Gone Country: July 2007

Well we haven't been gobbled up and spat out by the tornadoes so that's a good thing! Whoda thought we'd have this problem here?!?! Not me that's for sure. We've had some amazing frosts which have put us in a white winter wonderland, nothing could warm us inside on those days. It's freezing and wet, and although it's dampened everything else, it hasn't managed to reach our spirits and we're still loving it. Horrah! The tank's full and so is, it seems, the septic tank - joy. The toilet is nearly blocked, I say nearly cause it isn't quite [yet] thank fuck. Really gotta check it all out this weekend and see what the problem is. Along with knocking off some more items from our "Fucking Long List of Jobs To Do" (that's it's official name I'll have you know).

So far we've done the vegetable garden and the frost has kindly killed just about every thing in it. We've wedded the front garden and found the path infront of it! hehe That was a mission - it's certainly altered the look of the house having that done. We've done some more fencing - have taken down the make-shift fence we did when we first got here to keep the horses in the big paddock and it now has a fancy new 4 wire post and batten fence. Yes indeed - that was our first "real" fence and boy oh boy we're proud. :) We don't have any fencing tools so it was done the old fashioned way without post hole borers, it was a good old spade each for Chris and I and lots of man noises thank you very much. So after some heaving, grunting and sweating we had some post holes - tis hard work but we completed our first fence and gate. Since then we've taken down the highly attractive fence that was put up around the house paddock during the Crazy Cloudy episode and there we have a very sexy 3 rail and post fence. VERY, VERY PROUD OF THIS ONE!!! So thanks to Trademe and lots of scavenging around the property and taking rails of other fences not needed at the moment we got the materials needed and have nearly finished this. Unfortunately we didn't have enough rails to go all the way around the house. That was a long, hard weekend in the rain getting it done and for the last 3 hours of the second day it really felt like work. We were grumpy as fuck and had really had enough of it all. But we did it and although we didn't finish on the high of the first day - we were still happy (through the frowns and swearing) with what we'd accomplished.

The house paddock is nearly dog-proof, hopefully this weekend we'll finish that. Got some more materials from Trademe and will be able to get it done. We'll have to finish it with rails when we get the money for more. At this stage it'll be rails and wire behind the house. It'll be so good when Toa can go outside and we know he can't get out anywhere and wander.

We've replaced the fireplace as well, the one in here didn't give off any heat at all. Chris got a year old fancy thing from work (we love them!) and took the old one out and put the new one in. LOVELY jubbly and very warm thanks very much. Ohhhh and the batts have been put above Caelan's room which definitely makes a difference. So it's slowly happening here.

The horses - Cloudy in the back, Maddy's arse, Gold on the right and Star in the front.