Challenges...

It's been a week of challenges but all in all everything came good in the end.  

There was a late call to say the septic tank was going to be delivered early the next day and confirmation was needed of exactly where it was going on site.  Rick shot off to the block to direct proceedings and arrived at about the same time as the septic tank men.  

It's huge! We really had no idea just the size of the hole required for the installation.  

All going well until they dug through the power cable!  Hay ho, apparently covered by the insurance and no biggy as it seems to have been sorted in no time.  Our block now has a few more holes and looks for all the world like we have manic giant wombats living there.

Brad the stone mason cracking on with the retaining wall.

Nigel, who seems to be the roof-man, sorting out the roof

And the story so far, roof on, one gable end done, beautiful stone wall finished and capped with the grey bull-nosed tiles.  Inside it looks huge and is already starting to feel like a home.... very exciting.

Veggie Patch

Meanwhile on the veggie patch.....

The sheep did a grand job keeping the grass down earlier this year and of course fertilised as they grazed.  Add sun and rain to this potent mixture and the grass etc., grows like the clappers... possibly a mile a minute. It is very hard to keep up with, Rick has been putting in a few K's doing the rounds with the Slasher (aka mower) and I decided it was high time I made friends with the Wippa Snippa previously known to me as a strimmer.... but this one, I discovered, is far more heavy duty... heavy being the operative word.

Me making friends with the Wippa Snippa.

My first experience with a petrol driven one I very quickly learnt that it starts much quicker once it's turned on and starter primed!  It was also blooming heavy to lug around let alone aim at the long grasses effectively.  Time to sort out the harness, which I managed to do a wee bit tight to start with and soon found you can't slash effectively with the engine under your armpit!  Got there in the end though and now the long grasses and weeds quake at the sound of my approach!!

Then there was the ice bucket challenge.  My advice is never ask Deb to assist with the pouring of the ice, it felt like it was going on forever.... very funny though... and I really am grateful for her help and to Rick for recording the event effectively....... really

Kalangadoo

On Sunday we met up with the nice folk from the Family History group, they had organised a day for members to visit 'old' homes and learn a bit more about this beautiful region.  It was really interesting, Kalangadoos claim to fame is being the last place in South Australia to have an operational Morse code machine.  It was also apparently the last place in Australia to have a night cart!

We visited a beautifully restored family home, still lived in so didn't venture inside.  The work they had carried out was not for the feint hearted but it looked like new.  The house was made from over 500,000 bricks which had been handmade on site.  Mind boggling to say the least.

Then on down a few muddy tracks to another home in the process of being restored.  We were of course fine with the track, not much our trusty Dora can't take on but we managed to loose a few of the group in a muddy puddle.  Whoops

And finally we ended up on top of a trigger point with fantastic views over the limestone coast. Watched over by a few surprised teenage cows and sheep. A few of the sheep seem to have the Colegate ring of confidence!