Yes dear reader, it’s five years since Richard and I arrived in ute II and took up permanent residency in Geeveston+, Tasmania……. it certainly feels like a lifetime ago, and as I continually think I’m getting nowhere, waiting for the weather, waiting for people to get their act together and do work they promised, I only need to look at photos over the years to see for myself, you can see where I’ve been….
The latest is that I’ve just sold trusty Ute II…. For several months now, we’ve had an old Yorkshireman, homeless through complicated family issues I won’t delve into, who he lives in a small bus behind the shed. Gerry also owns an old campervan, which is starting to show its age and becoming intolerably unreliable. Out of the blue, one day he asks me “have you got a vehicle you could sell me?” The rest as they say……. realistically, it was ridiculous that I should own three utes. I can only drive one at a time, and with the house as good as built (even if unfinished..) and access to Glenda’s reliable and economical little Suzy, it made sense to part company. Having said that, Gerry wants no more to do with the old campervan, and is literally offering it to us. I just need to work out how much money needs spending on it. I’m sure our kids would be delighted to have this vehicle around when they visit to tour around in while we still have fuel.
It’s very interesting looking at the difference five years make….. some work you can see, but an amazing amount you can’t. Like new and/or repaired fences…! I must’ve spent a small fortune on fencing. A whole lot of trees are gone, built into the house, or burnt in the AGA. But there are also a lot of new trees; that big macrocarpa right against the neighbour’s shed (half way down and one third from the right) recently split in half, inconveniently falling over our fence, meaning we can’t graze that paddock at left of the shed until it’s removed. More waiting for the weather…
The single biggest difference is obviously the house. And of course the missing trees that if left would have completely shaded the house, totally negating the passive solar aspect. They had to go, and they’ve been used sustainably.
Also visible if you look closely, there are now cows just to the left of the trees bordering the dam, and sheep in the orchard… the goats must be hiding! The boys are located in that paddock with the red container, while the girls are in the brown looking paddock further up. This weekend, I’m getting a quote to finish re-roofing the old shed before some storm blows the old tin (and some asbestos…) away…..
The way things are going, the next five years will be most interesting, and it’s anybody’s guess what they have in store for us. Hopefully we’re as ready as we can be for the coming storm. I’m sure glad I’m not starting now, that’s for sure.
