Second priority > Cleaning

Cleaning was our second priority. 

This house had never been cleaned, inside or out!

Sven started with the outside while I cleaned the inside. 

Out came de gurney! 

The existing concrete driveway was covered with moss and dirt built up over the years. 

The concrete path next to the  house at the front, the slab for the carport (which hasn't been built... yet) and the veranda floor at the back were all in the same condition. 

We water pressured them and even gave the same treatment to the external walls and the roof! 

Goodbye spider webs, dead bugs, green frog droppings, moss and dirt…

Squeaky clean!

Goodbye moss...

Even the roof

And the shed

We were very careful with Kermit's home though (in the laundry sink hole)  as we were told by a written sign put up by the previous owners.

Kermit's home

Our welcoming sign!

Out for a breath of clean and fresh air!

 Now even his/her? mate come to visit.

Male? Female? which one's which?

While cleaning, we discovered concrete open drains that we didn't know existed all around the house. 

We thought it was a nice ground cover plant growing. Well, it was, but in the drains…

The house looks and feels better now!

We deserved a break...

A well earned rest!

Until the next priority...

First priority > Driveway

A few days after we moved in, we worked out on priorities. The first important one which needed urgent attention was the "driveway" which was non-existent.

There is  a large grassy and sloppy landing at the front ,from the road to the house, and when it rains... it gets very boggy!

As it was...

No driveway...

 So we ordered a truck load of gravel which was delivered at 5pm. We  shovelled and raked for over an hour, trying to beat the night which was creeping on us.

That night we were exhausted but content that we now had access to our land without the fear of being bogged.

The next morning, Sven spread some cement all over it and  lightly watered it. 

And voilà! We now have a very functional driveway.

Voilà!

New driveway

 This was so easy and cheap, we keep wondering why the previous owners didn't think of it and rather parked their car on the road and walked all the way up... and down...?

The big move

On Wednesday 23rd March we started our big move.

Sven's van was full to the brim with the essential furniture we would need:  bed, fridge, table and chairs and some packed boxes. The boat was full and heavily loaded with things from the sheds and garage, and so was the trailer.

We asked our mate Phil to tow the boat up and the trailer was behind my car.

Don't be fooled, it was a heavy load

The first load of many to come

 

I was a bit apprehensive to drive up the Gillies Range (famous for its 263 corners and 800m high). But we took our time and arrived safely. 

After everything was unloaded, we just sat on the veranda with a beer in our hand and looked contentedly at the view. We couldn't believe it yet, that all this  was ours... 

Best view in the world

No neighbours...

The farmer's land

The next day Phil and Sven went around the property, securing the fences so that Flicka couldn't escape, while I started weeding what would become the herb garden next to the veranda.

Fixing the fence

All the weeds have to come out!

That night we celebrated Phil's 60th birthday . 

Happy Birthday Mate!

♫ A kiss on the cheek can be quite continental... ♫

The following day, Sven and Phil put up a gazebo over the boat.It seemed like a good idea at the time but it got blown down by the wind a couple of weeks later… Anyway the boat now lives in the lake, about 100m away from our property. We can jump in whenever we want. No need to go to the boat ramp anymore.

Fencing up the veggie patch

Digger has been here again. But could it be the Purple Swamp Hens?

The day after I chased Digger out one of my zucchini and eggplant had been completely dug out. When I mentioned this to Sven, his reaction was: "Oh well, we'll have to send Flicka after it again...."

How could she scare anybody?

But when I woke up the next morning and  checked on the patch, another potato plant was  uncovered. Now his reaction was completely different. For him potatoes are sacred! Nobody messes up with a Swede's spuds! Not even  Digger.

So we put a fence around it. Chicken wire (90 cm high) wrapped around 4 pegs, one  in each corner. It will definitely make it harder for me to go in and out but I'm a bit dubious about keeping Digger out. He can fly and he is determined. He knows there are nice and juicy roots in this garden. He can smell them! (Can birds smell? How do they know there's something  delicious to be eaten under ground?  Instinct? They're not  so dumb after all!)

I'm very clever!...

Sven and Ian think it will work, as scrub turkeys need to run first and get speed to start flying off. Hmmm maybe! I'm not totally convinced.

So their theory is that Digger would not go in and feel trapped in.

Actually I wouldn't mind him trapped in! We could have an early Christmas dinner in the making... And stopping the digging all in  one go!

All fenced in

Nothing going in or out for now!

Looking secure

 We might even add a few freshly dug potatoes in the pot...  :)

The vegetable garden and "Digger"

The vegetable garden has been lovingly started mid July. We took all the grass off a patch about 3m x 3m, dug the soil and mixed some fresh cow manure from the paddock next door.

Then I  planted seedlings of zucchinis, green beans, snow peas, capsicums, eggplants, tomatoes, lettuce, silver beet, green onions, leeks and strawberries.  I also sowed radishes and bok choy  and tried some potatoes that were seeding in the pantry and everything is growing fine I'm happy to say.

We put a low fence around for the bandicoots and it seemed to work…

 

One week after planting

Bandicoot fence is working

I always thought scrub turkeys and purple swamp hens were very interesting birds. One  turkeys visits  the garden now and again and scratches under the fruit trees. The hens, pick at the grass all over the garden, delicately holding the grass they've pull out in one claw while eating the root. They look like something out of Jurassic Park with their red leather head protection.

We call them "root bags". Yep, you guessed it, their favourite pastime in between scratching the grass is…procreating...

Scrub turkey

Purple swamp hens aka Root Bags

 I wanted to have more of these birds roaming in the garden.... Until now!

Two weeks ago, it had been a miserable day with a constant drizzle, windy and cold. At 4.30pm Sven started firing "Old Benny" and I was in the kitchen trying to warm up.

 Looking out the window, I saw the scrub turkey scratching in the veggie patch!

I was so angry to see him (has to be a male!) so determined to destroy my hard labour.

I rushed outside and clapped my hands... No reaction. I grabbed a rock and threw it at him (but I am a bad thrower and aimer to say the least). He just looked at me and went on! So I charged down the slope , hobbling with my leg,  waving my arms in the air and clapping my hands. (That must have been a sight!  It would have scared me...!)

He just moved away and looked again. I proceeded to cover the potato plant again. Looking up I saw he was coming towards me. My first thought was "Has anybody been attacked by a scrub turkey before?"  So I yelled again, "What part of go away don't you understand, you stupid bird". He was still coming up for me…

Scary...!

 I was just starting to get flash backs of my life and getting apprehensive of what this monster turkey could do to me, when he suddenly started running away and I realized that Flicka was coming full speed ahead, charging at him and chasing him until he flew over the neighbour's fence. Gooood Flicka!  Get him!           

 ♫Who let the dog...s out?♫

 Sven did when he was watching the whole scenario from the veranda. Gooood Sven! 

Flicka resting after the big chase

The turkey has now been named "Digger".

"Digger"

My First Post!!!

I have been toying with the idea of creating a blog for a while...
I'm feeling reasonably happy with the look and layout of it for now. But no doubt I will learn more as things progress and the look of it might change. So please be patient with me. ;)
This blog will be mixed with "remembering" improvements we've made, with before and after pictures and current happenings.
This is for our family and friends both overseas and home who have been asking us for pictures and news.
I hope it isn't too confusing, and  I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.

"Old Benny" The slow combustion stove

Yet again, today was cold and very windy. We thought winter had gone away a couple of weeks ago as the weather was getting a bit warmer.  But the cold has crept up on us again in the last week.  We are so grateful to have a slow combustion stove…

But, I remember when I first saw it, my reaction was "it has to go". It looked old, dirty, unattractive and useless to me, as it didn't even have a chimney connected!

Little did I know that it would come handy winter time. 

"Old Benny"

But when Sven stood his ground and said he would  fix and connect it, I gave it a good scrub and it looked much better!

Towards  the end of April, after surfing the net for information and manuals on "Everhot Deluxe 204", as the writing next to the controls were all erased (it is old and must have been well used...), and after Sven connected the chimney, we had our first fire and everything worked properly.

Chimney connected to stove

Chimney ready

Fire going...

Chimney working!

I even cooked Swedish meatballs on it that night, and they tasted better than cooked on a gas or electric stove

Swedish meatballs in the making

 Sven also reconnected the hot water system to it and we've had free hot water ever since. That is a huge money saving as electricity has gone up recently.

Fire-wood doesn't cost anything and is supplied to us by the farmer's hand Ian, who has become a good friend.

Sven cuts it to size with the chain saw, splits it with Ben's axe, which was left in the shed, (he has "Timber Man" to help him) and stores it in the wood cabinet in the kitchen (so handy, we don't even have to go outside at night!).

Sawing the easy way

"The" axe ready for action

Meet "Timber Man"

That stove has been going on every night from 4.30pm until we go to bed, heating the house, the hot water and cooking the food, which I have to admit I have come to enjoy very much.

We have now a gas stove installed as well for summer time, but I guess I will miss cooking on "Old  Benny".

I have to say "Thanks Sven, for not listening to me".

There is a feeling of cosiness to see the smoking chimney when you come back home and you know that it is warm inside.

It takes me back when I was a child, reading books which had a drawing of a cottage in the snow with a smoking chimney. Not having seen anything like it in real life before , (New Caledonia has a tropical climate), I wished I could have been transported there and then.

My wish has come true, minus the snow, which I don't mind.

How did the stove get named "Old Benny"? We found out the name of the original owners on plans left behind and the stove was drawn on it. His first name was Ben, so we thought it was very appropriate.