Five! Oh! Oh! A review of country life
I have been wondering what to do as a result of getting to the 500th post on this blog. An obvious thought was to apologise! However on seeking advice from Frances she suggested that as she is a keen reader of the English magazine Country Life I should write a review of our life in the country. As usually the case with Frances, a brilliant idea. I will return to the magazine at the end of this post.
A first point to make is that our country life is in Australia rather than the UK. This means that we can afford to own a house on 22 hectares which I doubt if we could anywhere in the UK.
In considering a review there needs to be some comparison with objectives, which means there needs to be some objectives! Our objectives in moving out to the rural hinterland were:
Pleasant house: This has been achieved. our house is pleasant to look at and very liveable. When we first saw it I was taken with the exposed wooden walls and floors in the main living area, and I still like these features. However I am increasingly coming to enjoy what we call the sun-room at the eastern end of the house as somewhere to sit and read, listen to the radio and chat.
Sometimes, when the jerry-built elements of the house come to the fore, we get frustrated, but as Frances observed the other day when you can sit up in bed and watch kangaroos boxing on the hill across the lawn it is very good.
Peace and quiet: Achieved nearly all of the time. The exception is when the local bogans decide to ride trail bikes around: this tends to happen rarely so can be tolerated. At other times it can be so quiet that the little noises made be the roof adjusting to temperature changes etc seem deafening.
Most of the people we know out here are about as far away from boganicity as it is possible to be. It is a really nice community.
Lots of birds: Achieved in spades. I have recorded 95 species around the house and a couple more further up the block. Having frogmouths nesting outside my study window is brilliant!
Big vegetable garden: Achieved in spades. Last year was a bit of a disaster due to the excessive rain but we have still kept ourselves in vegetable and fruit for about 4 months. We have also got the blackberries and mushrooms we collect around the rest of the block.
Not too far from Canberra: Achieved. It takes us about 30 minutes to get to Civic (now - it was about 40 when we first came out here). The major issues are
Unscheduled costs and benefits:
Back to Country Life the magazine. Frances gets back issues at a newsagents in Kingston. They cost about $8 but give both of us several hours of enjoyable reading - great value. The issue of January 26 (which we acquired in early April dealt with inter alia dogs. I thought the cover was the best dog image I had seen:
That white dog is going to get such a pounding in about 2 seconds! Inside they discuss various breeds of dog. I think their view of the Jack Russell applies equally to miniature fox terrier (click on image to enlarge and read)!
They have definitely got this breed right!
A first point to make is that our country life is in Australia rather than the UK. This means that we can afford to own a house on 22 hectares which I doubt if we could anywhere in the UK.
In considering a review there needs to be some comparison with objectives, which means there needs to be some objectives! Our objectives in moving out to the rural hinterland were:
- Live somewhere that we didn't find the activities of the ACT Government in my face every day;
- A pleasant house to live in
- Have peace and quiet away from bogans (other than ACT Government employees);
- Be somewhere with lots of birds;
- Have a big vegetable garden;
- Not too far from Canberra;
- Perhaps have some livestock.
Pleasant house: This has been achieved. our house is pleasant to look at and very liveable. When we first saw it I was taken with the exposed wooden walls and floors in the main living area, and I still like these features. However I am increasingly coming to enjoy what we call the sun-room at the eastern end of the house as somewhere to sit and read, listen to the radio and chat.
Sometimes, when the jerry-built elements of the house come to the fore, we get frustrated, but as Frances observed the other day when you can sit up in bed and watch kangaroos boxing on the hill across the lawn it is very good.
Peace and quiet: Achieved nearly all of the time. The exception is when the local bogans decide to ride trail bikes around: this tends to happen rarely so can be tolerated. At other times it can be so quiet that the little noises made be the roof adjusting to temperature changes etc seem deafening.
Most of the people we know out here are about as far away from boganicity as it is possible to be. It is a really nice community.
Lots of birds: Achieved in spades. I have recorded 95 species around the house and a couple more further up the block. Having frogmouths nesting outside my study window is brilliant!
Big vegetable garden: Achieved in spades. Last year was a bit of a disaster due to the excessive rain but we have still kept ourselves in vegetable and fruit for about 4 months. We have also got the blackberries and mushrooms we collect around the rest of the block.
Not too far from Canberra: Achieved. It takes us about 30 minutes to get to Civic (now - it was about 40 when we first came out here). The major issues are
- the cost of petrol (thank you petrol company price gougers); and
- driving at night and avoiding the marsupials but that is really neither here nor there.
Unscheduled costs and benefits:
- Remoteness: It has been a bit surprising how some basic services (eg phone and electricity supply) have been inferior to Canberra despite being so close in. Also a bit surprising that the Creek can cut us off when there is heavy rain. Neither of these are really major issues- eg compared to what people have put up with in Brisbane in the last year.
- Native flowers: We may have got into this interest if we lived in Canberra. However having a local friend who is a guru on the topic has got us involved so it is a major interest for us. A huge enhancement to our lives.
Back to Country Life the magazine. Frances gets back issues at a newsagents in Kingston. They cost about $8 but give both of us several hours of enjoyable reading - great value. The issue of January 26 (which we acquired in early April dealt with inter alia dogs. I thought the cover was the best dog image I had seen:
Comments
SO many positives, has to indicate a successful move to the "bush".
The Country Life excerpt was lovely.
Liked the reference to "Coq au vin (with feathers)".
Denis
I also like your reference to the unbroken silence, but for passing all terrain motor bikes that sometimes break up the peace. If one could only figure out a way to get rid of them, everywhere, for good!
Looking forward to the next 500 blogs.