Day 34 - How does your garden grow?

Today we planted out a whole new section of garden. Well, technically, the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) put the plants in while I made cute plant signs and helped decide where they could go. We must have planted 10 different types of garlic, which take up half the garden. I’m not sure what’s happening in the Tassie garlic market, but come spring, I think we’re set to corner it!

We also planted out spring onions, which we re-shooted from bought ones, and planted out the potato onions that we got from Penguin. However, my favourites are the tulip bulbs that the Bandycoot bought from AgFest. I can’t wait to see them in bloom and what colours they turn out to be. I’m going to be able to make a beautiful bouquet from them and the snowballs, anemone, ranunculus and assorted daffodils that filled out the rest of the garden.

Day 33 - Tassie pride

Wherever I go I’m confronted with examples of Tasmanian pride. ‘Proudly made and grown in Tasmania’ and ‘Proudly Tassie owned’. Selling local produce is a mark of honour, and with good reason. Not only does it support local industry but Tassie produce is just so delicious!! Tasmania is famous for its wine, cheese and apples (plus much more!).

I don’t know if this sense of pride stems from the rivalry of the states or Tassie’s long and colourful history, but they don’t let the statistics staunch their enthusiasm. With the lowest population, smallest land area (not including territories), high unemployment and teenage birth-rates, you wouldn’t think there is much to cheer about. However, those who live here know that they’re on to something special. After all this really is God’s country, as those who’ve made it to the town of Promised Land in the North-west will testify to.

I don’t recall seeing state pride to this level in Queensland, except around State of Origin time. Perhaps the smaller area makes for closer-knit communities and a sense that we’re all in this together.

Day 32 - For the birds

Today we had a bird fly in to the house. I’d like to think it was because we are so in tune with nature, not because we had both the front and back door open to let in all the sunshine around today. Birds are a big part of our lives here. We wake to the sounds of birds, and not just our chooks keen to get out of the coop! The wrens often have a party outside our back kitchen window and I have all manner of birds fly past when I’m sitting at my writing desk.  The starlings and ground parrots like to make themselves at home in the backyard and the owls come and visit in the evenings. Here are some of the birds we’ve been lucky enough to have visit us here at the Old Dairy:

• Beautiful firetail finch
•  Scarlet robin
• Pink breasted robin
• Yellow wattlebird
•  Yellow tailed black cockatoo 

  

  
  
•  Collard sparrow hawk
• Wedge tailed eagle
• Tawny frogmouth owl
• Southern boobook owl
•  Tasmanian native hen
•  Laughing Kookaburra
•  Starlings
•  Blackbirds
• 

  

  A grey shrike thrush getting a feed of grubs from the Bandycoot's timber

  Azure kingfisher
• Ground parrots
•  Blue winged parrots
• Yellow bellied parrot
• Masked lacewings (annoying plovers)
• Superb Fairy Wrens
• White bellied Sea eagle
• Grey shrike thrush
• Honey eaters

I wonder what we will see next? I’m so glad I brought my bird book in the big move.

Day 31 - Nostalgia and farewells

After many, many delays resulting in their stay being extended by several months, the Bandycoot’s folks were finally ready to begin their journey home to Queensland. We were sad to see them go. It had been a wonderful opportunity to spend time with them and they gave us a bit of a lay of the land here in Tassie. They had spent most of their time here working hard to renovate the Old Dairy and tackle and tame the growth in the garden. They had been staying with the Bandycoot’s nan and we all had dinner together before they left. His mum was a bit nervous about crossing the straight on the Spirit of Tasmania as she doesn’t have good sea-legs. She needn’t have worried as they ended up having a super smooth crossing. Before she left she kindly presented me with a hand knitted shawl that she’d made during her stay in Tassie. I’m sure I’m going to make good use of it!

Cozy in my PJs and new wrap

We spent part of the day with the Bandycoot’s nan and she was telling us how much she’d like to go through the lifetime of items that her family had accrued and were now gathering dust in her large shed. But where to start? While walking with her I came across an old musical instrument – a recorder – and it brought back memories of playing in my primary school band. She was happy for me to borrow it and thought that it had belonged her daughter, who is now a grandmother herself. I gave it a good wash to remove the years of dust and even surprised myself by being able to remember how to play such classics as God Save the Queen and Waltzing Mathilda. I may have to expand my repertoire if I’m not going to drive the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) mad!

Day 30 - Sick puppy

It’s been so long since I made a big move like this, that I kind of forgot all the little changes (and some of the big ones too!). New grocery store, new doctor, dentist, cafes and watering hole, and of course a new vet for the pups. My little Indie (aka Indiana, aka Miss Independent) kept getting up during the night and wanting to go outside and eat grass. She’d never done this before and I was really worried about her. During one of these late night grazings I carried her back into the house, realising that she was very unwell. I wrapped her up and brought her to bed with me. Not knowing where the emergency vet was or even if there was one close by, was very stressful and I didn’t get much sleep. It’s scary to think about losing someone you love and I certainly wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this little sweetie after only 6 years.

I called up first thing in the morning to a vet in Burnie, on the Bandycoot’s nans recommendation. They squeezed her in for an emergency appointment where she had to get some big needles and a rather uncomfortable temperature test. The vet seemed genuinely concerned about her condition and offered a few alternative theories that he would test for.

I took her home after and we both had a big sleep. She’s terribly thin now and the vet said a big part of the problem could be stress. When I think about it, the pups have had a huge life change leaving the home they grew up in, travelling thousands of miles to a very different environment and lifestyle. I guess at some point they must have wondered…’what on earth is going on?’. When I’ve gone on overseas trips in the past, they stayed at my parent’s home in the Queensland countryside and sometimes stressed. I wonder if they thought I was bringing them here, so that I could go away again. Now that I’m back home here, I’m in no rush to go anywhere.

Day 29 - Time: friend or foe?

Time has always been a bit of mystery to me. It has an elusiveness that I just can’t quite seem to grasp. I’m not just talking about eternally mysterious things like time travel and the beginning of the universe, but day-to-day time. So often, for me, it just evaporates. I mean, where does it go? Sometimes I feel like I have plenty of time, then turn around and I’m already late.

I used to wonder if alien abduction was the cause of my time losses and lapses, but study that I did last year into different personality types and how they operate shed a lot of light on this for me (and I don’t mean a Martian tractor beam). Knowing now how I operate, I’ve started using a time-management technique called the Pomodoro method (Italian for tomato). It does help keep my focus (I’m easily distracted) and hopefully it will help me keep up with my blog entries and other writing projects.

I’m still enjoying the slower pace of life down here in Tassie, but would be nice to finish the day with a sense that I’ve achieved something worthwhile.

Day 28 - Motivation and inspiration

Today turned out to be a rather quiet one for me. It didn’t start out that way though, with the Bandycoot and the pups running around the house chasing a mouse that was hiding in the woodbox and trying to find sanctuary up under my desk. The pups got so excited they start to whine when they couldn’t get to the mouse because it was hiding.  The Bandycoot found four, including a humungous rat, in the traps this morning. I can’t do it. Not only because I’m terrified the traps will snap back on my fingers, but because I feel for the little mice (not so much for the rat) who are just doing their thing trying to find warmth and shelter and food. Unfortunately we can’t all live together. Jazzie is proving to be a good mouser having caught two already.

I missed out on most of the morning action as I woke up with a cold today. I guess it may have come from the change in climate or I just picked up a bug while out and about. We don’t tend to get out too much these days, as we’re enjoying the opportunity to have time to do the things we want on the farm. The Bandycoot keeps busy in the garden and the workshop he is slowly building in his man-cave. I’m writing and cooking and reading and playing music, and have plans for sewing and knitting once I have the bits I need.

Today though was all about taking it easy and hopefully getting better. I spent the afternoon on the lovely couch donated to the Old Dairy by the Bandycoot’s Nan, napping and watching a movie on the computer. It was one of those films that I really connected with and felt inspired after watching. I stumbled across it, just selecting it from the title, but it turned out to be just what I needed. It was the Japanese anime film Whisper of the heart and I recommend it if you’re facing a challenge and/or in need of some encouragement. This type of film always takes me back to when I lived in Japan. I have such fond memories of that time and the people I knew there, that this got me thinking about going back to visit again. Who knows what the future holds..?

"It's not easy to live your own way.

You can't blame anyone but yourself." - Seiya Tsukishima

(Whisper of the heart)

Day 27 - Sharing and caring

The Bandycoot and I have always had a rather unusual and special relationship. We’ve been a part of each other’s life for 12 years, sometimes together, sometimes not, but always friends. Mostly because of our life choices. He worked up north, I had a great job down south. I went on an extended overseas adventure, he did too at a different time. Sometimes we would meet up abroad and travel together for a while before making our own journey forward. Now we get to spend most of everyday together, with my/our adorable pups, and it’s been quite lovely.

Little Indie by the fire

Jazzie on an adventure

Today was certainly one of those team effort days. The Bandycoot had spent the morning chain-sawing up an old stump in the corner of the farm (one of his favourite pastimes) for our firewood stockpile for winter. The pups and I came down after to help him load up the timber on to Brutus (his ute). We piled it so high I was sure logs were going to start sliding off on the drive up to the house. On the way down I was surprised to discover a massive mushroom village among the pine cones under some huge pine trees. I think the Smurfs must have relocated to Tassie (who could blame them!).

 

The Bandycoot and his dad recently ploughed up the old veggie garden, which had been completely taken over by rather robust weeds, except for an overgrown raspberry patch. They managed to dig out the whole patch in a bulky clump, so the raspberry canes could be replanted. They also put in a few furrows next to the back fence to create new gardens, and this is where we decided to make the raspberry patch. It was my job to detangle all the roots and separate the plants from the clump while the Bandycoot planted them out. It took a while, and after much digging through the dirt, I declared my job done. Not quite, apparently, as when the Bandycoot burrowed in he found tiny pieces of root and stem and was confident that a plant could still grow from them. I think this is how our relationship must have looked to those outside: we tried this, we tried that, and just when we had just about declared it ‘done’, it turned out that the best was still ahead of us. It just took a bit more digging to find it.  

Our newly ploughed veggie garden

Day 26 - Swept up

I know some people who really enjoy cleaning house, I’m not one of them. I do like having a clean house, but not the doing part. When I still worked full-time I realised that I was working all week and then doing my shopping and washing and cleaning on the weekends. When was I actually living my life? It felt like I was just maintaining. For a while I had a cleaning lady coming in regularly just to do the basics and it was so liberating, leaving me with free time to pursue my passion for music, writing and exploring or even just feeling like I could relax without guilt.

Now that my life is simpler and my possessions few, housework takes up much less of my time. However there are still clothes to wash and floors that get dirty from the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) and the pups when they come in from out in the paddock. For some reason this morning I felt inspired to tidy and clean. This doesn’t happen often, so I thought I’d better run with it. I mopped, I washed, I put away, I tidied. The Old Dairy never looked so good, well not while we’ve been living here. No sooner had I brought in the last load of laundry, then a bunch of the Bandycoot’s lovely relatives turned up for a surprise visit. They hadn’t seen the house since all the renovations had taken place and were amazed at how nice and homely it looked now.

I’ve often wondered if I might have a touch of ESP, sometimes sensing things before they happen. Maybe that’s what happened today? Either way I was glad our visitors could see the place at its best.

 

Day 25 - Lights out

Another power outage today. I wouldn’t have imagined in modern Australia that this would happen, and quite regularly. The Bandycoot’s nan said it wasn’t unusual for the power to go off for a few days at a time. She has a small gas stove for just such emergencies. It makes me glad we have the wood heater, but I’m not sure it could get hot enough to boil anything. I try to keep a carafe of fresh water on hand, as we are on tank water and if the power goes then we won’t have a water pump.

Tassie runs mostly on hydroelectricity and with the long, hot summer the dams became extremely low. The government has been taking out large ads in the local newspaper The Advocate to warn people that the dams are at less than 10% and power outages might have to happen.

I doubt that the city folk have it quite as bad as those out in the rural areas. The Bandycoot’s nan’s phone line went out for over a week and they weren’t sure when they might get out this way to look at repairing it. I was quite shocked that that would happen, especially for a lady almost in her 90s in a remote rural area which virtually has no mobile phone service (and she’s not very familiar with using a mobile). I think I’ve mentioned before that we can’t even access broadband internet here, though the NBN is being rolled out in other parts of the state.

It’s interesting to think about all the things I just took for granted before our move to the Apple Isle. You just forget sometimes that not everyone has the same opportunities and facilities. I remember as a young girl growing up on a rural property in the middle of Queensland that we would often lose power. Dining by kerosene lanterns, we would attract bugs from miles around who would often make their way into our dinners. Believe me, stink bugs do not taste good! But that was 30 years ago, so it's surprising that sustainable power is still an issue today.

Day 24 - Home again

I’ve been away up in Queensland for a few days to spend time with family and to be presented with a scholarship for my study. It was strange to be so warm and sunny and spent most of my time soaking up the sunshine on my parent’s veranda.

I did miss everyone back at the Old Dairy and was so happy to see the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) waiting for me outside the Launceston Airport. I got an even bigger thrill when I got to the car and found he had brought our pups Jazz & Indie along for the ride. They were jumping out of their skin to see me and were scratching at the car window, dressed in their cute winter jackets. I think they might have actually jumped out of the windows if they’d been open.

The Bandycoot said he had some big news for me on the drive home, that he had bought 4 young hens for our farm and had been getting a couple of eggs each day. I was so excited to meet them, but had to wait for the next morning as it was dark when we got home. We decided we probably shouldn’t name them after the previous sad incident with chooks, just in case these new hens did not last too long either. Also there is the dilemma of whether you could eat them if they’ve got names..? It’s tricky.

 I’m so happy to be expanding on our little flock here and look forward to becoming more self-sufficient with our own eggs.

Our chooks hanging out in the weedy coop

 

Day 23 - Mothers and cluckers

We made the drive over to Penguin on the weekend to see their famous markets. I had seen the sign for the turn-off to Penguin along with the colourful statue and was keen to take a look at this town and hopefully spot a penguin.

We took the pups for the day’s outing and it was a beautiful drive along the seashore with majestic sweeping views along the way. It was a bit tricky to find, and when we got there we were surprised to find it was an indoor market in a large shed, on a narrow one-way street. Unfortunately the pups weren’t allowed in and so we had to leave them tied up out the front, which I’m reluctant to do. They’re so adorable, I worry that someone might want to take them home. There was a charity group giving out fake roses for Mother’s Day and they gave me one on the way in. I guess fur babies still count for that sort of thing.

We did a quick loop around the different stalls, not wanting to leave the pups alone for long. We grabbed a big tub of mint and a bunch of flowering plants that we haven’t heard of before. The Bandycoot even scored a bag of potato-onion bulbs, which we were told to plant on the shortest day of the year and harvest on the longest. We later found out that this plant is almost completely extinct except in certain regions of north-west Tassie.

We were just about to head out the door when the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) saw the fanciest set of old brass fire tools for sale. He’d been wishing for some for a while and this was a complete set with pokers and pinchers, shovels and brushes and an odd pointy one that I’m not sure about. Being secondhand I wonder where they may have come from, as they would look right at home in a country manor: “Yes Jeeves, that’s a smashingly hot bed of coals you’ve got going this evening.”

On the way home from the markets we spotted a sign selling chooks for $5. We’ve got a rather overgrown chicken coop at the Old Dairy which we’ve been wanting to put chooks in and start getting fresh eggs, and these sounded like a real bargain. The Bandycoot and the owner rounded them up and then the owner put them into a Styrofoam box. We were so excited to get them and I named them Lucky and Clucky. They were making a bit of noise in the boot and the pups were looking a bit confused as didn’t know what the sounds were. Unfortunately neither bird lived up to its name and sadly both were DOA on arrival to the farm. We were really saddened about the loss, and wonder if the owner taped the box up too tight and they ran out of air.

I had to quickly turn my sadness around, as I had invited the Bandycoot’s mum and nan over for a mother’s day dinner. Our first dinner party was a success and the roast chicken dinner a hit (not the recently deceased Lucky or Clucky). I even pulled out my guitar and played a few songs to entertain out guests. It felt great to be performing and I felt inspired to start looking for some opportunities for local gigs.

Day 22 - Secret hideaway

Do you ever wonder how many people might be living tucked away in the bush, or a heavy forest, or an isolated beach or lake having slipped completely off the grid and out of society. It is not hard to imagine after having a private tour of a secret hideaway from the world, once owned by a friend of the Bandycoot’s family. Further down along the Flowerdale River than the Old Dairy, it is found down winding dirt tracks with locked metal gates and hidden turns, so that only those who already know it’s there can find it. The former owner reminisced with us about when he bought the land it was solid forest and he gradually eked out his home and garden, working close to nature, to provide a grassy oasis among the old trees and curious native animals. You could tell there was a still a sadness in having to leave it behind and re-enter suburban society after some health issues. The property was a true hidden paradise and the Bandycoot was slightly envious of the pristine natural beauty and complete privacy.

We explored some of the paths into the bush near the house, walking along the edge of the river with the pups. It was naturally very beautiful but a bit overgrown and Jazz & Indie had their first encounter with stinging nettle. The poor little pups were so confused about why, no matter how much they licked their sore paw, the pain just wouldn’t go away. I cuddled them in the car on the way home and they spent the rest of day curled up in front of the fire to ease their paw pain.

Exploring the secret paths

 

Bush meets hideaway home

Day 21 - Carpet down

Yay! The carpet is finally laid. After many, many hours and the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) enduring severe carpet burn, the job is done. The Bandycoot and his dad, now experienced carpet-layers, are even happier to tick that box with the renovations. His Nan was a real champ, following the guys around with the vacuum cleaner picking up the mess and letting them know if things didn’t look quite right.

So we now have a carpeted bedroom, dining room, nook and loft. As it’s recycled carpet we hope to get a carpet shampooer and give it all a once over. I’m not sure what had happened on the piece of carpet in the dining room in its previous life, but the few times that the puppies have decided they need to take an emergency leak, that’s the magic spot.

I feel like we can finally unpack now and think about moving our lovely new mattress into the bedroom, though I still love falling asleep in front of the fireplace.

If nothing else, the Bandycoot has another skill to add to his resume, although he is adamant he will never lay another piece of carpet again!

Day 20 - Going country

If you had told me only a few months ago that I would be going to an agricultural festival (AgFest) event for fun, I would not have believed you. But armed in my all-terrain pink Docs I took on the mud, braved the smell of the cattle, and discovered a whole new world where blue jeans and big boots reign.

We went to the AgFest event near Launceston, which is said to be one of the largest in Australia, with the Bandycoot’s folks after being shouted a ticket by his lovely cousin who was up visiting from Hobart. Parking was out in paddocks usually used for cows, and with the ground still wet from the storms I was worried my little red car might get bogged in the mud like a big school bus there that was blocking the traffic. The Bandycoot’s parents usually live up in Queensland, but their regular sojourn to Tassie this year had stretched out much longer than planned with the renovations to the Old Dairy (our new home). Because of this his mum wasn’t really prepared for the freezing winds or the mushy ground in her open toed summer sandals. Within five minutes of us entering the event site a kindly gentleman came up to her expressing his surprise at her choice of footwear and saying he couldn’t walk past without letting her know there was a tent-store there selling gumboots cheap. There wasn’t much they didn’t sell there from tractors, magic stone irons, all the latest (expensive) farm fashions and several pavilions of arts and crafts (where I lost the Bandycoot’s mum a couple of times at the scrapbooking stalls). The Bandycoot and his Dad were off having a great time of it checking out old machinery and other manly things.

I actually had a lot of fun, entering the competitions at the radio station, watching incredible wooden creations being made (did you know pieces of wood can be curved with heat?) and I even got to present the weather for the local TV station and meet the weather presenter.

I happily stumbled across a bunch of knee-high whippersnappers (kids) doing a whip cracking demonstration. I was impressed by how good these little kids were and pitied any annoying siblings they may have who might end up with a (whip) cracked butt if they’re not careful. Some of these kids could even crack whips behind their back (sneaky!). I was particularly impressed by a syncopated rhythm they made called the ‘machine gun’. There was also a sheep dog display where a bunch of sheep must have been getting confused as they repeated the same manoeuvres, thinking ‘haven’t we done this already?’. I was tempted to ask the dog-handler if he was available for my pups Jazz & Indie but then I thought it’s probably too late to teach them any new tricks. They usually do just what they want, then turn the cuteness level up to maximum.

It was huge day and I left impressed with the level of Tassie pride that farmers have in their endeavours and the array of artisan talents on display. The Bandycoot brought home a flash pair of waders for catching flounder, and a big bag of bulbs for planting – tulips! I can’t wait to get them into the ground ready for a beautiful display come spring.

The bogged school bus (see the kids still stuck on board!)

A bit of history at AgFest

The very talented (and tired) sheep dog and his trainer

Day 19 - Feeling connected

Today was my first opportunity to venture out on my own to explore our nearest town, the lovely seaside village of Wynyard. I’m keen to learn more about this beautiful area that is apparently a Tassie hotspot for retirees due to its lack of inclines. It has a beautiful foreshore area that stretches for miles with pockets of sandy beaches loaded with seaweed and rocky points with sweeping vistas. It also has lots of arts and crafts, as Tassie seems to be full of talented artisans, and local food markets, op shops (thrift stores) and a long an interesting history.

I popped in to the local council office for some advice and found that they have a wonderful ‘Welcome to Waratah/Wynyard’ info pack that covers everything from dog management (look out puppies!) to parking (it’s free!). With the slogan ‘who says you can’t be beautiful and rich’ it also has details of all the local beach and bushwalks which I’m super keen to be out exploring. I’m also excited to read about the annual Tulip Festival in October, which I’m taking as a sign as it’s my favourite flower!

I signed up as a member of the local Linc library which is quite small but gives me access to books and online archives right across Tassie and I can order anything in. I already picked up a book on herb gardening to try and get some fresh herbs growing inside (too cold out!). I’ve not really been blessed with the green thumb my grandmother and my mother seem to have inherited, but the Bandycoot is very eco-savvy and I’m hoping he can be my green guide, along with the new books. They didn’t have ‘Growing plants for dummies’ or I would have got that out to help me not be so flora-challenged. It feels good to be a member of the library. It’s my first step in making a real connection to the community.

Photo credit: Discover Tasmania

 

Day 18 - Enjoying the simple life

One of the big motivators for our move to Tassie and our “tree change” was the search for a simpler life. I was living such a busy life that I rarely found time to do the things I really wanted to. We have both longed to be able to live more self-sufficiently, growing our own vegies and having the time to make things with our own hands. Neither myself nor the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) are very materialistic, which worked out well with the move as we could only bring what we could fit into our vehicles on the road trip down. We find bits and pieces that we need for the Old Dairy from markets, second hand stores, op shops (thrift stores) and my personal favourite – garage sales.

I’m enjoying finding time to read books, cook yummy meals, sit by the fire and play my guitar. There’s little temptation to hang out online too much with a painfully slow and unreliable internet connection (hence my intermittent posts). We’ve recently purchased a sewing machine from the Bandycoot’s sister (originally from his mum) and we are both excited about being able to make things ourselves. The Bandycoot also picked up an industrial sewing machine before we left Melbourne which is now residing in his man shed. He’s a bit nervous about firing it up as he says it goes so quick it he could end up sewing his arm to the side of his head.

I don't miss the traffic, the sirens, the crazy neighbours, the alarm clock and constant rushing. I wake with the sun and enjoying watching the sunset most days.

We try and get a good walk in every day, weather permitting, though the rain doesn’t slow the pups down much. Sometimes we go down to the river or over to the Bandycoot’s nan’s place for a cuppa. I know there are lots a beautiful beach and bush walks around Tassie and am really looking forward to exploring them.

Day 17 - A mirrorless life

I never really thought much about mirrors, at least until I moved here. I mean, I had a couple of built in ones at my old house. It was handy to check my hair, or make sure I didn’t have food on my face and that my dress wasn’t tucked in to my undies before I headed out the door.

Living here without any mirrors at all was a bit strange, at first. Then I stopped worrying about what my hair looked like. It’s kind of crazy, curly anyway so it always does whatever it wants. I didn’t concern myself with ‘is that a new wrinkle’ or finding a grey hair. The Bandycoot always gives me a heads up anyway when I’m starting to get the two-toned look. Also, since I don’t really know anyone here except for the Bandycoot’s family, I stopped worrying about what anyone else ‘might think’. I do sometimes get a bit startled when I catch myself reflected in a shop window, as I haven’t seen my reflection in a while.

I had only really experienced this before during my time in a Fijian village. Where after a couple of days I was totally in the now, and could be from bed to breakfast in 10 minutes. It is so liberating, especially of my time. No more primping and preening, I can just be me. Naturally.

Day 16 - Wild weather

I’ve experienced some wild weather in my time. Floods, droughts, got swept off my feet by winds whipping through Winnipeg Canada (where I also experienced wind burn on my skin) and I even got caught in a cyclone up in north Queensland where my car was being rocked from side to side by the cyclonic winds. Tassie, however, takes it to a whole new level. I’m so grateful that the Old Dairy is made of concrete and we can bunker down when the wind and rain gets up like it did today. I was sure it was a cyclone, but was reassured that it’s just Tassie weather. The wind blew so strong during the night that I seriously expected to come out this morning and find my car tipped over on its side.

I may have mentioned in previous posts that we have very limited phone service and have to go up to the loft, stand next to the window and lean at about 20 degrees towards the glass to make a call. For that reason we leave our phones charging up on the windowsill in the loft to make sure we can get calls. This can be a bit frustrating as the loft is still a work in progress with the carpet still to be laid and the open-out windows fixed, so we really only live downstairs. During the day the Bandycoot (my boyfriend) went upstairs to use his mobile only to find it missing. He was at a loss as he had left it charging on the sill as usual. Glancing out the window he spotted it floating in the downstairs rain gutter, ran downstairs and managed to fish it out. He realised that the wind must have sucked the window open and his phone off the charger cable, only for it to land in the water washing down the gutter. Incredibly he was able to get it working again after drying out the case.

We’re not the first victims of Tassie’s wild weather I’m sure. I remember when my parents were taking a tour around with my Aunt & Uncle they stopped at lookout to take in the view. My mum declined to get out of the car for fear of being blown away and when my uncle got out, the wind caught the door of his car and bent it around on the metal hinges. It makes me wonder what Tassie has got in store for us next.