FW: Autumn off grid

So I am finally somewhere with internet viable enough to post a blog. I wrote this post last week. Bit out of date now but here goes anyway

I caught this rainbow as I drove down the drive way into the farm.
 

K has been away in Newcastle and with the Crookwell lot both not able to drive (complications from surgery and a horse squashed foot) it has fallen to me to be onsite dog feeder, and keep the water up to the rams. Being on my own has tested how easy our off -grid set up is for me to manage. K does all of the heavy lifting normally so I admit to being a bit apprehensive about how I would go.

Don't tell K but I forgot I had set the pump up to transfer water from the shed rainwater tank to the caravan tanks and went down the hill to feed the dogs. Good thing the caravan storage was empty and the 12volt pump slow cos there was water running out and under the annex when I made it back up. Not sure how much I wasted. I pride myself on being careful with the water so I was I bit red faced!

(As I post this it has rained recently so the rainwater tank will be topped up again but still....)

Woke up one morning to find water all over the floor, a sure sign that the gas bottle that runs our  caravan fridge and the water heater was empty and the frdge had defrosted all over my floor..  So I popped outside to the caravan front boot and carefully switched the gas over to the reserve bottle. Sprayed the connection with detergent to check for leaks and swanned back in to relight the fridge. Press the button, click the lighter. Not working. There is a little gauge that tells you the thing has lit and it didn't even flicker. Our fridge is getting on in years and has a habit of  the pilot light not relighting. Goes for weeks without a problem and chooses to play up when there is no Mr Fix It in sight. Typical. I wonder if it is related to the ute, whose door locks only ever refuse to open for me.

Now Mr fix It does some mysterious banging when this happens. (The fridge not lighting I mean. Banging in the ute could you yelled at.)  It entails taking off the outside cover of the fridge and doing 'stuff". So I thumped out of the van and around the back to the vent with my trusty butter knife in hand (just the correct size to flick open the catch) pulled off the cover to find a maze of pipes and wires. A flick here and a tap there and a few Mr Fix It like huffs. Tromped back inside. Held down the gas button and press the lighter and up she came. The pretty little indicator bar flew up into the "well lit" section of the gauge. Now truthfully I have no idea what magical thing I did but the fridge liked my spell weaving so who am I to complain.

There are two gas bottles in the front of the van  and we have two spares that are supposed to be kept full. In the mad dash to get back up to Newcastle K didn't get to fill the two empties and I just "knew" that the reserve bottle was not very full.

The nice man at the service station fills them so I dragged two empties out and stashed them in the car. Left them in his tender care and came back the next day to resume custody. They were too heavy when full for me to lift into the back of the ute. I caused a few grins when I tenderly belted them into the back seat next to the granddaughters booster seat for the trip home. Unsealed road you know.

Given my luck you will not be surprised to read that the gas ran out again at night.... Picture me with a torch in my mouth, spanner in one hand, a gas connection in the other, trying not to cross thread the thing as I did it up.  Darn thing kept leaking gas. So turn off the gas, transfer fridge goods to the 12volt travel fridge and tackle it all in the morning.  After a couple of goes and lots of detergent spraying in daylight I got a sealed connection and reenacted my fridge lighting routine.  And lit the water heater for a well earned shower.

 

The rain must be on the way. This little echidna was crossing the road.

 All joking aside I have been pleased to find that the setup is quite manageable for me. Some things are hard work and heavy. True. But ok. The solar panels and batteries performed really well. Once or twice I thought I might need the generator. And I guess if there had been a few days running of really grey skies I might have had to work out how to start it. Not a job I have done before. That would make a really good blog post!  The autumn weather was kind to me, batteries charged, lights, pump, freezer and coffee machine all ran perfectly..

K has worked cleverly to make this possible and it is gratifying to find that the free camping set up is really stable.

We are hoping to take the whole lot on the road this year again. And try out a few outback camping spots along the way.

 



 

All along the side of the roads here are "wild" fruit tress.

 

Cheers Sue

 

A Ferg on the Move

 

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Window in the shed. Mr Fix It triumphs again.

This window left over from renovations in Brisbane travelled back with us just before Christmas. A great example of family contributing to K's collection of very useful stuff.

 Yesterday I popped my head into the shed attracted by the sound of metal shrieking to find K balanced on the arm of the old lounge and the step ladder creating a hole in the back wall of our little shed lounge room.

Soon the hole was finished and I got enlisted to help manoeuvre the window into the gap. (Lots of huffs are needed to make a window fit a hole).

Soon the thing was in. And I have to admit the increase in light as well as the air flow is very welcome.

Some screws to secure it and grey silicon to seal it and it looks like there was always a window in that spot.

Then K went hunting for the curtain and fixings we took out of the caravan front window when he put in the blind and like magic....no money spent......we have a front and back window with matching curtains. (The front window has spare caravan curtains as well)

Ok we did buy the bits for a fly screen today and he has to put the cladding in around the corner but I reckon that is a great Mr Fix It project.

Good job! And thanks kids.

Cheers Sue

A Ferg on the Move

The grass is always greener......under the car!!!

As I cooked dinner I was entertained by this.....

Look ma. See how far I can get under here.

Yes dear the grass is always greener under the car.

And next to the human inhabitants door too.

Really. Let me see.

This grey stuff isn't anywhere near as good.

Nup Don't like it.

I bet its much better under the caravan.

Thump. Thump. Baa. Maa!!!!

Cheers. Sue

A Ferg on the Move.

Reflections on 12 months off grid in our caravan

We have just reached the 12 months off grid milestone. Our caravan has been parked on the family farm since this time last year. We travelled down from Mataranka Northern Territory in time to farm sit while the new baby was born. He turns one in a few days.

While we have ventured off sans caravan a few times,  the van has sat happily enjoying the view for a whole year.  At first it sat in its spot dressed in its summer gear. Shade cloth annex front and back. Solar power was abundant. Water had to be carried in from town though.


 Summer in Crookwell is very mild. Even so we did have occasion to run the generator to power the air conditioning once or twice.

Winter however is entirely another matter. When we realised K was gonna need to hang around for cardiologists, the shed was born.

As the weather grew colder, the caravan grew its winter skin of canvas annex. And the shed grew a closed in room and a wood fire.

We had rain, wind, fog, snow and sleet. Not all at once mind you. And the rainwater tank filled very fast. No more water carting. Yeh!!!!
There were wonderful sunny, cold winter days as well. Lots of farm things, and family time.

Then there was spring. Naked sheep after shearing and now lambs. While it is still cold at night the sun heats the annex quickly. Soon it will be time to shed the canvas annex in favour of shade cloth again.

Through all this our tiny home has remained just that. Home. K spent a weekend away recently and I cuddled up in the comfort of the van. Didn't even go out and light the fire.

We are still working out what the pattern of life will become. What mix of work, travelling and family time we will enjoy in the future, but we have really given the off grid setup of our caravan a proper work out. It is almost 10 years old now. Not so new anymore. (I will have to tell you about the last lot of repairs Mr Fix It has done.. Maybe next post)

We still haven't got to spend quality time with the QLD family. Maybe we will get to do that next year. K's heart is behaving so far post his operation. He is easing back into full days of activity and its hard to keep up with him again. All good!!


Love my life still.


Cheers Sue


A Ferg on the Move

Shearing day. Yikes naked sheep

Shearing day......

K slipped out very early to help in the shed. I lay in bed listening to the generator and the sheep noises. I wandered out after breakfast and between rain showers. By the time I emerged I was confronted with the sight of naked sheep. They are strange looking things with their coats gone and looked a bit shell shocked by the whole process. I tried to get close to get a really good photo, but they were not hanging around to see what this human would do to them and snuck off down the hill.

It was a changeable weather wise. Everything from heavy rain to bright sunshine. I managed to get this double rainbow just before the second one faded. Music blared from the speakers K had hung up the day before and at break times our daughter fed the shearers and other hangers on amply. Her custard slice was a hit.

Sheep can die in cold weather after shearing. Makes sense. I probably would too without a good coat. Since sleet, rain and wind are on the cards this weekend our son-in-law decided to shed the shorn ones. Wise move. Last night was miserable and today is not much better. Miss Four and Half helped her mom round them up again and kept the last few warm by shooing them around the pens while they waited for a space under the shearing shed.

After the shearing team left baby boy got let out of his stroller, from which he had supervised proceedings most of the day. I reckon it was a good thing that the generator was off or he might have got shorn like the other lambs. The crawling is a new skill. And he had a ball chasing his sister all over.


We had fun watching.




Cheers Sue


A Ferg on the Move

Farm life. A sunny "spring" day

Just had to share with you this shot of Miss Four and a Half rounding up sheep with her dad. The sheep need to be yarded ready to be shorn.  They came past our camp site with the dogs. Miss has it all down pat. Hat on, walking stick in hand and trotting along next to dad up and down the hill.

We are expecting inclement weather ( posh way of saying cold and stormy and maybe snow)  before the weekend. K  has  delayed our run up to Newcastle in case there is a proper snow fall and we need to dismantle the caravan annex. A deep snow fall might be too much for the annex roof.

I had bought provisions to make a few meals today to take with us and decided to have  cook  up  anyway. So there is a  lasagne cooling on the kitchen bench, a crust less quiche cut into three, and two serves of chicken and mushroom pasta sauce in the freezer. I baked in my hooded BBQ as always. Then I decided to use the twin tub washer while there was sun to dry clothes so I am feeling quite like the proper homesteader.  I drew the line at a walk down the hill and back to the chickens so no cake ... I used the eggs in the quiche. Maybe I will con K into  taking the scraps down and snagging an egg for me. Mind you the chooks owners might beat me to it as they are here today as well.

After my busy morning  I am  now enjoying the sun watching the baby in the pram. He is supposed to be asleep but judging by the speed his feet are kicking that's not likely. He is playing his favourite peek a boo game  by pushing the sun cover out with his legs and grinning at me.  Not crying though so
its all good.



Down the hill at the shearing shed things are being set up for a day of shearing weather permitting tomorrow. There is hammering happening too. Mr Fix It is wiring speakers and attaching the wires to the rafters. Music is an essential part of shearing.it seems.



The horse has her coat off and is enjoying the sun as well.



Pretty good life.





Cheers Sue

A Ferg on the Move

Quiet simple living

The last few weeks have been pretty quiet for us. Mr Fix It goes in for his operation after the weekend and other than a run up to Sydney for a CT of his heart we have stayed home. The Crookwell family have been crook..pardon the pun...with the winter flu thing again so it has been prudent to stay away.



We did drive  to the Laggan monthly market one Saturday. It decided to sleet and try to snow as we walked back to the car. There is a family joke that we can break a drought if we try to pack the car, but it has never snowed as we try to put purchases in the boot before. We had a whole lot of gluten free goodies baked by the lady from the next farm up the road and a few other home made goods. The snow didn't keep up. So it was just cold and wet at home. Good  for a movie and a night in front of the fire.



The moon rises here are spectacular. The full moon shone through the clouds and I got these pictures.  The wind was blowing the right way for there to be internet (there just doesn't seem to be any other explanation for why the aerial gives two bars one night and none the next)  so I downloaded a few new crochet patterns. So I have ideas for the next few projects. Got to finish  the current one first of course.



The simple life is not a lazy one, although I admit I am not frantically running in and out like I do when we are both working somewhere. There are still activities to fill the day. Cooking from scratch fills up time as well as stretches the budget. Keeping on top of the dampness means I need to empty, wipe out and repack storage regularly. Funnily enough this job also has to be done in the hot NT as well. Mould loves closed up caravan lockers. The cold weather, as well as the rain results in dirty floors and dirty clothes. A few more clothes than we wear in the tropics. Washing means lugging water to the twin tub a couple of times a week. None of these tasks are onerous and the days have developed a soothing rhythm that I don't mind. Not bored yet.





K keeps an eye on the power water and bottled gas situation everyday. Our son-in-law took K out for serious wood collection a few days ago so the shed wood fire is merrily burning as I write.



Mr Fix It has always got a project on the go. He is working his way through a box of fix it treasures he found in the storage container and setting everything up so I can manage things for the week or two he will be on light duties.



So I am enjoying the quiet while I can. Fresh bread and chocolate cake ready for a snack. Homemade lasagne and quiche  for dinner, kettle boiling on the fire, washing dancing in the sun...no rain today...and the rams munching nearby. Mr Fix It doing something in the shearing shed after a trip to the tip to deposit our rubbish.




Cheers Sue

A Ferg on the Move

Back to cooking on a wood fired room heater

Mr Fix It has made friends with half of the business people in town. The hardware guys, the car and electrical parts bloke, the camping, canvass repairs place. He has been setting up the shed for storage and has closed one bit of as a sort of hard annex. Been popping into town for bits and pieces.



One visit resulted in the offer of a second hand wood fired heater in need of a bit of tender care and at a quarter of the price of a new one. Ideal shed heater. And with a cooking grid as well.

He hammered the baffle plate flat. Fire cemented the chimney fitting, rubbed back and re enamelled the base. Our son-in-law helped him lift it into place onto a fire resistant sheet and then we waited for a break in the rain.



I am an accomplished assistant. I pass things. Hold onto ladders. Remind him to watch his step. Remember where he left the tools. And worry. I worked overtime that day. The roof was slippery and the wind a bit gusty. K kept telling me to chill. He had it under control.

A few hours later, after a quick wood hunt in the rain smoke was curling out of the chimney.




In a previous life we had a wood heater and I used to cook all the time on the top of it and in the coals. There is nothing like fire baked potatoes. I was keen to see whether I had lost my touch.


The score so far is:

Baked potatoes
Slow pot roast chicken and pork.
Braised vegies.
Toasted pita on the top and in the  fire on the end of a fencing wire toasting fork.



Now you all know I hate open fires. Fire behind a glass is the  best. I am gonna make the best of it while we have the caravan parked near the shed. 





Cheers Sue
A Ferg on the Move