June 2006

June 15

Finally, we're living on the block in the shed/caravan/and Trevor's (master recycler's) bathroom.

We moved in three or so weeks ago. We had one days grace to organise ourselves before Leela, Trev's daughter, arrived from Queensland for a two week visit - so we've been flat out doing the tourist thing. It's something we'd, to this point, largely avoided. However it was a pleasure to visit Port Arthur, Hastings Caves, (where we saw a very rare primititve, headless spider that has a mouth in its belly) and had a swim in the thermal pool. We've 'done' the Tahune Air Walk, the National Gallery exhibition of National Treasures, The Botanical Gardens, Richmond Goal, Local Fishing trips,beach walks, rockpool exploration and the Salamanca markets. Leela enjoyed the very rich sense of history of Tasmania, and went back to tacky, Johnny come lately Queensland last week, serenaded by sobs, Trevor's real, and Caleb's more an attempt to empathise. He's never been one for crying.

We're now back on track towards sustainability, our accomodation is low in embodied energy, mostly by virtue of being so small. We've hooked up the composting loo, which is an Envirolet, different from our Nature Loo in that it is a self contained unit, it has a heater to warm the compost and evaporate liquids, an arm to mix it, a fan to extract smells. So we've lowered our water use. We're also heating water with the slow combustion stove, and ourselves, plus cooking our food on it. We're using waste timber from the local sawmiller. I've researched sustainable firewood use and there is an article in the latest issue of the ABC Organic Gardener Magazine.

On a less sustainable note Caleb has just become the owner of a gorgeous Springer Spaniel pup, named Nuju, after a Lego/Bionicle creation. Nuju is just over 8 weeks old and has taken us all by the heart strings and wrapped us around his little ... um, paw. He's a hunting dog, - so hopefully he can help reduce the number of rabbits, and supplement his diet at the same time.

On a less promising note, we are having difficulties getting our plans to the council. It's still stuck with the draftsman who is waiting for his engineer to get over a personal crisis. We have been less than impressed with the engineer from our first meeting, and now this. So our starting date keeps slipping furthur away. We'll get there, one day, hopefully, but not anytime soon.

We've had some delicious weather, only in the last week has it been rainy, now we're coping with mud and yesterday, extreme winds. We huddled into the caravan at 4am yesterday and tried to talk Caleb out of his fear of the caravan suddenly' becoming airborne, while secretly clutching onto the bed head and hoping that my recent weight gain is enough to keep us earth bound.

On the garden front, I've planted out 36 raspberry canes, - we've marked out the first garden and are in the process of talking about low cost, sustainable fencing ideas as posums, wallabies, rabbits abound. The possums we've known about ever since one ran up and down the caravan roof one night and I emerged from my sleep to suggest to Trev I thought there was a horse galloping across the roof. There's not a lot to plant this time of the year, but preparations are in progress with strawberry runners, yams, and asparagus and rhubarb on their way.

Living the Good Life has been released in New Zealand. Which has been a real thrill for me, as I'm an ex-pat who hasn't been able to work out the ratio of Kiwi to Aussie I am, though, regardless of which country I'm currently in, I call the other one home. There is an online radio interview with Dean Williams on the Environment Matters segment on the Our Changing World show on NZ's National Radio. From what I can tell it looks like LTGL may be close to or have already sold out there.
A contract has been signed with UK publisher Snowbooks, and they will be releasing the UK version in January 07.

So far there isn't a US version planned, but so US visitors don't feel left out they might like to check out the Environmental Defense site, which is currently running a campaign to reduce greenhouse emissions through the use of compact flourescent lightbulbs. They are looking for US citizens who will pledge to make the change from incandescent globes.
According to Environmental Defense

If every household in America changed three bulbs, it would be the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road

Click here to read more and perhaps make a pledge.

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