Burn Off

Ball-of-Business-Bruce called this morning. (He is the previous owner of our block and still owns the land across the road from us.) He wants to do a burn off. The weather is, according to Bruce, "just right for a burn - rain for the next few days and a blowin' sou’ westerly". So he's going to get in with his backpack (full of water I guess) and wet down the boundary markers ("You gotta protect them, cause they're part of history!") and "let her go".  

He's a funny guy, old Bruce.  A real go-getter who seems to have his finger in a lot of pies in the Scenic Rim.  He runs cattle, has a timber felling business, owns a heap of real estate (actually gifted the top of the mountain to National Parks and Wildlife), is in the firies and I am sure the list goes on... this, for example!

So anyway,  I've said the burn off is fine.  It's better that it happens now before we start building... and let's hope that's not too far away!!!

It's Draaaaaaaggggggging on!

M emailed yesterday to tell us he's just returned from Indonesia to discover A would be "unable to fulfil his drafting obligation" ... but we already knew that... A is in Europe!!! .... Sooooo meanwhile we're still stalled and waiting...

Benji let him know our concerns in diplomatic, gentle Benji manner:
"What ever works for you, our contract is with you so you can make the call on it.

Still want to have a yarn about insulation options as well when we both have some free time. I have forwarded an email from the techo's from aircell and their ideas, I am still not quite sure how the rafters etc... work in the main living area. " Because the insulation info M has given us previously doesn't stack up!!!! 

Annnnnnyhow... we'll just wait and see what happens next... it's a beautiful design and I can't wait for it to exist in reality...

On a brighter note:  I've started looking into what we'll do with the garden... Benji was actually a bit shocked when I told him I think I'll start getting some cuttings of native plants to create our garden...  Him: "Oh I had sort of only thought about the produce side of things for the garden"  Me:  "Benji! What about landscaping!!"   Which is cool... the artistic part of the garden can be my little project while the productive part can be Benji's - which suits us both very well :)  

.... So anyway I am thinking all natives (apart from Benji's produce plants)  Of course there may be a few exceptions - but I'd like to try to keep it all native... maybe we can keep any non-natives in pots???   S and I will have to take a pair of secateurs on our walks from now on!  There are some nice Lillypillies, Grevilleas and Bottle Brushes in our area I might just help myself to:)  My plan is to start potting the cuttings now so that we have a little stockpile of ready-to-plant natives by the time we get out there.  This website might come in handy for us.  And this one too!

I really like this little plant:  Billardiera scandens (Native Appleberry) ...It actually fulfils both Benji's and my gardening requirements:  it's pretty, it's a native and it produces edible fruit!!!  I would love to get my hands on one.

A visit to the block

Benji, Mum, S and I drove out to the block on the weekend - S's first visit!  We met up with Bill and Kate who were camping nearby and had planned to go for a walk out to the cliffs which we can see from our place.  But S was snotty and sneezy and the weather was windy, wet and cold so we had a coffee in a cafe instead... so much better for a sick little boy to be inside being warmed by the wood heater than out in the blustery, grey day.  Oh, and we ran into Gordon, mum's old real estate agent at the cafe! 

I forgot to take photo's so I borrowed one from here.  (I wish the sky was more like this on the day we visited!!)




We did brave the weather for a brief picnic lunch up on the block and oh, it is getting pretty overgrown again.  If we don't get started with building soon we're going to have to have it cleared again!  Benj and I will have to go out and clean it up ourselves one long weekend when the weather's not so bad... maybe we could stay in town... hmm I'll suggest it to Benji... we could also do a bit of local touristy stuff too! 

Also the house next door had been on the market for some time and it looks like it has new owners. It has been "spruced up" and is now called, I'm rolling my eyes here,  "Engelburg (Angel's Castle)" and has a great gaudy sign proclaiming this fact.  There are bright red pots and urns and tables and chairs and all sorts things all over the place.  Luckily none of it visible from our block.

Oh a house plans update:  We're at another standstill with the house plans as Anthony has gone overseas for a few weeks... not sure if someone else at M Design can take over and finish them off to tender stage... we'll see.

Insulation...

 

So Michael told us that Aircell was going to be the answer to all our insulation needs... but Benji is not so sure.  He (Benji) is going to give the Kingspan people a call and find out more about the product and how it should be used etc etc etc...  Just wondering... if Benji wasn't so up with all the technical stuff... hmmm.....

Ahhhh, Geeez I hope our passive design home is actually going to do all the things it is supposed to do!!!!!

We will get there...

...thank you Leunig