Blackheath, Blue Mountains declared disaster zone after Cyclone.

Never had I experienced a wind like it with trees bending beyond belief under its will. The sky changed from an apricot morning blaze to a wet and weighty dappled grey. The wind picked up during the day and by evening it whipped and gushed, throwing objects from its path. As Patrick and I sat in our humble home, warm and safe with our wood fire and solar power, others up in the village on the mountain shivered in their beds. No lights, no heating with most heating systems running on electricity. There was a rumour that an old man died of hypothermia after being stranded in his house for three days. This was later refuted, as the old man had apparently survived the trauma.  My mother who lives in Blackheath described the wind as sounding like a freight train going through a tunnel. She relaed a rather humorous story of losing the lighter and having to crawl on her hands and knees out of fright and lack of sight to the kitchen at the other end of the house. In our paddock, corrugated iron thrashed around threatening to slice open livestock. It was terrifying. Two days later I made my way out of the Valley, once the trees had been cleared off the road. India and I drove into Blackheath with our jaws dropped to our knees. The derby was overwhelming and a shock to see. People were missing roofs, there were tress leaning on cars, train lines down, a train crashed at Medlow Bath. Blackheath is overgrown with Radiata Pine which was strewn from arsehole to breakfast along with gigantic branches of eucalypt. The clean up was epic with free wood chip for the community and the opportunity to lend a hand to a neighbour.  

The cyclone occurred around mid-winter, a winter which was also spent slashing and burning off Tea Tree close to the house and clumps that presented as a fire hazard. We've spent many a weekend evening sitting by a campfire under the Milky Way. Our first spring harvest was bountiful, and summer was spent swimming in the dam, entertaining and at times working hard. Given Patrick and I both work jobs, any work on the property has to occur on weekends. We picked up an old caravan from a neighbour only costing us a trip in the tractor which is Patricks next project. We love our vans and already have a 1971 Franklin 12 footer. She has a mural of Betty Page on the side painted by a dear friend of mine. We travelled through outback Queensland in Betty who has been converted into a four wheel drive and is totally sustainable with solar power. India read her first adult novel on that trip and and we all fell in love with the beauty of the outback. I don't think the new caravan will go on the road given she's 18ft long.  

Pic1. Tree down in the village of Blackheath after freak cyclone which majorly damaged many houses and large trees (the town was left for 9 days without power) pic 4. Afternoon in Katoomba before the cyclone. pic 5. Morning before the cyclone. pic 6. One of the latest toys. pic 7. Water tank in vege patch (picked up out of garbage). pic 9. Summer bounty. pic 10. Purple Congo potato mash, potatoes grown by me :) last pic. My daughter India training her horse Shannon.

Prepare for winter

Winter is upon us and being prepared is the order of the day. Around the farm we are making sure we have a substantial woodpile, and the garden needs to be weeded and mulched so it can rest and remain low maintenance. Money needs to be spent on a store of food for the horses. The generator will run more so we need to have a store of diesel.

Because we have limited storage I have to sort through our winter clothes that we’ve kept in the storage container, which means a huge load of washing. Then the summer clothes have to go away. I plan to re-gift clothes in order to downsize clutter, so time for a clothes swap party!

I hate the cold. I hear you say ‘why live in a cold climate then?’ I ask myself the same question and take joy in the fact that moving to the Megalong Valley from Blackheath meant moving to a warmer climate of about 5 degrees. In the 10 odd years I’ve been in the Blue Mountains I’ve struggled in wintertime with my mental health. I go bat shit crazy with cabin fever. In recent times I’ve learnt to keep myself busy with work and hobbies and have downtime in summer. Patrick runs a business so he’s always busy. In winter he builds out in the cold and blistery weather on roofs, up ladders and under floorboards. I don’t know how he does it.

We also try to get away to a warmer climate in winter, even if it’s just for a few days. Being able to thaw out midwinter makes a huge difference in one’s ability to cope with the long season. In the Mountains it can be cold and windy as late as November.  Wearing good quality winter clothing such as wool thermals, jumpers, and socks is good practice. Wool thermals are great as they absorb body odour, so you can wear a garment for a number of days. This also means that you don’t have to buy as many items, which makes them good bang for buck. And of course wool is natural which is fabulous. 

The changing of seasons

October 2011 - The bone cold of winter should have well passed but the clear and freezing wind swept days over the past week tell another tale. I've been in semi-hibernation along with the garden and the usual bounty of flora and fauna.

I threw my job in as a family worker after 5 years. I was feeling burnt out and was becoming cynical. After giving up work I've had more time to spend on the property. It's much too easy to keep warm in front of the fire and stare out at the view without feeling the need to go anywhere. Too much of a good thing is not a good thing as they say so I have to be mindful of getting out and being social. I've started going to the spa and sauna a few times a week after work. A spa/sauna warms me for the rest of the evening.  It's also reasonably cheap being at the local public pool and it's a great way to meet people. Morning walks are lovely at this time of year and I'm not really into exercising in hot weather so it's perfect for me. I just have to get out of bed which isn't always easy on cold days.

I didn't have much luck with a winter garden this year. In Blackheath, my little vege patch was next to a lovely warm brick wall and was protected from the frost. Although a colder climate, the protection made a big difference to the warmth of the soil. I'm sure once my garden is more established and I've learnt a little more about the climate and what grows better here this will change.

I've spent the last month preparing the soil for spring planting. I've built it up with horse poo, readily found on the property given we have three pooing machines. I've also used leaf litter, blood and bone and a little lime. It's possible to over fertilise a garden. The garden may be able to cope with this, but the surrounding native environment won't cope if there is run-off, especially given most of our native plants in Australia thrive in acidic soils. The top soil is shallow and loamy on the property so we've had to build up the beds.

We have water issues as there is no way to catch it a present. We've been buying water from the local water carrier who gets it from a gigantic tank further up the hill. We only pay for the cartage which is cheap so water hasn't been a priority. However inevitably the issue will have to be dealt with. One of Pat's next projects is to install the guttering around the house so we can have another tank. He's also recently put a pump on the dam and filled a portable water tank which sits on an old trailer. This system will be handy for watering the garden in summer. Thanks Pat :)



I

Mid Winter and counting the short days!

We've been so busy since moving in at Easter, and now ironing out the daily bits and pieces on the farm in the dead of winter has become a major chore. The crunch came and I gave up my job last week. Even though I was only working three days a week, the emotional stress of working with kids at risk of abuse became extremely taxing. So I've upped my study load and have taken to the gardening tools. Poor but happy!

March is marching on!

It's almost March and I'm left thinking where the hell has the year gone like I do every time, at this time of year. We are planning to be finished and be moving in to the house on the Easter weekend. Somehow I doubt if this will happen but it won't be due to lack of trying, and it won't be far off. Money has been the biggest barrier to us forging ahead with the building. I can't even begin to imagine what it would have cost if we hadn't used recycled materials and had a skilled builder on hand.

There are certain things that have to be purchased which are unavoidable. We are choosing to use gyprock walls inside for a start. Of course if we used rammed earth or something like that, we could use natural materials on the property. Rammed earth being very labour intensive, we then would be looking at moving in at the end of this year. Wiring is another thing which you can't skimp on, paint, internal and external carpentry etc.

We are also using professional trades people to do some of the work which costs money. We had the plumber in on the weekend, so that's another box ticked. We have another licenced carpenter working on Saturdays as an extra pair of hands. The painter has also started. Patrick did all the electrics on his own. There are things that I'm able to give a hand with more so than before. On the weekend, I cleaned up the site which made a big difference. I also washed windows and door frames for the painter to start on. The garden is at a stage where I just need to maintain what I have.
Next we need to insulate, and then the gyprock will go on. This usually means that the job is 3/4 of the way through. But we will move in before the exterior is finished so we are very close. Once there, we will do the external painting, paving, landscape etc.

We realised in a little planning meeting last night, that the house fence will have to be erected before we arrive, as we have two dogs. This is a cost that we hadn't counted on just yet. I knew that there would be something we hadn't thought through well... We probably won't be able to get away with no less than $7000 for a fence. Another $7000 we have to find.
On a lighter note, the place is looking great and we have our energy back around it all. Now we're just hell bent on getting in there.

The Garden:
The kangaroo's are eating my corn and raspberries! Spraying  a little round up around the boarder of the beds has been a good decision labour intensive wise as the grass was getting wy out of hand very quickly. It also meant that I've been able to reshape the beds without much work. I made them curvy and they look much prettier. The garden now looks like a garden instead of a vege patch. I currently have in strawberries, tomato, fennel, parsley, chives, calandular, comfrey, raspberries, corn, bush beans, broad beans, a variety of picking lettuce, celery, spinach, bulbs, a selection of flowers to keep bugs away, and roses.
Soon I plan to start taking surplus crop to the Food Co-op to sell as local produce.
I've put wood shavings on the pathways as a start to building up organic material. It's nice to walk on and keeps the weeds down. I got the wood shavings from the local carpentry factory.

TIPS:
I've just harvested two huge tubs of potato's. Broad Beans, or any kind of bean are good to plant after potato's (in the same bed), as they fix the nitrogen in the soil.  I've given lots of potato's away, and my mum is in the kitchen as we speak cutting and blanching the rest for freezing. You can also store them in straw (in a crate for example) in a dark, well ventilated area for 6 months.
Small variety tomatoes are best to grow, as they don't seem to get diseases like the bigger ones. October (East Coast Australia) is the time of year for putting in tomato bushes. If you live in a colder climate like the Upper Blue Mountains, there is no harm in putting them in a month earlier. This gives them a little more time to ripen. Two bushes are ample for a small family. I had one cherry tomato bush this year and we were pulling two punnets a week off it. We eat lots of tomatoes, so we could have done with one more. If you want to cook with them and make chutneys etc then more bushes would be needed.
I invested in a number of cheap wire wastepaper bins ($2.50). These are great for keeping bugs off baby plants or things like lettuces. I also hope that they might keep the frost away in winter.  Get the ones with the wire bottoms as well as sides. Every time I do my shopping I purchase a few more. 

Work, weeds and working bee's.

I have to admit that it's been tough getting back into the swing of things since returning from India. I feel like we have been chasing our tails a bit, and perhaps lost a bit of energy around the property. But it's good to recognise this and evaluate the situation.

First, we still have a few financial glitches which should be worked out soon. The gyprock should be ordered by the end of next week and will be installed in a couple of weeks.

My mother is moving to the Mountains from Mudgee which we are all looking forward to, but this is going to take a bit of work and timing, both which takes energy away from the project.

I did a half day workshop on Permaculture Design with Victoria Walker a few weekends ago, which was interesting and gave me some food for thought.

We have a few largish bushes of Blackberry which have emerged right before our very eyes. So I asked a few locals how they deal with Blackberry who recommended the easiest way is to spray the whole bush with a herbicide called Grazon. I've always been told that it's better to cut and paste Blackberry so I was a little reluctant to spray.  A gardening guru and very generous friend of mine Mat offered to come and do the job - yippee!!!!!

On the weekend we had planned to have a little camping party with some mutual friends which has now turned into a Sunday working bee. We will do weeds, collect manure, rocks and timber for about two hours. This should equal about 12 hours work!

Happy faces, India 2010 by Fiona MacFarlane

North India Nov 2010, Impressions by Fiona MacFarlane.

Back into the fray!

Home for three weeks now and just starting to settle back into a routine. Pat and I had a hectic weekend of catching up with friends, too many wines and late nights. The property, now nicknamed 'Hollywood' is coming along slowly but surely. This time of year is great for getting out and doing some work in the garden or on the house however, it's also the time of year when everyone wants to have a bbq, or there's some kind of interesting festival or party on. Being the lush that I am, it's difficult to say no to a party op. So I'm currently attempting to juggle our social calendar with the Hollywood 'work' calender.

We've discovered that the dam is perfect for swimming. It's muddy, but clear of debris. It's a perfect size for doing laps in or throwing yourself in after bushwalk or work in the garden.

The house is starting to look great. The double french doors we scored from the previous owner for a song are in place, and the house looks like it's been there for years.
Pat has been going through all his bits and pieces in the garage which he's been collecting for years. We have all the trimmings, door nobs, locks, screws, hooks, rails, lights and fittings. The old windows look great, and we also have some pavers donated from friends for the patio area. Thousands of dollars and landfill saved by collecting and scavenging, and I'm now feeling good about the 'junk' that has littered my backyard for what seems a lifetime. We also have a huge water heater that sits on the roof and is heated by the fireplace. In fact, we have so many water heaters, we could heat water for  a whole village! The house will eventually look very eclectic and I can't wait to see it finished! Still looking at the end of March.

I've stopped building my garden for the time being. It's just big enough to manage with a few short sessions a week. I've been collecting seeds and plants from friends and buying some trees. A temporary fence is up to stop the horses from eating it. I think the kangaroos can just jump right over but they haven't yet attempted. We're adjusting two beautiful horses for the previous owner of the property. The horses are mother and daughter and named Jasmin and Chance.  With lots of horse poo to collect I now have another ingredient to add to my layered garden.

Gardening tip:
If you want good soil for vege's, continuously build it up with manure, straw and compost. Make sure you don't throw fresh manure directly on plants as it will burn them. The best way is to prepare soil with manure between harvests and leave for a week before planting next. The dryer the manure the better. It's okay to put manure around established plants, but keep away from the roots. Root veges don't really like nutrient-rich soil, so keep this in mind when using manure or other plant food. It makes them leafy and the root (which is what you're eating) small.

Horses poo often has seeds in it but if you don't have a weedy paddock this isn't a problem. Otherwise it's better to use cow poo, unless your willing to pick the weeds out as they grow which I'm happy to do.

Glad to be back in Aus

India Impressions #3

The boy who runs the cafe two doors up is Mohammad Quinni, Quinni is what he is called. Quinni visits us after work to play cards and practice his English. He has very little English words and we are all amazed at how much we can communicate anyhow, even though it can be a little frustrating at times. He has taught us how to play a very intricate version of Gin Rummy with hardly any language. Cards and whiskey are both national pass times in India in their own right. So as we sit  and struggle with the language and cards, Pat and I indulge in the latter as Quinni sips on water, he doesn't drink. But judging from his manner and his eye's,  I feel he may indulge in other pleasures.
On Sunday a little boy drowned in the surf at 6 in the evening on Cherai Beach just across from our pad. It doesn't surprise me. The water was crowded with many (mainly men) of which who didn't look completely confident. Many people visit here from the North and it is, in most cases the first time they have even seen a beach. The atmosphere was very festive with children flying kites (another popular pass time). There were men pushing trolleys selling chai wandering up and down the beach. Honeymoon couples shyly walked hand in hand,  taking photos of each other with the setting sun in the background. Families romped in the surf, the women furnished in their full saris. A sad ending to the day, knowing that a little life drifted off in amongst all those joyful faces, unnoticed.

Rajasthan
While the dogs rule the streets of Delhi, many other stray animals appear as we travel deeper into Rajasthan. Cow and pigs also now dominate the surrounds of the villages and towns. The cows love hanging around on the road. Sometimes on herds of five to ten. They give you that stupid cow look when the horn is blasted at them to move on. The cows were made Gods thousands of years ago, apparently to avoid them becoming extinct. Now they behave like Gods. I wonder if they know how much they are loved and revered by the people? I think so. In Pushkar we came across a sick cow. It had decided to plonk itself in front of the gate of a house. The woman was beside herself. Nobody could move it and it couldn't get up. She lit a fire to keep it warm and gave it food and sat there patting it and praying for hours. Finally the stray cow rescue team came. They couldn't do anything with it as it's horns were painted which meant it wasn't a stray but was owned by someone. Pat told them he thought she might be having a calf. They considered this and thought he might be right. Anyway the cow was gone in the morning so they must have decided to take her anyway.
More on the strays later.

India, Impression #2

We are currently in Kerala on Vypeen Island, Cherai Beach. We landed ourselves a 2 bedroom bungalow for $70 a day including breakfast. We are right across from a vast stretch of beach with fishing village huts on either side of us. There is a restaurant two doors up where the manager keeps cold beer for us to quench our thirst in the afternoon heat. He has also offered us his 'finest Kerelan Gunga', mind you it was 7 in the morning... I was wondering why it was taking so long to get our toast???.... But seriously, the boys that run the place and who also take care of the bungalow are very nice and are bending over backwards to make us feel welcome.
We have hired bicycles for $1 each for the day. So the next ten days will be filled with walks, swimming, bike riding, massage, cards, chess, lounging around, eating, reading and getting to know the very friendly locals. Pat got himself a sarong and is looking very sexy in it mind you!
AGRA - North India
Don't ever let anyone tell you the the Taj Mahal is overrated. As I walked through the gates in front of the building I was virtually brought to tears. This magnificent, perfectly symmetrical building was built as a monument to the wife of a prince, after she died, who gave him many children. Hence, why it is the symbol of love for Indians across the country. If you come to India it is a must to come here. Agra was where we first discovered that it is wedding season in India. We ate on the rooftop of our hotel for the one night we were here, and watched fireworks exploding around us as part of the festivities. This was to become a nightly event wherever we travelled. Being a Hindu practice, we have not witness this as much in Kerala, which is predominantly Christian.

India, Impressions

Finally I get to write! Finding an internet connection that isn't painfully slow, times out, or connects at all, is somewhat difficult. Plus my mind has not been in a state to collect my thoughts. I feel like I have Attention Deficit Disorder. The upside of that is that I've had absolutely no time to think about the stressors at home, so I must be in holiday mode.
When I look at my travel journal, it presents as a frenzied, fragmented collection of impressions, like a reflection of the country I'm travelling in.
I'm currently writing on paper before I put this into cyber space. I'm sitting in one of Fort Cochin's (Kerala) oldest landmarks. A mansion designed by Satu Koder - Jewish Freemason, aka - philanthropist, business man, historian, writer, legislator, socalite, Rotorian, counselor, humanist... Busy little boy huh? Actually he's dead now, and his daughter Queenie, is one of the last remaining Jews in the area. She is warden of the infamous Synagogue in Jew Town, just across the way.
We have been in Fort Cochin for 5 days now and hanging with our friend from Aus, Linda.
Patrick, India and myself are feeling a little deflated after the whirlwind tour of Nth India which we completed just before we arrived here. Nth India was a stunning experience, and one that I won't forget in a hurry.
So far, Sth India has been more touristy and could pass for any tropical Asian destination. I shouldn't compare the two really. They say that you either fall in love with the North or the South, and I have fallen head over heels for the former. In the North we visited remote places where the people are fascinated by the colour of your skin. I didn't think that still happened in this ever shrinking world we live in.
Delhi
Delhi is falling down. Since the 1950's when the British and the Muslims moved out, nothing seems to have been maintained. Our guide tells us this is because the Muslims owned all the buildings and still do. The current occupants pay rent and have the capacity to apply for ownership after 25 years, however this is a lengthy and costly process, so nobody bothers. Why maintain something you don't own? The traffic in Delhi has to be seen to be believed, and often you find yourself part of it, as the footpaths are filthy or crumbled and more dangerous to walk on than the road. A few of the locals we have talked to say that it was cleaned up for the Games. My mind boggles to think what it was like beforehand. But despite the crumbling city, life thrives within it. The place bustles with the kind of excitement that  you see in storybooks. There is a crazy amount of stray dogs here. India has photographed about 100 of them. They are not as scary as what people make out (ie: rapid, agressive and painfully thin), allthough some are. They even have a function in the whole picture. They keep the rubbish under control as do a number of people who search for recycled material in the muck.
Pat celebrated his 40th birthday on the second night and the guide organised a cake - sweet.
More soon plus hopefully poto's  x

India for six weeks

Hey there! Going to change gears now and take the focus off the property. We are off to India tomorrow afternoon for 6 weeks. What a great opportunity to do a little travel blogging! There have been lots of jokes bantered around about responses of Indians when India (daughter) tells them her name. She’s decided to use her middle name ‘Jade’ if it becomes too confusing.

None of us have been before, so I decided to take advantage of the great 'off the beaten track' type tours on offer these days, as a soft entry point, especially for the 13y/o member of the family. Below is the itinerary. 

http://www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/HHSC

Fee's rant about sustainability

What does it mean to be sustainable? Does this mean that one has to be extreme? Or green as they say? When I hear the word green these days, I just want to run away and hide. As a famous frog once said “It’s not easy been green”. He was right. Plus, the notion of green has been bantered around so much, it’s almost become redundant. Anyhow, in today’s world we are faced with a barrage of media, telling us how to act and what to think, what we need and want. It’s hard to stay conscious all of the time, especially when our lives are so busy.

What do I mean by staying conscious anyway?

For me, conscious means remaining alert to the ebb and flow of societies politics, belief systems, practices, moods, our own bodies and energy levels, whatever it may be, which affect the planet and our own health and happiness collectively and individually – wow, that sounds like hard work!

The media is a great example of where we might loose our consciousness. If you watch the news twice a day for a week, you might find yourself feeling a little down and overwhelmed.  The fact is that the news isn’t really a true picture of the state of the world. It reports catastrophe and horror. The picture is skewed. In countries such as China, Burma, Iran for example, the government know this fact and use it to their advantage. It’s called propaganda. We are all fed propaganda through the media, being conscious is being aware that you can make choices about what to listen to, what to take on and what to dismiss.

Being conscious is about questioning and making informed choices. Sometimes this is hard to do, when your tired and bombarded with information. A great example of what I think is a social expectation, projected by the media, is the distressing amount of people who feel they need to purchase a new overpriced and unaffordable car. We are told that the car is a status symbol. So people go out get themselves into terrible debt through borrowing money for a car that they can’t afford. A consumer society as they say. There are so many things we think we need. Pat and I see this when we go to our favorite camping spot every Xmas. The same families come with all the mod cons, that’s fine, but new ones every year! Brand new boats, fishing gear, stoves, tents, campervans….. Their credit cards must get a good workout! They have to work harder to afford it all, they spend less time with their kids because they are working or tired from working to pay off their debts. Then all the stuff they have purchased sits in the garage because they don’t have time to use it. Of course I’m making huge generalisations here, but I’m just trying to paint a bit of a picture.

Being sustainable is about knowing what our needs really are (individually, collectively and environmentally), and understanding the impact of the external social, cultural and economic pressures which are placed on us, and how these affect our decisions.

I can hear you all saying out there, ‘yeah I know this, and it’s obvious’. But when was the last time you went a week without your daily TV fix? I get really surprised when I talk to groups of women in my work who say they hardly ever sit at the table with their family and eat a meal. Doing stuff like this is the demonstration of a thought process ending in a change of habit, which enhances the quality of one’s life.

‘Bloody greenie’ I hear you say, ‘easy for her to say..’, but it’s not. I get it wrong all the time. We have weeks of no TV, but it’s not off at other times (this will change again once we are on the farm, as there will be very little electricity). If I’m not on the ball every day when I get home from work, my daughter sits on the computer playing endless virtual games where she buys virtual horses with virtual money and feeds them virtual food! The last thing I want to do when I get home from work is be on the ball! What I really want to do is pour myself a rather large scotch and soak in the bath with the bathroom door locked. Not a bad option, and often executed with great joy I might add.

However, we do eat together and I couldn’t imagine life without this practice.  This is the time when our family unit connects. Connection is a great example of sustainable practice. It sustains our family, because we get an opportunity to show interest in each other and feel validated (very important for children especially). Feeling validated is an essential ingredient for good mental health, and it needs to happen on a daily basis for us to sustain our sense of self or identity. For us, if we don’t sit down at least once a day we feel disconnected, like ships in the night.

You don’t have to be an extremist to make sustainable changes in your life. Just make changes where you can. One little change is better than none. Having a sustainable lifestyle isn’t just about the environment. It’s about being in relationship with others and ourselves. It’s about enjoying our work and play, creating opportunities to be social and entertaining ourselves in a way that doesn’t cost the world. Or even, learning the art of relaxation, god forbid!

We need to start thinking about how we spend out time and how we use or conserve our energy. Please note, when I talk about energy (in the general sense) I mean our physical and mental resources, money, elements such as water, wind or energy, food, or resources such as oil, gas, timber etc. These are all examples of energy.

A guy said to me the other day, ‘My 7 year old son is moving to the south coast. It’s a great opportunity for him, there’s nothing to do in the Mountains’. I was gob smacked!  He’s 7 for goodness sake! Take him for a bushwalk, there are hundreds of them! Take him to the park with a soccer ball and kick it around (the soccer ball not the boy)! Plant a tree and teach him about how things grow? I know that this father’s idea of entertaining his child usually involves spending money. In fact, how much money is spent is used as a measuring stick for the level of quality and success of an activity, something that doesn’t always add up mind you. This is not an unusual story. Oh dear I could go on and on! In fact I think I did, poor man… Poor man….

I think they should bring back Norm. Remember him? Life be in it!


PS> I'm very aware that not everyone has the capacity to sit down to dinner with their families on a regular basis for whatever reason. Our busy lives get in the way of many things, which are good for us. It's just an example of what my family does. There are lots of ways to connect. It's a matter of finding out what works for you. xo

Guest Blogger Miss Victoria Walker ;)

hi all!
i am the friend of fiona's who is very into permaculture, land use design etc etc but i deeply refute the use of the word 'guru'. that is a VERY premature label for me... i am fairly new to all this but have a real affinity for it as well as Certificates II, III and IV in Horticulture and many years of experience in the field.
but she wanted me to comment occasionally on her blog and the practises being used etc
SO the first thing i must do is give her a wrist - slapping about her lack of cohesion in the approach to design from the outset.
the circumstances of the trip away and self imposed time limitations obviously made fee and pat feel a pressure of ''getting set up'' in a limited amount of time, which is a recipe for disaster i think, if they are hoping to set up ''permanent'' elements of their design. Also not living on the land yet means they havent had time to gather the information required to make smart decisions about how to do it. Neither have they had the time and calmness of mind to really think about WHAT they want to get out of their land, and HOW all these elements are going to combine and lean on each other. only then can one start to consider WHERE these elements will be located to achieve the desired outcomes!! 
my favourite of the permaculture principles is the humble first: OBSERVE AND INTERACT.
some recommend that a person can occupy a piece of land for a year or more before they make any decisions. although frustratingly slow, i consider this fine advice
i think my first recommendation would be to these guys....SLOW the f**k down when it comes to planning!! putting in a usable vege garden is a fine idea (may i note that fee is a very talented vege grower, among other consumables), but it may have to be moved when your more permanent design comes into fruition.
concentrate on the house first and your water systems and broad scale plans before garden design. at all times LOOK around you and NOTICE as much as you can. this takes some training but developing an ECO LITERACY (one of my favourite terms) is an important step to designing in response to your land. which brings me to another important design concept: DESIGN FROM PATTERNS TO DETAILS. 
okay i will stop there for now but i want to say that after all that criticism that pat and fee are to be greatly admired for this massive venture, and that they both have much diverse skill and clarity of heart to nudge them along the path. also they are open to input from any area which might offer useful knowledge and that is a fine attitude i think.
victoria walker, signing off!!!  

The dinosaurs come to dinner

Megalong Family Fun Day

Connecting with Community

Yesterday the family went to the Megalong family Fun Day. It was a great opportunity to connect with some of our new neighbours. It can be scary when moving into a new community as there is always a clicky element. However everyone seemed friendly enough. It also helped getting involved in the day and participating in the games, although somewhat embarrassing given I can't run very fast.  India won a few ribbons and the Megalong Cup. The Cup involved running around the showground twice with a toy horse between your legs. As she crossed the line her horses head fell off which was rather funny. She still got the cup which is now proudly sitting on top of the fridge.

20 days until we go to India. We've really slowed down the work on the property. Last weekend we had a complete sabbatical. I had a birthday luncheon at Mt Victoria pub with a group of friends. We'd planned to ride bicycles from Blackheath along the railway line as the view is gorgeous looking over the Kanimbla Valley, but unfortunately the whether didn't permit. In saying that, overall, spring in Blackheath is absolutely spectacular. Everything is in bloom and the array of color is unbelievable. Over the last few days the cherry blossoms have been falling. The effect is like pink fluffy snow. I will be sad to leave the village. Our neighbourhood is really cool. Everyone here is friendly and the surrounds peaceful and picturesque. We live so close to town it's almost too convenient. I'll miss that. But believe it or not we have a cafe in the Megalong only 5 minutes walk from our front gate, so at least I can get my daily coffee fix.

Apart from not having much time left for major garden projects I've just been maintaining what I've already planted. The kangaroos discovered my raspberries and a few other tasty things, so my mantra "ask them not to eat the garden and they will stay away" hasnt' really worked. I have a few bugs eating my apple tress as well, and a mould problem with a rose bush. Other than that everything still looks very healthy and is thriving. I am really learning the importance of being patient and planning. I'm very concerned that my baby trees won't survive the hot weather while we are in India and I probably should have waitied to plant trees when I got back. I'm getting together a roster of waterer's made up of people who have offered to help. I'm also thinking about putting in a cheap, primitive watering system on a timer which waters for ten minutes in the evening, just to keep things alive. We will see how much time we have left. The list of things to do before getting on the plane is steadily growing.

So back to garden talk, I'm beginning to think that my willy nilly planning attitude towards the garden may have been a little hasty. Pat and I have decided to put in a greywater filter system using reedbeds. This will function as a water recycling system, aquaculture and will look fantastic if we can pull it off. I will probably have to move some of the existing beds. Moving a bed or two isn't a big deal really and this is also why I'm not yet fencing the vege patch yet (too keep the fury animals out). While I'm away I'll have to think about my overall design a little more carefully. Patrick is becoming increasingly more interested in the garden and permaculture design in general. This is a great thing because it means that we are more than ever, sharing the same vision. On our return next year I'll have to do a bit of study in this area. There are plenty of opportunities in The Blue Mountains. I've been reading Rosemary Morrows book 'Earth Users Guide to Permaculture' 2nd Ed. Very useful and written with local knowledge of climate.

Trash in the creek

When we first discovered this mess, we were overwhelmed thinking about how we were going to deal with it. Now it doesn't seem so bad. If nothing else, it's become a habitat for creatures. We will eventually clear it out, but slowley, giving time for animals to move on and find another home. At this point I've removed some corrugated iron to the side to be used for a chook shed. I'm super aware of snakes at the moment, so reluctant to dig around too much. Most of the trash is recyclable. I'm also removing glass if i see it to make the area a little safer.
Next winter we will have a working bee for trash removal (too snaky at the moment). If you are interested to be involved let me know.

I've asked a friend to be regular guest blogger. She is a permaculture guru and a wealth of knowledge. I hope to have a post from her soon for your viewing pleasure. I am also yet to get Pat to commit to sharing a little of his knowledge on here with regards to building. I'll keep pushing for that one.