Hard work in the heat

The past few weeks progress has been steady - we are battling the heat, fires around the district but getting somewhere non the less.

We and some wonderful rain during the week 25mm or so in my not so scientific gauge. This summer has been particularly hard on plants and the 'garden', with the wild life looking for food. I lost a young Golden Ash to some Kangaroos. Which is a shame, I think we will need to put more protection around the plants when we do replace them during winter. As for the rest of the garden - no more planting until we are able to spend sufficient time and are able to mulch and water.

Making concrete is consuming a fair amount of water when you are also cleaning up as well so we are preying for more rain this week



In this pic you are looking at the veranda for the first 2 rows, then at row 3 we have the house wall, so with row 4 we are well inside the dining room and kitchen/pantry. Our aim is to have 7 rows (13 in total) completed by the March long weekend.

This view is towards the main bedroom were there will be a sliding glass door for access.

Stumps

The last couple of weekends have been busy as usual. The change now is that we can see the fruits of our labour, rather than see it all buried in the ground or disappear in fees, taxes and permits.

Over the Australia day weekend we finished making all of the bearers. This process was to measure and cut then join timbers so that no joint will not be supported by a stump and that the joins were staggered as best as possible. Then drilled so that we can hang a concrete stump from the underside with a bolt.

Some times it is important to remember what this is all for, I took this on the Australia day weekend after we had a visitor - the little fellow who is on our 5 cent coin - wandering through for a snack of ants.

What is surprising is just how brown the country is compared to the photos of only a few weeks ago. We have not been traveling up as this way as much as we do now - so it may be normal. No matter what the change is dramatic. Some good news is that you can see a whole bunch of dead trees on the block next door, well our neighbour visited and has advised they are coming down very soon. This will only make the view so much better.

The plans have this view from the master bedroom and the kitchen, dining area.

So with the bearers completed and stacked.

We are able to concrete them in - we now have 1 row completed, and the second hung ready for concrete next weekend. With the Third row in the trailer ready to go over the range.

The one thing we didn't photograph this weekend were the handful of potatoes from our small vegi garden on the block. Hmm either the beginnings of some self sufficiency or very expensive potatoes. I will choose a beginning.