starting to move

5.2.2012

BUILDING NEWS

We are getting there. Richard plans to do his last day of internal render work tomorrow and I have only the front entrance and a section of the guest bedroom to grout. Edd has fitted the back door and put the glass in so that we can put an order in to the locksmiths next week. They are supplying and fitting all the external door handles.

Josh has been doing the waterproofing on the parapet wall and chimneys so that we may even be able to get the rest of the earth works done next week too. It is really beginning to look home like. The lime render makes an awful mess so I will be highly relieved when we get through that stage.

OTHER NEWS

Today we had high winds to add to the heat, and fires started all over Victoria. There was even a fire locally at DeBortoli’s restaurant. The emergency services were kept very busy dealing with fallen trees, power cuts as well as the fires but as far as I can make out things are more or less under control.

Our neighbour hood fire tree was put in action with phone calls spreading alarm. I did not worry too much, but just in case,
Edd and I loaded documents and important stuff onto the ute and took it down to the new house for storage. No point being silly. It is a relief to get some of the junk out of here anyway. It is the anniversary of the black Saturday fires in two days time so everyone has been talking fires again. Three years have now passed but many people are still suffering under the effects.

I am actually happy about how everything has panned out. I feel now that I really belong to this land and that the land is at peace with me. For years I felt like a migrant outsider but the fires wiped the last of those notions away. Apart from the Radfords we have now lived in Steels Creek longer than almost anyone else. We were established here when the others moved in so even amongst the people of the valley we have a position of belonging here. It is the feeling with the land though that is most important.

I lay on the grass last night and watched the moon amongst the clouds in the night sky. The air had a a balmy warmth, and for once the grass was soft and inviting. There were no neighbours’ lights to be seen and only the night sounds of frogs and birds disturbed the peace. My big wish is that I can stay on this land as long as possible. It supplies me with food, firewood and an interesting life style and that is all I want.

It was less peaceful this afternoon. Bo came over with a car full of young kids. Their parents were all helping put on vine nets at Erin’s place so Bo brought the kids up for a swim in the pool. It looked like a pile of seething maggots when they all jumped in and wriggled back out of the water. Lovely though, to see kids all enjoying themselves.