Pulling out posts with ute and brute

Some people who know me (especially the ones in Adelaide) might be surprised to see me revving the guts out of the ute in an attempt to pull posts out of the ground. My wonderful big spunky husband is at the post, ensuring that the heavy-duty wire sling is in position, whilst I reverse the ute (hopefully not into the tent or the swings!) to get the post out. On Saturday afternoon, we pulled a few posts out. For a lot of the venture, I was cacking myself laughing because it was so much fun!

And Georgia lost a tooth at the same time, which was momentous and emotional…

Whilst driving the ute is exercise in itself (all those pedals that need pushing and the sticky gear stick that needs wrenching) I have begun a new exercise ‘program.’ It’s simple really: walk up the hill every day. When I was fit and young, before pregnancies expanded my hips (and bottom, and thighs, and the rest), before these said pregnancies also contracted my brain system into pea-shaped proportions), I would hike with my now-husband up to Mt Lofty within 45 minutes. My legs were toned, my hair long. It was more for fun than for effort that we hiked that mountain… LOL now I walk up the hill red-faced and exhausted. But from the pain in my legs I gather that something must be working, and hopefully I will be fit and slim by 2019!

I love my new friends. They are my family here and without them I would almost be wanting to pack up and go back to Adelaide. We are more social here than we were there. On Saturday we had dinner at PJ’s and Miranda’s, with Tanya*, Jamahl and Annie. It was Thai, and we sat in the ‘great room’ of an antique house until 1am (kids and all) talking and eating and drinking various wines, beers and teas! And I had a wonderful time with Tania* last night, watching what Georgia refers to as ‘grace and emily’ (Grey’s Anatomy). Another late night – coming home late after we talked our heads off for hours.

With these friends we talk of Peak Oil. We speak of a time when “The shit hits the fan.” In this, we refer to the era when the oil hits such a high cost that we cannot afford to drive our cars. And the agriculture industry panics because they cannot use their oil-based fertilisers and so forth. Basically, the life that is easy for us now becomes harder, when transport and food etc is too expensive. In some ways, we are preparing for this time because we are attempting to be self sufficient. I don’t think that is the only answer though, because if tough times are ahead we will need more than (in the words of my dear friend) “a simple bloody vege patch” to get through. We see that the “shit is hitting the fan” now, with food riots, rice rationing, and petrol panics starting to occur more frequently. Not much is said about the running out of the fuel we all depend on. Personally, I hope that it’s all a load of crap. Unfortunately though, I don’t think it is.

It is cold here and we are starting to light the fires more often. We have a quilt and two blankets on our bed. The children wear jarmies and sleep suits and then have a quilt and a blanket on their beds. I made an ear-flap beanie over the weekend and I wear it to hang the washing out. So tough times might be ahead this winter, methinks! Tanya keeps referring to it snowing here. Brrrr.

*I have two friends, Tania and Tanya. Tania is a local and Tanya is from Adelaide, like me.

Enjoy your day.

If bored, hang head out of slow-moving vehicle with tongue lolling in way of dog