One Whole Week

Yesterday was Sunday and we have been here one whole week! Seems longer as we have been busy and have accomplished such a lot.
Today we sheeted the roof, well 3/4 of it, but we didn't have quite enough in our 'tin stash'.
Not to be put off we began installing the walls.
Now what do you think we are going to use for the walls? Being scroungers, hoarders, pack rats and tip shop-a-holics we have squirreled away aaaaall sorts of useful 'stuff'. In this case a whole block of reject toughened door panels! - been in the shed for 3 years.

So our you-beaut annexe will have glass walls.


 Sorry no photos - ran out of battery for camera and trying to charge them on three hours per night don't work .Another trip to Bundy tomorrow for some roofing iron and other things to finish the job. Oh and batteries

Construction Begins

Went to the market in Gin Gin this morning. Lots of fresh fruit and vegies, organic free-range eggs, plants, old wares, second hand books, hand made soap, big boxes of sweet fat strawberries. Had to watch myself as the fridge space is limited.

Then the construction began. The annexe will be 4m x 4m with a tin roof. Laid a large tarp on the ground to keep the water out.

Assembling the wall frames.
Standing the wall frames up.

Tomorrow we start on the roof.

Tried my hand a cooking a roast on the 'hot water service' Think I had it on tooo long - a little dark and dry, but we ate it with gusto anyway.

The small generator we use for lights and the radio at night began playing up - started burning out light bulbs. We use incandescent bulbs because they are not so sensitive to the vagueries of generators so blowing them meant we had to use compact fluros. When Jim checked it was putting out 300 volts eeeek! so will have to use the big noise 5kva generator and find a loooooooong extension chord so we can move it as far away as possible!

Nest Building

We are moving the caravan out of the shed and will build a you-beaut shed beside it.
Had to cut down a large Angophora (gum tree to you) and level the area.

Moved the caravan into position, then . . .

  took the car trailer and went to Bunnings in Bundaberg for timber to build the frames and the roof.
When we came back, removed the panel on the fridge and gave it a good clean and tried again. Success! Will now be able to store meat in the little freezer compartment. In fact I don't think the fridge has ever run so well.
Off to the fresh market in Gin Gin tomorrow then start to assemble the timber frames.

Uppers and Downers

Another dawn start. Made a cuppa, lit the fire (sorry hot water service) and sat enjoying the morning, then took the dogs for a walk, which they loved.
Unloaded the rest of the trailer and set up our PROPPER bed. Oh Joy - no more stones and touching the ground when the mattress deflates just enough.
Organised our 'lounge' with some side tables (boxes) and some lamps.
After lunch we went to collect the little pot-belly heater. Again spent about an hour chatting and came away with a gas heater as a free-bee as well.
The gas fridge in the caravan is not working which presents a problem. When we move some more 'stuff' will remove the cover panel and give it a good clean. Hopefully that will do the trick.
I was delighted to find a 'sweet spot' for the mobile broadband connection. Now the only thing stopping me is limited battery life!
Turned rather cold tonight so have 4 blankies on the bed plus the woolen doona. The only problem with this combination is, when you get into bed ya can't move cos the weight holds ya down! - not to mention 2 kelpies in the bed on the 3rd cackle of the kookaburras first thing in the morning
 
 

Day One Ground Zero

Neither of us slept well. 
The tension and exhaustion of the last few weeks, the uncertainty, wondering if we had made the right decision. Plus the caravan bed was too small, hard and we were too hot under the woollen doona so we were up at first light.

 

The first thing was to settle the birds into their new homes. The 2 kookaburras and the magpies went into the aviary with the tawnies. They hoed into breakfast and explored their new cage.

We had to assemble the cage for the corellas and cockatoos. It is a little on the small size, but they will have to put up with it until we collect the 2 large avairies from Helensvale.

 

                               

Fred, Cackycockie and Cackatoo went into small cages.

The bobcat was delivered and we were introduced to country folks favourite past-time - having a chat. After well over an hour I had to break it off as we had plenty to do and we were starving.

After breakfast we turned our attention to unloading the couch and blowing up our camp bed in the shed.

 

  

This is our hot water service. Finding timber is NOT a problem.

 

This is our self cleaning expansive bathroom. The container to the right has water. A bucket, a pot a cake of soap and we can wash away the brown dust!

After all this activity, we were more than ready for bed by 9pm.

(Mental Note remove stones before laying down an inflatable bed!)

Tomorrow we will get our REAL bed off the trailer!

Decisions and Departures

We always intended to move to our block in then bush when we retired.
We imagined that we would have sold the house in Helensvale and would be able to start building our new house immediately. However, fate had different plans for us.
For 6 months it was like living in molasses. Waiting, waiting, waiting while the legal situation evolved and solicitors negotiated back and forwards. In the end we had to make the descision to rent the house and go. The situation will resolve itself and there was nothing we could do to change or influence it.
We are fortunate that the house is being rented by friends of our daughter and they are lovely people!
So came the packing of 25 years of 'stuff'

Jim made several trips with the trailer well loaded.
On Saturday 21st August, with the final trailer loads in tow on separate vehicles, we left the driveway, headed to the highway and turned north.
I had all the birds on board. For about 3/4 hour on of the cockies screeched, and I had the vision of a very long trip. In the end he settled down. Every so often 'hello cockie' would drift from the rear, followed by ' Hello Freddie Boy.' from the galah.
The trip was uneventful and we turned into our driveway at about 8.30 at night, We fed the dogs, transferred Tawny Frogmouths to the aviary and fed them and gave all the others water,and
crawled into bed.
Tomorrow is the first day of our new life.