Twas an uneventful day, only marked by the electrician keeping his word and coming back to finish replacing the seals in the oven and a letter from the ANZ with a survey about our recent home loan experience which prompted me to call them as they are still holding some of our funds. Seems the wounds are still raw - needless to say my answers to their survey are probably not the sort of critique they were hoping for.....did thank them for asking though. (That's nice, isn't it?)
Didn't mention a visit to Phoenix Creations recently. David is an artisan who makes the most beautiful furniture from, primarily, Tasmanian recycled timber. He's just up around the block from us and has a gallery open 2 days a week. After a brief conversation, he remembered I rang him a few months ago about a butcher's block and the house we have bought. Great memory - especially as we have never met. Apparently, the guy who owned our house before the last owner (he moved to France) sold David some of the cedar lining from our house. Coincidentally, I was looking at the beam in the middle of the lounge the night before and wondered then if it was once 2 rooms. He had also heard we are planning to have a chooks and was keener to offload a few of them rather than a piece of furniture. As it happens, he has very little in his gallery and is very busy with commissions - and we're not yet ready for chooks. He also pointed out that it is snake season, some of them even deadly - great news, as he encouraged Lord Floyd and I take a shortcut home (the path we needed, the day I had to carry the heifer hound up the hill). The path is partly across private property but with some sort of public access rights. Initially. we wandered into someone's backyard (that'll get back) as the directions were vague. It was quite slippery, so really had to let the terrier off his lead or his tugging would have me flat on my face in no time! He couldn't stay on the path, constantly darting into the undergrowth! Needless to say we did survive unscathed but now I have snakes to add to the list of paranoia. A few days ago, I had a stranger stop me in the hardware shop to ask if the dog finally came back to me. We really are in a small town now - forget big brother, all 800 odd locals seem to be watching us...
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Day 13 - Wednesday
The best laid plans went awry as before I got away from the house, Mick, the good Samaritan arrived with offsider Arthur. Mick works as a fencer in his day job with his first cousin, Peter. Their fathers who are brothers happened to marry women who are sisters....I still struggle to work out all the combinations with this scenario. Your brother is also your brother in-law etc. Mick assures me there's nothing unhealthy about these unions and it is Tassie after all. Anyway, back to the point, Peter was at a funeral and there was no fencing for the rest of the day, so Mick & Arthur took to our fence with a spanner again and drove the tractor in and started chainsawing dead wood and removing a very substantial felled wattle tree. We now have a nice stack of firewood which I am assured is not ideal as it becomes powdery once burnt but what the hell, open fires are messy, this stuff will just be a bit more messy than usual.
It seems the more you look and with the wattle gone, it appears there are a number of dead trees and huge branches here. There are 3 dead poplars but 2 are far too tall for this pair to tackle. They cleared out a number of smaller trees in the same corner and will be back (as the tractor and various other tools are still here) to continue the destruction. This would be unheard of in Sydney (not the only taboo the guys crashed through) ..they took away some of the bigger branches in the ute and then returned to set fire to an enormous pile of debris! Apparently this is perfectly legal if the fire is confined to 1 metre by 1 metre....don't know who was measuring but it got well beyond that size (not helped by the fact that I kept feeding it with my pruned material).
I brought coffee to the guys around 2 pm - how then, could I resist? Mick kept asking me about what I wanted done and there was nothing for it, I had to join in. I don't think there is a plant in this yard that doesn't bite! My hands are already like sandpaper, they now look like sandpaper with holes worn through it and splinters throughout. Not only did Mick start a bonfire, he set up the sprinkler against a huge gum so the fire didn't spread to it. Wow, tree lopping, fires, sprinklers - feel like I've returned to the days of my childhood in Portarlington (Much about Cygnet reminds me of Portarlington but that is another story for another day). He told me that the boys from the fire brigade visit locals' properties on Monday nights and do this sort of controlled burning for practise. Might be an option we take up after the next tractor outing, but right now, Mick was too impatient to get this bit out of the way. Floyd wasn't going to miss out on the fun either. Perhaps because we are next to a park which is next to a school, or a previous owner with dogs or kids but there were all sorts of balls uncovered in the process and Floyd at near 10 years old, played with them like he was a puppy. He particularly enjoyed the tug or war with the miniature squeaky American football. He missed out on an afternoon walk but he was completely stuffed after his adventures in the back/front yard.
Mick eventually went home, leaving me with a raging fire with the wind constantly changing direction in the twilight. He really wanted me to let it smoulder all night, eventhough he wasn't entirely sure he could do that himself. He was convinced it was well confined and couldn't do any harm but wasn't sure he'd sleep that well worrying about it. What a bunch of mixed messages.... Went to check it at midnight. What a stunning night...a pademelon bounded across the yard and any number of critters were making critter noises. The stars were as clear as 3 carat diamonds and the moon was a bright shining crescent. It was really mild. Turns out it was one of the warmest nights of the year, whilst the previous night was the coldest... this is Tassie after all! Anyway, how could I possibly sleep (probably quite well considering how stuffed I was) with the thought of an ember from this still very active fire landing in the park next door and setting fire to half of Cygnet. I could make a true impact on my new home. How to win friends and influence people.....so I set to it with the hose...and slept like the living dead until almost 9 am.
It seems the more you look and with the wattle gone, it appears there are a number of dead trees and huge branches here. There are 3 dead poplars but 2 are far too tall for this pair to tackle. They cleared out a number of smaller trees in the same corner and will be back (as the tractor and various other tools are still here) to continue the destruction. This would be unheard of in Sydney (not the only taboo the guys crashed through) ..they took away some of the bigger branches in the ute and then returned to set fire to an enormous pile of debris! Apparently this is perfectly legal if the fire is confined to 1 metre by 1 metre....don't know who was measuring but it got well beyond that size (not helped by the fact that I kept feeding it with my pruned material).
I brought coffee to the guys around 2 pm - how then, could I resist? Mick kept asking me about what I wanted done and there was nothing for it, I had to join in. I don't think there is a plant in this yard that doesn't bite! My hands are already like sandpaper, they now look like sandpaper with holes worn through it and splinters throughout. Not only did Mick start a bonfire, he set up the sprinkler against a huge gum so the fire didn't spread to it. Wow, tree lopping, fires, sprinklers - feel like I've returned to the days of my childhood in Portarlington (Much about Cygnet reminds me of Portarlington but that is another story for another day). He told me that the boys from the fire brigade visit locals' properties on Monday nights and do this sort of controlled burning for practise. Might be an option we take up after the next tractor outing, but right now, Mick was too impatient to get this bit out of the way. Floyd wasn't going to miss out on the fun either. Perhaps because we are next to a park which is next to a school, or a previous owner with dogs or kids but there were all sorts of balls uncovered in the process and Floyd at near 10 years old, played with them like he was a puppy. He particularly enjoyed the tug or war with the miniature squeaky American football. He missed out on an afternoon walk but he was completely stuffed after his adventures in the back/front yard.
Mick eventually went home, leaving me with a raging fire with the wind constantly changing direction in the twilight. He really wanted me to let it smoulder all night, eventhough he wasn't entirely sure he could do that himself. He was convinced it was well confined and couldn't do any harm but wasn't sure he'd sleep that well worrying about it. What a bunch of mixed messages.... Went to check it at midnight. What a stunning night...a pademelon bounded across the yard and any number of critters were making critter noises. The stars were as clear as 3 carat diamonds and the moon was a bright shining crescent. It was really mild. Turns out it was one of the warmest nights of the year, whilst the previous night was the coldest... this is Tassie after all! Anyway, how could I possibly sleep (probably quite well considering how stuffed I was) with the thought of an ember from this still very active fire landing in the park next door and setting fire to half of Cygnet. I could make a true impact on my new home. How to win friends and influence people.....so I set to it with the hose...and slept like the living dead until almost 9 am.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Day 12 - Tuesday
Tuesday saw an unannounced visit from the electrician. He offered some advice and opinions for heating and lighting but wasn't terribly reassuring. He has worked on the house over the years for various owners and confirmed it is both difficult to light and to warm because of the uninsulated Baltic pine covered walls and high ceilings. He also suggested the fuse for the computer equipment is close to meltdown...joy of joys. This is hard on the heals of the light shower we had on Monday resulted in a leak in the hallway...what happens when it really rains? Well apparently, unbeknown to me, it bucketed down at about 2.30am and it had no impact on the leak. Perhaps it's one of those freaky things, that the rain must be coming from a certain unusual direction? Fingers crossed....
The electrician took off with the door from the oven so he can replace the seals and just as I was leaving the house to visit the Margate Tip Shop (on his recommendation), he was on my doorstep again....this man has a phone phobia. Unfortunately, the seal he found in "the shed" was unsuitable so I have to wait until Thursday, after he has been to "town". I have to qualify this with the specific Cygnetite. Town for the electrician is Hobart (60 kms?). For the lovely lesbian ladies who delivered a most unusual pantry to me, also on Tuesday, town is Kingston (35 kms?). For me, town is Huonville - 17 kms, but I imagine that will change. Hobart seems like the end of the earth to me at the moment!
Floyd and I enjoyed our trip to the Tip Shop on the outside of Margate in a place called Bereta(?). It's about 35 kms each way on a windy road. You need to travel some distances but it only took 20 - 25 minutes. Managed to pick up a whole bunch of multiple light fittings and shades for the princely sum of $25...perhaps they will brighten up these rooms that currently have single globes and no shades hanging from a wire from the ceiling - clearly not a priority in the past.
Took a quick left on the way back, as I saw water and we headed to a marina - not sure but think this is where the Bruny Island ferry departs from. Here, we were slowly and noisily approached by the fattest Blue Heeler imaginable. The noise wasn't barking, it was the poor dog breathing like a blocked vacuum cleaner - poor mutt! Made Floyd look like a whippet and made me vow not to let him get any heavier.
There wasn't much to see so we moved on and on Floyd's insistence, made a brief stop in Snug. What a delightful name for a town...The butcher's window said they specialised in dog treats...at $50 per kilo, they will have to wait until I'm employed. I used to make them for Floyd and since I'm a lady of leisure now, I could get back to that again..... We did a lap of the block where they are building a housing estate - dread. There's some low cost housing there, perhaps the new style of commission houses that look like extra long nissen huts - like a log cut horizontally across the middle and look like they are made from corro in a variety of colours - very interesting. I really like the letterboxes...wonder if you can buy a Snug letterbox. Bought one from Mitre 10 the other day but the blandness is so overwhelming, I will return it on my next trip to town (Huonville) and wait til I find a more attractive option.
Stopped at the local servo to exchange an empty gas cylinder for the cooktop - only LPG here - and to fill up. Imagine my surprise, I was actually served! Adam introduced himself and advised me to relax into Cygnet time and accept service. SERVICE? I must have looked a bit uncomfortable. Adam, an NZeder, who lived in Melbourne for 10 years and is married to Teresa, lives high on a mountain outside town, where it snows every winter (which he is so looking forward to - freak!) and is building a B&B out of stone. The lesbians are also moving to Nicholls Rivulet to build their Utopian biodynamic farm & B&B. Good on 'em. Adam has several part time jobs and suggests that's how most locals enjoy the simple and many varied attractions of Cygnet and surrounds, this is so much fun!
Just before dark, decided to move my newly purchased (in Sydney) pre-loved bicycle. Can't describe the disappointment - I'm too bloody short to get my leg over the bar and reach the peddles - bugger! I was so looking forward to riding that bike....Will put that on the shopping list. I then tried to get the full gas bottle out of my boot...empty is one thing...Luckily, Mick, the good Samaritan turned up just in time to give me a hand and a verbal quote for the new outer fence.
The electrician took off with the door from the oven so he can replace the seals and just as I was leaving the house to visit the Margate Tip Shop (on his recommendation), he was on my doorstep again....this man has a phone phobia. Unfortunately, the seal he found in "the shed" was unsuitable so I have to wait until Thursday, after he has been to "town". I have to qualify this with the specific Cygnetite. Town for the electrician is Hobart (60 kms?). For the lovely lesbian ladies who delivered a most unusual pantry to me, also on Tuesday, town is Kingston (35 kms?). For me, town is Huonville - 17 kms, but I imagine that will change. Hobart seems like the end of the earth to me at the moment!
Floyd and I enjoyed our trip to the Tip Shop on the outside of Margate in a place called Bereta(?). It's about 35 kms each way on a windy road. You need to travel some distances but it only took 20 - 25 minutes. Managed to pick up a whole bunch of multiple light fittings and shades for the princely sum of $25...perhaps they will brighten up these rooms that currently have single globes and no shades hanging from a wire from the ceiling - clearly not a priority in the past.
Took a quick left on the way back, as I saw water and we headed to a marina - not sure but think this is where the Bruny Island ferry departs from. Here, we were slowly and noisily approached by the fattest Blue Heeler imaginable. The noise wasn't barking, it was the poor dog breathing like a blocked vacuum cleaner - poor mutt! Made Floyd look like a whippet and made me vow not to let him get any heavier.
There wasn't much to see so we moved on and on Floyd's insistence, made a brief stop in Snug. What a delightful name for a town...The butcher's window said they specialised in dog treats...at $50 per kilo, they will have to wait until I'm employed. I used to make them for Floyd and since I'm a lady of leisure now, I could get back to that again..... We did a lap of the block where they are building a housing estate - dread. There's some low cost housing there, perhaps the new style of commission houses that look like extra long nissen huts - like a log cut horizontally across the middle and look like they are made from corro in a variety of colours - very interesting. I really like the letterboxes...wonder if you can buy a Snug letterbox. Bought one from Mitre 10 the other day but the blandness is so overwhelming, I will return it on my next trip to town (Huonville) and wait til I find a more attractive option.
Stopped at the local servo to exchange an empty gas cylinder for the cooktop - only LPG here - and to fill up. Imagine my surprise, I was actually served! Adam introduced himself and advised me to relax into Cygnet time and accept service. SERVICE? I must have looked a bit uncomfortable. Adam, an NZeder, who lived in Melbourne for 10 years and is married to Teresa, lives high on a mountain outside town, where it snows every winter (which he is so looking forward to - freak!) and is building a B&B out of stone. The lesbians are also moving to Nicholls Rivulet to build their Utopian biodynamic farm & B&B. Good on 'em. Adam has several part time jobs and suggests that's how most locals enjoy the simple and many varied attractions of Cygnet and surrounds, this is so much fun!
Just before dark, decided to move my newly purchased (in Sydney) pre-loved bicycle. Can't describe the disappointment - I'm too bloody short to get my leg over the bar and reach the peddles - bugger! I was so looking forward to riding that bike....Will put that on the shopping list. I then tried to get the full gas bottle out of my boot...empty is one thing...Luckily, Mick, the good Samaritan turned up just in time to give me a hand and a verbal quote for the new outer fence.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day 11 - Monday
A forgettable day. Lots of unpacking, attempting to stuff 5 wardrobe fulls into 2 tiny wardrobes. The doll's house in Leichhardt surely had rubber walls! The temperature dropped and light rain started when we visited the hardware store with bare shelves and went to the Post Office to collect 6 parcels. Soon after arriving home, the drip started - bloody hell, we had a leak onto the rug in the hallway. Stuck the bucket under it and it stopped as soon as it started - bizarre. Hopefully, just like Leichhardt, when the stars are aligned and the wind blows in a certain direction, the rain comes to visit indoors, maybe once every five years or so. I live in hope!
Days 10 - Sunday
How do I do this with a dog on my lap...can't - bye,bye puppy!
Late Saturday night brought high winds and what sounded like fireworks or was that someone spotlighting for rabbits? Fireworks? Cygnet? Event? Could hear that wild wind and see it out the window but the house was impermeable. Floyd did his usual barking act with the bangs but with little enthusiasm and gave up on it pretty quickly.
Good Samaritan Mike, dropped by on Sunday ready to take to our yard with all sorts of equipment with his mate Arthur. His saintly wife, Gail, ,was concerned that I might have been scared by the firecrackers that the local hoones let off in the main street on Saturday night. Thankfully I am made from sterner stuff (or grown a thick city skin). Mick took out a fence panel to get his ride-on mower into the yard and in an hour (would take me a week with a hand mower) - when the whipper snipper fell apart; the place was transformed. Now we saw dead trees and Mick introduced me to trees in our yard we didn't know about...2 cherry trees - YES! A lemon tree with a ripe lemon. How did I miss it? In my defence, I haven't had the time yet to investigate the garden and the temptation is huge - especially when it is a bit cool, just to get in there and transform it. Strange really, as I'm such a non-gardener. But this is robust tree pruning and branch loping, no fiddly flower beds and weeding, this is no nonsense, skin tearing, boy pruning. Must control myself. Took the liberty of releasing the arbour from the overgrown mass that enveloped it and though it was a thorny and ripped my hands to bits, it felt great...just remember the bloody gloves next time!
Rewarded Mick and Arthur with a beer each. They were so impressed they were offered Crown Lager - means nothing to me. They even souvenired the bottles for the collection as they were engraved with: to Winsor, thank you for your support in 2009.They were already overwhelmed with Winsor's importance, and off he went now, into the stratosphere! Funny how we're impressed by people who can do things we can't. I think Winsor would be equally as impressed by their skills with tools as they are impressed with Winsor and his tools. Today I was told that 20% of Tassie's population
is illiterate. What they lack in formal knowledge (from what I have seen so far) they make up for with heart.
Late Saturday night brought high winds and what sounded like fireworks or was that someone spotlighting for rabbits? Fireworks? Cygnet? Event? Could hear that wild wind and see it out the window but the house was impermeable. Floyd did his usual barking act with the bangs but with little enthusiasm and gave up on it pretty quickly.
Good Samaritan Mike, dropped by on Sunday ready to take to our yard with all sorts of equipment with his mate Arthur. His saintly wife, Gail, ,was concerned that I might have been scared by the firecrackers that the local hoones let off in the main street on Saturday night. Thankfully I am made from sterner stuff (or grown a thick city skin). Mick took out a fence panel to get his ride-on mower into the yard and in an hour (would take me a week with a hand mower) - when the whipper snipper fell apart; the place was transformed. Now we saw dead trees and Mick introduced me to trees in our yard we didn't know about...2 cherry trees - YES! A lemon tree with a ripe lemon. How did I miss it? In my defence, I haven't had the time yet to investigate the garden and the temptation is huge - especially when it is a bit cool, just to get in there and transform it. Strange really, as I'm such a non-gardener. But this is robust tree pruning and branch loping, no fiddly flower beds and weeding, this is no nonsense, skin tearing, boy pruning. Must control myself. Took the liberty of releasing the arbour from the overgrown mass that enveloped it and though it was a thorny and ripped my hands to bits, it felt great...just remember the bloody gloves next time!
Rewarded Mick and Arthur with a beer each. They were so impressed they were offered Crown Lager - means nothing to me. They even souvenired the bottles for the collection as they were engraved with: to Winsor, thank you for your support in 2009.They were already overwhelmed with Winsor's importance, and off he went now, into the stratosphere! Funny how we're impressed by people who can do things we can't. I think Winsor would be equally as impressed by their skills with tools as they are impressed with Winsor and his tools. Today I was told that 20% of Tassie's population
is illiterate. What they lack in formal knowledge (from what I have seen so far) they make up for with heart.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 9 - Saturday
Slept in today - 8.40am - unheard of! Floyd and I visited Mick and his family to thank him. Further along, we were invited in to meet another George St resident's bird menagerie. He had some exotic types from South America...wondered if they were actually legal...Couldn't stay, as his boisterous puppy was pissing Floyd off and I felt it wise to move on before he did something we'd regret.
It was in the 30s today with a milky sky. Before the evening chill, I grabbed the mutt and took off on another discovery tour. Thought we'd try to find Matthew Evans's house. We passed cows, pigs, llamas and even white donkeys. I think I identified the house just after the road turned to gravel, when a bloody great huntsman spider crawled across the windscreen and over my side window. Harmless maybe but still capable of freaking me out. Cygnet is full of spiders and flies....one of these 2 critters is failing in their food-chain cycle responsibilities - perhaps the huntsmen feed on humans here instead..
We continued on past Lymington to a spot called Poverty Point. There were actually 2 vans (one unregistered and it looked like something of a permanent fixture)and a car - refreshing to see some people on a beach here - 3 adults and 3 kids. The kids were throwing reddy/brown jellyfish out of the water by stabbing them with sticks - charming. Never seen jellyfish anything like them, don't know if they are nasty or not but they probably didn't deserve the "stab and chuck" treatment!
On the way back, couldn't resist the urge to follow a gravel road called Drip Beach Rd. What a charming little bay at the end of this road. A huge tree had toppled into the water, some time ago by the look of it and a young family was having a fabulous time playing on the huge tree. Floyd raced up and down the sandy shore and was completely incapable of keeping his eyes open on the way home..he'll sleep well tonight. My souvenir was a bunch of yellow wildflowers.
Noticed on the way back that the my car's average speed has increased from 26 kms to 68 - definitely not in Sydney anymore....also I must change the CD - Norah Jones is on about her 5th rotation. I really miss my favourite Sydney radio station - the choice here is minuscule and the reception poor - small price to pay(but I must change that CD).
Got back to the house and hosed the bird poo and gravel dust off my car. What a novelty...don't think I've used a hose on a car of mine since we were in Balmain in the 80s! No recycling, no picking up of dog poo (hasn't that caught me out - prefer the shells and wildflowers as souvenirs)and no water restrictions (I think. Somewhat ironically, our water is almost undrinkable but I am assured this is a problem unique to us in Cygnet.
No news from the final part of our removal, no call from the antenna man or the electrician from a request from days ago, no visit from the chimney sweep to discuss heating options and finish the job he started. The gardener guy confirmed he didn't complete the cleaning of our gutters about a month ago and should be around early next week to complete the job. The IT guy still hasn't sent his bank details so I can pay him...hard to get them here but they don't seem to be on a hurry to be paid either..Welcome to Cygnet time - it's hard to get upset by them......
It was in the 30s today with a milky sky. Before the evening chill, I grabbed the mutt and took off on another discovery tour. Thought we'd try to find Matthew Evans's house. We passed cows, pigs, llamas and even white donkeys. I think I identified the house just after the road turned to gravel, when a bloody great huntsman spider crawled across the windscreen and over my side window. Harmless maybe but still capable of freaking me out. Cygnet is full of spiders and flies....one of these 2 critters is failing in their food-chain cycle responsibilities - perhaps the huntsmen feed on humans here instead..
We continued on past Lymington to a spot called Poverty Point. There were actually 2 vans (one unregistered and it looked like something of a permanent fixture)and a car - refreshing to see some people on a beach here - 3 adults and 3 kids. The kids were throwing reddy/brown jellyfish out of the water by stabbing them with sticks - charming. Never seen jellyfish anything like them, don't know if they are nasty or not but they probably didn't deserve the "stab and chuck" treatment!
On the way back, couldn't resist the urge to follow a gravel road called Drip Beach Rd. What a charming little bay at the end of this road. A huge tree had toppled into the water, some time ago by the look of it and a young family was having a fabulous time playing on the huge tree. Floyd raced up and down the sandy shore and was completely incapable of keeping his eyes open on the way home..he'll sleep well tonight. My souvenir was a bunch of yellow wildflowers.
Noticed on the way back that the my car's average speed has increased from 26 kms to 68 - definitely not in Sydney anymore....also I must change the CD - Norah Jones is on about her 5th rotation. I really miss my favourite Sydney radio station - the choice here is minuscule and the reception poor - small price to pay(but I must change that CD).
Got back to the house and hosed the bird poo and gravel dust off my car. What a novelty...don't think I've used a hose on a car of mine since we were in Balmain in the 80s! No recycling, no picking up of dog poo (hasn't that caught me out - prefer the shells and wildflowers as souvenirs)and no water restrictions (I think. Somewhat ironically, our water is almost undrinkable but I am assured this is a problem unique to us in Cygnet.
No news from the final part of our removal, no call from the antenna man or the electrician from a request from days ago, no visit from the chimney sweep to discuss heating options and finish the job he started. The gardener guy confirmed he didn't complete the cleaning of our gutters about a month ago and should be around early next week to complete the job. The IT guy still hasn't sent his bank details so I can pay him...hard to get them here but they don't seem to be on a hurry to be paid either..Welcome to Cygnet time - it's hard to get upset by them......
Friday, February 19, 2010
Day 8 - Friday
Hard to believe I only arrived in Cygnet a week ago but, then again, if you saw the state of the house, you probably wouldn't agree!
Floyd and I took an early morning walk up to the old part of the cemetery. Clearly at the beginning of the 20th century, the most important thing a woman could do was be a wife, with headstones bearing inscriptions like - HELEN, wife of PETER O'ROURKE - you'd be forgiven for thinking Peter was the corpse - it was the theme throughout and they died a lot younger too. Further along our walk, we saw a dead pademelon....wonder if it was the one Floyd chased from our yard a few days ago. On the main street we passed a proud redish chook outside the Nutt Gallery. This is possibly the same chook that stopped traffic both ways, a few days prior to arrival. Certainly not the sort of bird that would stop traffic in Sydney.....
Our afternoon adventure was to Lymington Beach, about 5 kms south of Cygnet. There's no sand, just pebbles and endless shells that looked like paua (mother of pearl), oysters (I think) and scallop. A few metres from shore, there's an apple tree with tiny apples on it - instant afternoon tea and a sizeable geranium bush - very odd. The surrounding area is a combination of Christmas trees, saltbush and gum trees - also very odd. All sorts of things (or seeds) must be blown in on those Southerly busters! Couldn't resist bringing a few apples and shells home with me - a bad habit of mine, don't know what I'm going to do with 6 mother of pearl shells when I have far too much clutter already....perhaps a good excuse to return to Lymington Beach sometime soon.
Came home to find, Mick, the good samaritan had dropped by in my absence and gathered up all the cartons and the garden waste I'd dumped in the back/front yard. What a man!
Floyd and I took an early morning walk up to the old part of the cemetery. Clearly at the beginning of the 20th century, the most important thing a woman could do was be a wife, with headstones bearing inscriptions like - HELEN, wife of PETER O'ROURKE - you'd be forgiven for thinking Peter was the corpse - it was the theme throughout and they died a lot younger too. Further along our walk, we saw a dead pademelon....wonder if it was the one Floyd chased from our yard a few days ago. On the main street we passed a proud redish chook outside the Nutt Gallery. This is possibly the same chook that stopped traffic both ways, a few days prior to arrival. Certainly not the sort of bird that would stop traffic in Sydney.....
Our afternoon adventure was to Lymington Beach, about 5 kms south of Cygnet. There's no sand, just pebbles and endless shells that looked like paua (mother of pearl), oysters (I think) and scallop. A few metres from shore, there's an apple tree with tiny apples on it - instant afternoon tea and a sizeable geranium bush - very odd. The surrounding area is a combination of Christmas trees, saltbush and gum trees - also very odd. All sorts of things (or seeds) must be blown in on those Southerly busters! Couldn't resist bringing a few apples and shells home with me - a bad habit of mine, don't know what I'm going to do with 6 mother of pearl shells when I have far too much clutter already....perhaps a good excuse to return to Lymington Beach sometime soon.
Came home to find, Mick, the good samaritan had dropped by in my absence and gathered up all the cartons and the garden waste I'd dumped in the back/front yard. What a man!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 7 - Thursday
Had our first drop of rain yesterday afternoon. Ventured to lunch after some heavy lifting, in a sleeveless dress - it was a decision I regreted 45 minutes later. We really do weather here. The restuarant of stripey trumpeter fame served us a delightful lunch, throwing in a very tasty amuse bouche, involving a wasabi leaf as a wrap for morsels of cured ocean trout, blended with dill cream and wasabi - delicious!
Floyd, much to our dismay has taken to self-mutilation again. Consensus, (including the Vet)was that the hotspots would stop when we moved but he continues to confound us. Back to the chemsitry set....At least the moulting has almost stopped.
Hubby left early this morning for 8 days away in Fiji via lunch at Tetsuya's in Sydney. Coveniently the lunch invitation was timely, as the flight for Fiji departs from Sydney tomorrow. Not to be outdone, I took myself off to the Commercial Hotel for the much awaited scallop pie. Hmmmm, should have stayed home with the tin of sardines...
It was a beautiful day and Floyd and I enjoyed our outing with visits to the hardware store with near bare shelves, the Post Office for our daily parcel/s and the newsagency that doubles as an ANZ, where news of settlement on our Leichhardt house came through. Hard to believe, we are now officioally out of the Sydney property market - there's no turning back now.....
Had a visit from Mick, (the Handyman with the pink eye potatoes) stopped by, with his clan of kids (or are they grandkids?) to discuss our fencing needs. He even volunteered to take away all my empty cartons. Could have kissed him, that's 3 or 4 trips to the tip I don't need to make on the weekend.
No sooner did I get back to the computer, when Bruce from the B&B stopped by with info about heating and an offer to supply me with smoked Ocean Trout - I love this place! Bruce tells me there's a black market in empty cartons here, though he knows not for what. I don't care if they smoke them or use them in a black magic ritual - all I know is that there's no collection & no recycling so Mick can have them.
Until tomorrow....
Floyd, much to our dismay has taken to self-mutilation again. Consensus, (including the Vet)was that the hotspots would stop when we moved but he continues to confound us. Back to the chemsitry set....At least the moulting has almost stopped.
Hubby left early this morning for 8 days away in Fiji via lunch at Tetsuya's in Sydney. Coveniently the lunch invitation was timely, as the flight for Fiji departs from Sydney tomorrow. Not to be outdone, I took myself off to the Commercial Hotel for the much awaited scallop pie. Hmmmm, should have stayed home with the tin of sardines...
It was a beautiful day and Floyd and I enjoyed our outing with visits to the hardware store with near bare shelves, the Post Office for our daily parcel/s and the newsagency that doubles as an ANZ, where news of settlement on our Leichhardt house came through. Hard to believe, we are now officioally out of the Sydney property market - there's no turning back now.....
Had a visit from Mick, (the Handyman with the pink eye potatoes) stopped by, with his clan of kids (or are they grandkids?) to discuss our fencing needs. He even volunteered to take away all my empty cartons. Could have kissed him, that's 3 or 4 trips to the tip I don't need to make on the weekend.
No sooner did I get back to the computer, when Bruce from the B&B stopped by with info about heating and an offer to supply me with smoked Ocean Trout - I love this place! Bruce tells me there's a black market in empty cartons here, though he knows not for what. I don't care if they smoke them or use them in a black magic ritual - all I know is that there's no collection & no recycling so Mick can have them.
Until tomorrow....
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Day 6 - Wednesday
What a surprise, due to more ANZ incompetence our house in Leichhardt will not settle today and we need to wait another day. No news on pre-settlement inspection either - guess no news is good news.
What else could we do but go shopping - calling into to the two secondhand furniture stores in Huonville. We came away with receipts for 4 new/preloved peices and can envisage the empty hallway and corners filling up in our new/preloved house - the Manse. There's a chance I can get a part-time job in one of the shops and no doubt will spend more than I earn! Neil would like a lady who can clean and arrange the furniture - sounds just like home!
This morning's adventure with Floyd was a long walk up past the Fruit Processing Factory (built in 1936 so the plaque says and probably seen better days) in glorious sunshine to the Port Cygnet Sailing Club. As usual, one way was enough for Floyd so the journey home was a slow one. There are blackberries growing wild along the roadside - found out the hard way that they're pretty thorny plants. Winsor has already brought home a huge bowlful, some of which he had for dessert last night with ice cream. He's clearly more adept at berry picking than I. This area is one huge fruit bowl. We have trees straining under the weight of ripe nectarines and two varieties of plum. We also have pears that appear to need a few more weeks before they will be ready to eat. Seems a shame but I think a lot of fruit will go to waste this season. Unpacking continues and with more on the way - it could be my full time job getting our house in shape, for a while longer.
Yesterday a broken window was replaced, the antennae man is on the roof as I write and the computer tech is due tonight to finalise the wireless set up. The plumber has rung with a hefty quote to install a tank and redirect the downpipes, while the chimney sweep company is also due to finish off some work and quote on insulation and more heating. All of this before the electrician to put in some decent lighting, the fence man to finish the outer boundary fence and the all-important bathroom renovation. More established locals have already introduced us to the concept of Cygnet time - they do get to you eventually but it pays to be patient (and they love cash). Many of the tradespeople have some link with the town or our house and having been built in 1890, it appears to have a very interesting history. When time permits, I may investigate it more. Surprisingly, city life already seems like a distant memory and it hasn't been a difficult adjustment - yet! Life is anything but routine at the moment....I will be alone from tomorrow for a week - that will be a test....I'm looking forward to scallop pies at the Commercial Hotel!
What else could we do but go shopping - calling into to the two secondhand furniture stores in Huonville. We came away with receipts for 4 new/preloved peices and can envisage the empty hallway and corners filling up in our new/preloved house - the Manse. There's a chance I can get a part-time job in one of the shops and no doubt will spend more than I earn! Neil would like a lady who can clean and arrange the furniture - sounds just like home!
This morning's adventure with Floyd was a long walk up past the Fruit Processing Factory (built in 1936 so the plaque says and probably seen better days) in glorious sunshine to the Port Cygnet Sailing Club. As usual, one way was enough for Floyd so the journey home was a slow one. There are blackberries growing wild along the roadside - found out the hard way that they're pretty thorny plants. Winsor has already brought home a huge bowlful, some of which he had for dessert last night with ice cream. He's clearly more adept at berry picking than I. This area is one huge fruit bowl. We have trees straining under the weight of ripe nectarines and two varieties of plum. We also have pears that appear to need a few more weeks before they will be ready to eat. Seems a shame but I think a lot of fruit will go to waste this season. Unpacking continues and with more on the way - it could be my full time job getting our house in shape, for a while longer.
Yesterday a broken window was replaced, the antennae man is on the roof as I write and the computer tech is due tonight to finalise the wireless set up. The plumber has rung with a hefty quote to install a tank and redirect the downpipes, while the chimney sweep company is also due to finish off some work and quote on insulation and more heating. All of this before the electrician to put in some decent lighting, the fence man to finish the outer boundary fence and the all-important bathroom renovation. More established locals have already introduced us to the concept of Cygnet time - they do get to you eventually but it pays to be patient (and they love cash). Many of the tradespeople have some link with the town or our house and having been built in 1890, it appears to have a very interesting history. When time permits, I may investigate it more. Surprisingly, city life already seems like a distant memory and it hasn't been a difficult adjustment - yet! Life is anything but routine at the moment....I will be alone from tomorrow for a week - that will be a test....I'm looking forward to scallop pies at the Commercial Hotel!
Off and running
Day 1 – 12th February After 2 kilometres of packing tape and countless cartons – the day arrived. The drive to Melbourne was mercifully uneventful until the last 15km when torrential rain slowed the journey to a crawl and I made it to the ferry with 5 minutes to spare!
Awoke to views of Devonport and soon after drove off the ferry with Sting’s dulcet tones singing Brand New Day…someone fitting I thought. A brisk 11 degrees, stopped at the first servo and filled up on petrol and organic produce – excited but also wondering what the hell we had done – truly was a brand new day!
The drive was tough…..sore all over and completely knackered – stopped for a brief nanny nap and a mug of the world’s worst coffee in Campbell Town. Seems they’d had a bit of weather themselves the night before – it was all the talk in the local café. What a lovely, clean café, a throwback to another time ….shame about the coffee.
Genna GPS insisted on taking me on the scenic route out of Kingston – probably a good thing, the windy road kept me awake. Finally arrived around 1pm to a husband & dog waiting on the front/back porch. Would love to bottle that feeling. That yelp of delight from Floyd that I thought was exclusively reserved for his dad after long trips, his stump wagging so hard looked like it might drop off.
The journey begins on the front/back porch….
To celebrate my arrival, dinner was had in the best restaurant in town – the Red Velvet Lounge. I enquired as to what sort of fish stripey trumpeter was – the response from Chef was “there is no description for stripey trumpeter, but it’s nice.” Hmmmm, we’re in the country now!
Day 2 - Saturday
Up at 8 and at 8.30, the semi is in the front/back setting up to unload. I call this the back of the house – it clearly looks like the back of the house. It’s just that the back faces George Street, our address, and the front is behind the Cygnet Museum and faces Mary Street but there is no access. Gets a little confusing –especially when advising removalists either front or back bedroom etc. A few breakages along the way – including a mirror and a magnum but thankfully moving in is a breeze compared to moving out! Having said that, there’s more to come from the storage units in Sydney – no hurry guys!
Unpacking begins…….
Winsor, having already befriended a number of locals handed me a box of pink eye potatoes, a bucket of Dutch crème potatoes, bunches of baby carrots and parsnips, a number of pumpkinny/squashy veggies and a handful of green beans. Here goes nothing – no idea how the electric oven works, all the symbols have been scrubbed off over the years. Not as hard as I thought, managed an interested mélange of garlicky roasted root veggies with a stuffed organic roast chook from the IGA. The gas cooktop took a little more swearing and coxing. Not really sure what I did but the gas finally started and we were cooking with gas!
Eventually fell asleep in a lounge chair and was horrified to wake to ice in my veins. Can it really be this cold in summer?
Day 3 - Sunday
I’m an unpacking machine! Might be surrounded by churches but all I can hear is feint hymn singing in the air. Pretty chilly today and Floyd is forlorn. Don’t know why but he looks a little lost. Hope he snaps out of it.
Ventured across the road for a late lunch at the Lotus Eaters Café. The pies and curries on the weekends are highly recommended. Pies were finished so 2 curries coming up. Not like any curry I’ve ever had but absolutely delightful – basmati rice piled high with shredded chicken, lentils, cauliflower, courgettes, coriander, green chillies with a ladle full of yoghurt, topped with a crown of 3 crisp pappadums. Not bad for $19 and leftovers for Floyd. We’ll be back, but it will pay to be earlier – it’s a very popular spot and only open late in the week.
Whipped up scrambled eggs from local free range eggs, donated by some kindly soul to Winsor prior to my arrival. He surely didn’t look malnourished, did he? Wasn’t hungry but tried a few mouthfuls – haven’t tasted eggs that creamy and tasty or looked as buttercup yellow since we had our own chooks. This is what life is about. Fresh air and fresh fabulous food, not stress and pollution!
Day 4 – Monday
Grabbed Floyd and headed off on a left block into rural suburbia. What a glorious morning. Lots of school buses, kids and mums heading off to school and work, dogs barking. Took another left turn thinking it might be a block. Sign said to Church St which I stupidly assumed would end up near a church and since our house is in the church precinct….. The road seemed to go off into the sky, steeper and steeper. Bugger that, Floyd’s running out of puff. Tried cross country through a vacant paddock heading downhill and turned around to see a very sad-faced dog not going anywhere. All the encouragement and treats in the world wouldn’t get his stump awagging or his paws amoving! Unnoticed by me, the paddock was rife with some sort of thistle weed. Nothing for it but to carry the 12 kg canine back up the hill and back on to the road – good thing I’ve been doing some heavy lifting lately.
Headed in to Huonville to Woolies for a big shop….food is dearer here. $7.95 for green capsicums, $5 for bananas…..good thing we have trees full of nectarines, plums and pears in our yard and Winsor has been out collecting wild blackberries. We will need plan a little better. The request for dinner was sweet & sour pork. Wasn’t a good day for pork, finally found some pieces at the 4th butcher…..pork is delivered on Tuesdays in this region. There endth today’s lesson…..
Day 5 – Tuesday
Last day before settlement of the sale on our Leichhardt doll’s house. They had better be impressed – I worked really hard, with some help from Pam and Les, to get it to this point and it’s far cleaner than the house we have bought. Fingers crossed, all goes well….
Floyd and I took a decent walk to the Barton’s Wildlife Reserve and the bird viewing platform. He got the scent of some critter, probably a rabbit and had quite the adventure sniffing the ground from one end of the reserve to the other. Can’t imagine where he would end up if I let him loose. Soon after arriving home, he nosed his way under a bush in the front/backyard only to rouse a pademelon (like a small rock wallaby) that took off at great speed and thankfully for it, managed to pass through our newly strung fence wire. I wasn’t that keen on the choice of fencing wire with holes that are about 4 inches square but I’m sure the pademelon was more than grateful for the quick getaway route and I’m much happier with the fence.
Winsor has just set up my blog. We are planning to go wireless any day soon and then my daily blog will, in fact, be daily.
Awoke to views of Devonport and soon after drove off the ferry with Sting’s dulcet tones singing Brand New Day…someone fitting I thought. A brisk 11 degrees, stopped at the first servo and filled up on petrol and organic produce – excited but also wondering what the hell we had done – truly was a brand new day!
The drive was tough…..sore all over and completely knackered – stopped for a brief nanny nap and a mug of the world’s worst coffee in Campbell Town. Seems they’d had a bit of weather themselves the night before – it was all the talk in the local café. What a lovely, clean café, a throwback to another time ….shame about the coffee.
Genna GPS insisted on taking me on the scenic route out of Kingston – probably a good thing, the windy road kept me awake. Finally arrived around 1pm to a husband & dog waiting on the front/back porch. Would love to bottle that feeling. That yelp of delight from Floyd that I thought was exclusively reserved for his dad after long trips, his stump wagging so hard looked like it might drop off.
The journey begins on the front/back porch….
To celebrate my arrival, dinner was had in the best restaurant in town – the Red Velvet Lounge. I enquired as to what sort of fish stripey trumpeter was – the response from Chef was “there is no description for stripey trumpeter, but it’s nice.” Hmmmm, we’re in the country now!
Day 2 - Saturday
Up at 8 and at 8.30, the semi is in the front/back setting up to unload. I call this the back of the house – it clearly looks like the back of the house. It’s just that the back faces George Street, our address, and the front is behind the Cygnet Museum and faces Mary Street but there is no access. Gets a little confusing –especially when advising removalists either front or back bedroom etc. A few breakages along the way – including a mirror and a magnum but thankfully moving in is a breeze compared to moving out! Having said that, there’s more to come from the storage units in Sydney – no hurry guys!
Unpacking begins…….
Winsor, having already befriended a number of locals handed me a box of pink eye potatoes, a bucket of Dutch crème potatoes, bunches of baby carrots and parsnips, a number of pumpkinny/squashy veggies and a handful of green beans. Here goes nothing – no idea how the electric oven works, all the symbols have been scrubbed off over the years. Not as hard as I thought, managed an interested mélange of garlicky roasted root veggies with a stuffed organic roast chook from the IGA. The gas cooktop took a little more swearing and coxing. Not really sure what I did but the gas finally started and we were cooking with gas!
Eventually fell asleep in a lounge chair and was horrified to wake to ice in my veins. Can it really be this cold in summer?
Day 3 - Sunday
I’m an unpacking machine! Might be surrounded by churches but all I can hear is feint hymn singing in the air. Pretty chilly today and Floyd is forlorn. Don’t know why but he looks a little lost. Hope he snaps out of it.
Ventured across the road for a late lunch at the Lotus Eaters Café. The pies and curries on the weekends are highly recommended. Pies were finished so 2 curries coming up. Not like any curry I’ve ever had but absolutely delightful – basmati rice piled high with shredded chicken, lentils, cauliflower, courgettes, coriander, green chillies with a ladle full of yoghurt, topped with a crown of 3 crisp pappadums. Not bad for $19 and leftovers for Floyd. We’ll be back, but it will pay to be earlier – it’s a very popular spot and only open late in the week.
Whipped up scrambled eggs from local free range eggs, donated by some kindly soul to Winsor prior to my arrival. He surely didn’t look malnourished, did he? Wasn’t hungry but tried a few mouthfuls – haven’t tasted eggs that creamy and tasty or looked as buttercup yellow since we had our own chooks. This is what life is about. Fresh air and fresh fabulous food, not stress and pollution!
Day 4 – Monday
Grabbed Floyd and headed off on a left block into rural suburbia. What a glorious morning. Lots of school buses, kids and mums heading off to school and work, dogs barking. Took another left turn thinking it might be a block. Sign said to Church St which I stupidly assumed would end up near a church and since our house is in the church precinct….. The road seemed to go off into the sky, steeper and steeper. Bugger that, Floyd’s running out of puff. Tried cross country through a vacant paddock heading downhill and turned around to see a very sad-faced dog not going anywhere. All the encouragement and treats in the world wouldn’t get his stump awagging or his paws amoving! Unnoticed by me, the paddock was rife with some sort of thistle weed. Nothing for it but to carry the 12 kg canine back up the hill and back on to the road – good thing I’ve been doing some heavy lifting lately.
Headed in to Huonville to Woolies for a big shop….food is dearer here. $7.95 for green capsicums, $5 for bananas…..good thing we have trees full of nectarines, plums and pears in our yard and Winsor has been out collecting wild blackberries. We will need plan a little better. The request for dinner was sweet & sour pork. Wasn’t a good day for pork, finally found some pieces at the 4th butcher…..pork is delivered on Tuesdays in this region. There endth today’s lesson…..
Day 5 – Tuesday
Last day before settlement of the sale on our Leichhardt doll’s house. They had better be impressed – I worked really hard, with some help from Pam and Les, to get it to this point and it’s far cleaner than the house we have bought. Fingers crossed, all goes well….
Floyd and I took a decent walk to the Barton’s Wildlife Reserve and the bird viewing platform. He got the scent of some critter, probably a rabbit and had quite the adventure sniffing the ground from one end of the reserve to the other. Can’t imagine where he would end up if I let him loose. Soon after arriving home, he nosed his way under a bush in the front/backyard only to rouse a pademelon (like a small rock wallaby) that took off at great speed and thankfully for it, managed to pass through our newly strung fence wire. I wasn’t that keen on the choice of fencing wire with holes that are about 4 inches square but I’m sure the pademelon was more than grateful for the quick getaway route and I’m much happier with the fence.
Winsor has just set up my blog. We are planning to go wireless any day soon and then my daily blog will, in fact, be daily.
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