are right next to where I am parked, here in Hillgrove. The sound of the bees in the Hawthorn is very loud. There must be loads of them! That’s nice to see isn’t it? There’s not much here yet but what there is is attracting some wildlife. There are King Parrots and Black Cockatoos in the nearby trees and a few demanding, noisy young Magpies. Tiny birds nest in the Hawthorn too. They are not at all worried by me being here. Even the rabbits and hares are useful, they dig holes which I enlarge to plant in - making sure it’s not a burrow of course! So far this visit I have planted out several Rosella bushes and have also planted a Tagatasse (tree lucerne) next to each of the oaks for company and for the nitrogen they produce. I’ve sprinkled various seeds around each treeling and shrubling. Maybe the strength of the flowers will protect the little trees. Alas one of the Pear trees has died and 3 of the baby oaks I transplanted. Most others have been ‘taste tested’ but are still alive. The poor Lemon tree has been well nibbled. I need a spray bottle with some chilli mix to spray the vulnerable plants. That should deter the rabbits from nibbling. They can have the grass...that was the deal! This land and climate are very different to anything I have grown on before. Perhaps Nanango in Qld is the closest - land type and climate - and things grew really well there with some good mulch and tons of vermicast. That reminds me, I must feed the worms. I’ll collect more bricks, while I’m here, for another row or two in front of the tank stand - it will be the outdoor shower area soon. It looks quite nice I think. Maybe I’ll get some sand to fill all the little spaces. That would work I think. Ok, that’s two more rows of broken bricks collected, some about 100 years old. There are not many whole bricks, they’ve been snaffled from this block a long time ago, but the broken bits look ok to me. I'll make some kind of screen for a bit of privacy, maybe woven vines of some sort, maybe a timber frame with more of the corrugated iron - mixed media of some kind you can be sure. It's all about the art!! I see on the photo that the bricks slope down a bit from the shack wall. I bet that turns out to be a good thing! If not, not hard to adjust - they are not cemented in. I still whittle and carve spoons and find find being here in Hillgrove the most conducive…it just seems the perfect thing to do, between other jobs, when living in a super quiet space without (by choice) internet for a few days. My spoon collection grows and decreases depending on who I see and which spoon they seem to really like. That spoon becomes theirs. I do hope they use them. Unfortunately, due to the thick smoke and wind on my block on and off this month, nothing has happened on my ‘camp shelter’ since the erection of the tank stand and the delivery of the tank. La Shack is still only 2/3 finished but everything is close by to finish it. Maybe next week! At least when there is a shower of rain, some water is actually collected in the tank. Gotta be Happy with that! I’m using the time to clarify what I actually want in the shack. In a small space you still have to think of space, even the tiniest living space need to have a sense of roominess somewhere. If I put too many things in it, it’s just going to look like a backyard garden shed and I don't want that. Hillgrove Museum is closed at the moment so here's a few photos of what you are not able to see right now. A few 'trucks in the paddock' pics too. What else has happened? Well, fires of course. They are still burning all over NSW, at times they have been pretty close to wherever I am, at times I’ve been surrounded. Coming here on the 13th, I drove about 15klm along the Grafton Road (towards Armidale) with burnt land and trees on either side of the road. It’s been a hard couple of months and, for many, great tragedy and loss. Fuel for many a discussion by all. For quite a lot of this month I've been parked in Dorrigo so here's a few photos from there. And finally Here’s a little recipe for every vanlifer (and others :) Easy, inexpensive and nutritious FALAFELS
Throw the whole lot into a processor or chop and mash everything. Make little balls, flatten slightly and deep fry a minute or two on both sides. Lovely with a garlic/parsley/yogurt dip and salad. Until next time……Love and Magic Clare - in The Mouse House x
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