A couple weeks later we were back to installing windows. The first one was put into the little bedroom.

 

 

 

Of course, the window was recycled, as were the timbers used to frame it. Most of the timber, in fact, was already there; it just had to be rearranged somewhat.

This wall was the last one remaining uninsulated and unclad. As we were heading back into winter, the push was now on to change this situation as soon as possible - as coming posts will show.

Remember how we had a long, boring, dirty white picket fence along the front of the property? As you know, we decided to pull it out and replace it with our zigzag recycled paling fence. We at first considered selling the pickets as they were largely in good solid condition, due to being treated pine. But then we began to consider what we were going to do up the back of our property in the interests of security, property definition and privacy. Those scorned pickets, far from being sold, ended up individually de-nailed, scrubbed, painted, trimmed and turned into our fresh, cottage-y back fence. Even the long horizontal (hardwood) rails from the original front fence were recycled. Only the posts had to be bought, and they are treated pine as well. They will last a long time.

As usual, we had a goal - we wanted merely to build three fence panels and two gates, and hang those same gates in one afternoon. Well, we wanted to go away the next day, yet were loath to leave the property unsecured at the back. Remember what I said about our goal setting habit in 'Snapshot: The List'?

The original fence.

The first panel of pickets is installed and Slick is glad-wrapping the freshly mortared top section of the pillar so it holds firmly together as it dries. I don't know where he got the industry strength plastic wrap; I think either he salvaged it or someone gave it to him. It has come in very handy for various things. Note the new garden, which is basically cow manure from the saleyards and kitchen compost rotting down together. The old drive was so packed and gravelly beneath that we gave up on the idea of trying to dig into it.

The Klick, Alick and Glick Painting Squad. As you can see, the pickets have been cut and nailed to the rails, already. As you can't see, the pickets actually all have an initial coat of white paint, so this is just touch-up time. The day was beautifully warm and as soon as the panels were dry we were able to lug them across to the posts they belonged to, chock them up and screw them on.

Slick outlining the process necessary to install the fence panels.

This photo was taken approximately from our back door. By the end of the day almost the entire fence was up ...

... except for a few last pieces. However, by nightfall all was finished, including a clever bolt to secure the big gates. We could go away the next day in peace and satisfaction.

At the end of January, 2007, we officially put up the name of our property. It all started when we were given two sandstone pavers recycled from a neighbour's garden. Alone, they were useless - big and heavy, but not interesting or large enough to be much use in the general way. Slick's natural creative innovation got to work, and soon he had transformed them into pleasing objects that were of practical use, added romance, interest and value to the front presentation of the property, and which could only improve with time.

 

Clever, ain't he?

Our front fence as it was when we bought the property:

Dirty, boring and wobbly. Ridiculous from all angles - this was our fence. It had to change. Our resident designer (Mum) cleared the drawing board (found a space on the handiest scrap of paper), the resident carpenter ordered the materials and generally figured out how to translate the drawing into reality - while the remaining innocent residents waited to be transformed into resident laborers.

Voila! The laborers appear and the picket fence begins to disappear.

 

It was a jolly hot day.

Visitors. What a shame.

 

The First Panel.

The boards (old recycled fence palings) were cut square, lined up along the centre diagonal board, nailed on and then trimmed with a circular saw.

 

Notice the washing line in the distance? It was not going to stay there much longer.

Standing at the top of the kitchen stairs, in the doorway. The panel is three quarters done.

Success. The first panel is installed and the highland mist is rolling in.

Note the long, narrow trench: our plumbing according to laundry, kitchen and bathroom plans...

Slick strips the bark off our eucalypt sapling handrail. It is January 3rd, 2007 and hot.

It is quite an eye-opener to the lay person, how many uses skillful hands can put a shovel to (though it is sometimes necessary to sharpen it first).

Remember, back in April, when I posted Front Steps Pt 1? Approximately six months later and I have progressed all of about four months in the history I am trying to document! Yes, the photos below were taken between Christmas and New Year, 2006. (27-30th)

So far, Dad has dug out the old sandstone steps and replaced them (with recycled concrete slab sections). Now he has dismantled the old sandstone dry wall and is moving it in, so the edges of the steps are concealed and locked in.

Notice the steel bars? It's amazing what you can do with a trampoline.

Can you see the reason for the steel?

Da daa! The handrail. Yes, it is a eucalypt sapling - specially chosen and chopped, out on a friend's block.

No laughing, you have no idea how many comments and complements we've received in regards to this handrail!

The only object that has been more commented on, amongst our friends and within our community, is our new front fence - but you'll just have to wait a little longer to see that structure for yourselves! Watch out picket fence: you won't be standing there much longer.

Skip ahead with me to December 2006 for some glimpses of our gardens, beginning with the vegetable patch.

We decided to make use of the oddly shaped corner up on the highest point of the block, an area cut off from the rest of the property by the right-of-way to the neighbours' place. The soil proved to be an interesting puzzle and challenge, as it had a high proportion of both white and red clay, a liberal scattering of rocks, large and small, and also contained much ash and garbage. Evidently this area had been used for burning off. A vigorous crop of blackberry canes also had to be removed before the garden could be dug, so tons of roots had to be removed - and are still a constant battle. The earth was also very compacted.

Because of the unfortunate composition of the soil, we had to dig it over completely, quite deeply, unload a couple of trailer loads of cow manure onto it and just leave it for a while as the manure broke down and started the process of re-balancing the soil components. After that we planted sunflowers (their roots would help break up the soil), tomatoes (we eat so many), broad beans, pumpkins, beans and zucchinis. Actually, the pumpkins might have been self-sown from our compost. In hindsight, we should have piled on at least twice as much manure. A load of fine green waste or straw or something probably wouldn't have gone astray either.

This photo, taken through the sunflowers, looks down the hill from the highest point on the property.

This photo was taken from the right-of-way, looking back up to the veggie garden. We grew lots of pumpkins and zucchinis that year.

And from the other angle, still standing on the right-of-way, just about where it exits our property and becomes Mangold Lane.

The steps and flower garden.

The steps from the bottom.

Looking toward the steps from the higher level again.

And from further back still.

We grew lots of pumpkins that year. The mulch was very fruitful!

Sorry for the long blogging silence, folks. Here are some photos that were taken a week or so after the time period covered in my last post. (September 7th, 2006.) They serve as a good this-is-where-we're-up-to-at-this-stage portfolio. Obviously the photos only show the outside of the house, but, as almost nothing had been touched inside as yet, these pictures don't miss much.











As can be seen, little or no landscaping has been done out the front or down the sides of the house, at this stage. The western wall of the house is the last wall waiting to be insulated and clad, and the cladding of the garage/workshop/laundry building is obviously incomplete too. However, three walls of our house now have new windows, insulation and cladding - we have light and warmth inside!