct from them, local beef, organically produced, so will save time going to the canberra farmers market – If only our freezer was bigger.  So in all going to the field day was worthwhile for us even if I did get a bit sun bunt