...she'll be 65 tomorrow 😊 I'm still living full time in the Mouse House though, parked up and staying isolated like everyone else. Luckily, now I have my brother close by for an interesting conversation face to face. On-line is ok I guess but for us 'singles' it's lovely to have a real person to chat to sometimes. I came back to number 33 last week after spending 3 weeks at 108, the block where there was plenty to do. Self Isolation was good.... For the first two weeks. Then there was a visit from a friend to look forward to and then there was a friend for a night and then.....then there was just me again. I felt a little teary which surprised me. Thinking about perhaps being teary for the next four weeks or more I decided to go back to my parking spot in Dorrigo. A good move! A few photos from 108, lush and green... Ok, so now I'm back here in Dorrigo putting together a snapshot of the past 3 weeks. Where I've been, what I've done on the block. I've been taking little bits of film and photos as things have been happening. On this last trip to my block, now called 108, I took a trip with my lovely visitor to the Big Green Shed in Armidale for essential building supplies - sharing the entire building with about 10 other people. That was eerie but I did manage to get the things I need to continue with the next part of the shack build. I bought more drill bits and other tools. We also came back with a wheelbarrow...in several pieces. Putting that kit together was a laugh, the first attempt, even the second! The final attempt was super speedy and I love that wheelbarrow. So very handy for mixing soils and moving and collecting things. You never know how good a wheelbarrow is until you've lived without one for a while. I was surprised to see in the Big Green Shed that there were no vegetable seedlings or seeds or much else associated with growing food. I was ok, I didn't need anything like that myself but it is good to see that many more people are seeing the importance of growing some food for themselves. There's now a new garden on the east side of Tin Hut. The borders will stop heavy rain runoff from going under the shack so it has a twofold use. I've planted sugar snap peas, veggie seedlings and sweet peas which hopefully will protect the peas from frost - the whole lot is interspersed with Marigolds. I scattered flower seeds all over the block some months ago and now there are flowers everywhere. Swathes of Cosmos are dominating at the moment with their height and brilliant purple and pink daisy like flowers waving in the breeze. The rain last month has really changed the place. So green now and the little treelings are definitely alive and steadily inching up above the grass. To help them out I put cardboard around each one and then mowed down the grass around them so that they can breathe and see the sunshine. There's a mown path meandering from tree to tree and that's lovely for them and me. Plus, I'd be less likely to inadvertently stand on a snake. No, I haven't seen any snakes! The WinnerWell Nomad stove was a winner. I had water on the boil constantly, cooked soups and pasta and even cooked a rhubarb and apple crumble in the little oven that sits on top of the stove. It's pretty good. I'll keep practicing cooking different things in the oven. It may be quite ok for inside Tin Hut even though it's a 'bakers oven' I'd really like to have. Being fully stainless steel it was ok when it rained overnight even though water did manage to drip through from the removable plate. All ok. I did buy the biggest WinnerWell because it's going inside my shack. Tin Hut will have a deck and a grape arbour one day. Inside It will be comfortable and welcoming. I haven't really worked it all out yet as there's still a way to go before starting on the internal decor. I did find, staying on the block for three weeks this time, that I would love a shower that's not a camp shower out in the chilly open, and I would appreciate not having to hand wash my grubby working clothes. The wringing out jeans by hand is not much fun. I have an idea though after listening to a recent Happen Films podcast where it became so obvious that self sufficiency is not really a singular thing, it can happen though as a community thing. So, I am going to see if a neighbour with a washing machine would like me to vacuum her place and do her dishes while my small amount of washing sloshes around in her machine. I'll let you know how that goes. Here is the podcast. 'Community Resilience in a time of Pandemic.' I really enjoyed it and hope you will too. Have a look at the other Happen Films documentaries, I think, especially in these current times of uncertainty, that you will enjoy them too. Never bored... I was so chuffed with myself when I managed to make a good carving block that I 'woo hoo-ed' quite loud when it was finished. This block has made a great difference. My poor paws were suffering from bad posture with a block that was too low. Carpel Tunel Syndrome is no fun at all. I ended up with both wrists in splints for a few days I am still learning but I am getting better at carving spoons. It's a great mindfulness activity. We really do have to take care of ourselves. Who would rush to our aid if we hurt ourselves while alone and isolated? Sometimes I just can't help myself and I carve inside the van too. Still it's not too big a space to sweep is it?
Here are a few photos (click on any to enlarge) taken around the vicinity of 108 during April. Isn't it a beautiful area? Even more so since rain has started falling again. All the very best to you all, Clare 🤗
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