Wordless Wednesday: we've come a long way in a year

This time last year, we had one dog and a concrete slab! Join in wordless Wednesday here.

I live here

I am already counting down the days to the start of daylight savings (58 days).

At the moment I'm enjoying every extra minute of daylight at the hut.

I woke up yesterday and saw the sun rise and I realised how extremely happy I am to be living at the hut.

It's my home.

Frosty mornings and macarons

Clear blue skies over frost covered grass, I can scarcely believe we'll be living here soon.



The dogs thought the crunchy grass was excellent for chasing and wrestling on:



The leaves have nearly all dropped from our Candian Red Maple Tree- winter is definitely here now.



We are loving the sun coming into our living room early in the morning.



Finally on our flying trip to Melbourne we enjoyed tapas at Movida, shopping at Ikea, Myer, Typo, T2 and KikkiK, lunch at Earl Canteen and visiting this gorgeous little macaron shop in Hardware Lane, La Belle Miette. We bought 6 different flavours (Raspberry, 72% Cocoa Single Origin Chocolate, Caramel a la Fleur de Sel, Olive Oil & Vanilla, Pistachio & Violet & Blueberry). Not only were they beautiful to look at, but they were sublime to eat!

Don't worry they're just playing...

Things are happening this week at the hut. Tiling, light fixtures, skirting boards, shelves, laundry sinks. We'll head down on the weekend to take some photos. I'm even allowing myself to think about moving, in an abstract sort of way.

In the mean time I thought I'd share this series of photos I took of the crazy dogs at the block. They love the block, it means they can run and wrestle and chase each other. This series of shots cracks me up, although it looks quite nasty they're both having a great time, Nigella is so relaxed she lies down and lets Claudia get her. We think she's letting Claudia practise. Maybe that's not such a great idea for her though, Claudia is getting pretty good at it!

It's just a little wet out there

Claudia walking up the drain along side our driveway- I can only imagine Nigella is wondering about the sanity of her sister. A very full dam and a very green block. Nigella likes to inspect things. This is the water pooling above the drain in our drive.

Myrtle trim around the windows.

More myrtle trim...

Just one more - these little windows are my favourites- like framed pictures.

Not big news to most people in Australia this year. Flooding rains.

I love a sunburnt country,

A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges,

Of droughts and flooding rains.

Dorothy Mackellar

It was hideously wet last night in Hobart. We braved it for a quick dinner for Rob's actual birthday. Sushi at Orizuru in town. They made his night by serving it up on the wooden boat. We feasted on oysters, grilled eel, kingfish, tuna, salmon and a myriad of sushi. Washed down with a large Sapporo. Rob was quite happy with his birthday present, I ordered 10 more fruit trees from Woodbridge Fruit Trees, including 5 cider apples, 4 quinces and a plum. To go with this, I'd found an apple picking bag in an antique shop, he loved it and insisted on putting it on in the restaurant (much to his 15 year old daughter's embarrassment!)

As the rain continued to fall last night, I couldn't help but feel nervous about the driveway at the block. It runs over a creek (with a large pipe underneath) but that quantity of rain in 24 hours is always a worry. Especially with the neighbours dam that sits above our driveway. We woke to hear that the main road that leads to the block was closed due to "deep water". That's not what I wanted to hear.

So Rob headed down there today with the dogs. More to relieve me of my constant worrying than anything else. I'm happy to report that whilst extremely wet, the driveway and hut has survived. I feel a little selfish talking about it with all that has happened around the country this summer- but it certainly brings home just how nerve-racking it can be.

The dam is overflowing, the drains are flowing quickly. Claudia enjoyed a quick dip in her personal pool with the two geese that have adopted us. Rob was slightly surprised to find the builders there as the weather was so foul. But they have been working on the myrtle trim around the windows and doors- INSIDE. It looks great!

It may be a bit quiet here for the next few days- we're preparing for a big birthday party (40 people) at the block on Saturday. With a little surprise for the guests.

A tour through the freshly painted hut

Welcome to a tour of our little hut. After returning home from a flying visit to Launceston we were pleasantly surprised to find the first coat of paint had been done.

Looking from the kitchen into the living space. Originally we had wanted exposed beams and vj timber lining on the ceiling, but, ahem, due to budgetary restraints we had to settle for plaster. But now it's been painted Rob and I have fallen in love with it. The plasterer has done a fantastic job the ceiling just disappears above you, creating a light filled space. Oh and have we told you we love our bifold door? Sorry to gush, but we're pretty happy with how it's pulling together at this stage.

The opposite view looking towards the kitchen and the hall.

Our entrance- the breezeway, there's a matching set of french doors on the other side too. Don't worry, they haven't forgotten some plaster, these will be clad in the celery top pine vertical boards to match the outside of the hut. With the polished concrete floor, we reckon this room is a winner.

The guest bathroom, a shower with a great view.

The spare bedroom.

Our bathroom.

Our bedroom, overlooking the laundry hut and my flower garden.

Looking back from our end of the hut to the other. The hallway looks dark at this time of day, but once the sun swings around the corner it will come through the three full length windows. A lot of people worry we don't have enough space. We laugh to ourselves, we don't need the home entertainment room, several spare bedrooms, huge bathrooms with spas, the "good" room. This hut is for us to live in, not wasted space that will need cleaning. But it's also for us to feel connected to the nine acres of space we have outside. Once the hut is all finished our next job is to pave the flat area in front of the hut. Slightly ambitious, but we have decided to pave the full 30 x 4m. I think that will be enough space don't you?

Windows and floors

Finally got ourseleves sorted technologically.

Windows. Doors. Polished floors. Pink insulation. Light. Warmth. Quiet.

Just windows

The last couple of weeks have been a little crazy. Rob headed off for a week long field trip, then the following week I had a 3 day planning meeting. At least I didn't have to fly off to the other end of the country this year, but still the late dinners "networking" took their toll. Hobart put on it's best weather for our visiting colleagues. The pups have lucked out in terms of beach walks, although they've been having a few block runs. Speaking of the block. Big things have happened this week. Windows and doors. We decided on serious Aluminium frames, called Magnum windows. They're all awning windows. Double glazed in the living room. It makes such a difference, the hut really feels like a house now. Rob and I kept doing little happy dances in each room. The two french doors on either side of breezeway look great. The narrow full length windows down the hall throw pools of light along the polished concrete floor. The big window on the end of the hut where the window seat will be. The bi-fold door that will open out onto the patio. The little picture windows on the back wall that look up the hill, frame the view like a real picture. I especially like when the neighbour's belted galloway bull wanders into the frame! Rob and I are still struggling to exchange photos. Hopefully we'll sort that soon, so that you can do happy dances for us too!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Last week:

We ate 4kg of white peaches from Franklin.
The hut build is coming along, with polished concrete floors, plumbing, and the laundry hut has a roof.

Finally we have two crazy running dogs...

now the grass has been cut they're free to run around.

They love it!

Unfortunately my personal photographer (Rob) is on a week long field trip with the Field botany course. He took with him on his camera the photos of the newly polished concrete floor (love this) and the cute little laundry hut (perfect verandah for afternoon G & T's).

A roof in a day

Headed down to the build site to find a roof and gutters.

It's looking like a hut now.

Spring grass

Our block is a sea of green grass that ripples in the wind.

With all the recent rain it is ludicrously green and lush.

The puppies love to run and jump through it like a porpoise.

Hopefully we get a break from the rain in the new year to cut the hay.

Despite my hay fever, I love to see the block like this.

I can't wait to live here.

As promised...

...the photos of the roof trusses.

It's really starting to take shape now.

We'll head down tonight to check out the progress.