No such thing as a simple life on my one acre in Tasmania with my two dogs.I try to grow food, wrangle chickens and the native and non native wildlife share the land I call home. Life with CPTSD and ADHD not been easy so I share about it all. Low income, a bit frugal, real life My Life.
Today it is quite mild only reaching a maximum of 15dC/59dF with showers, wind and tonight a minimum of 4dC/39.2. This weather will continue slowly warming back up again mid week.
Yesterday I was enjoying coffee and a book in the sunshine on my deck getting my vitamin D. I sat outdoors on my deck marveling at how lovely a day it was. Watching the little puffs of clouds float bye. The brown butterflies and white butterflied, bumble bees, honey bees and native bees buzzed about. Birds chatter and song filled the air. Caw of crows, and songs of blackbirds. Wrens and pardolottes.
My washing was drying in my solar drier. Whilst doonas, dog beds and blankets all aired in the gentle breeze and sunshine. So lovely to snuggle under last night. To me that is the perfect scent to go to sleep with. Bliss.
It is has been a while since I wrote about the veggie garden. So the dogs and I ventured outside in between showers. It is not really as cold as I thought lol. Just going from a beautiful sunny 28dC/82.4dF yesterday to this is a bit of a shock to my system.
I shall start with the deck. There is still quite a lot happening on the deck as you will be able to see. So many flowers still going. Cornflowers and sweet peas which I have had since late spring. A beautiful long period.
Deck Garden
Things on the deck are doing OK even though they may be getting a bit wind blown and the chillier nights may not be to all the plants liking.
Herbs such as sage and thyme are still growing new leaves, as is the Greek oregano I have that grows about the wine barrels and path. I still live in hope that some of my tomatoes still on the vine will develop enough to ripen as temperatures are to warm up again next week.
I have been getting tomatoes off both areas. The deck ones I have had to pick a bit greener as some critter has been getting in under or between the netting gaps, the night before I have decided I will have those couple for breakfast in the morning. I now I should have learnt by now never ever think let alone say out loud that you are going to pick that fuit/vegetable tomorrow. Exact same thing happened with the grapes. I did score a few and they were delicious.
Top Row L-R Carrot seedlings: Brassicas in polystyrene, carrots seedlings in small pot, beetroot? seedlings in large pot. Middle Row L-R Amaranth and small pansies: Egg Plant/Aubergine with flowers: Self sown Peas and a broad bean seed growing that I just popped in there. Bottom Photo Centre in post beet root seedlings; left front lavender, right blueberry plant;
Top row L-R Sage: lemon tree in recovery: SweeAlyssum (Lobularia maritima): Corn Flowers (Centaurea cyanust) Middle row L-R: Carrrot flowers; Spring Onion Flowers; Surprise me seedlings. Last photo carrot seedlings
Top Row L-R Eggplant/aubergine flowers: Deck tomatoes fruiting: Middle Row L-R Lemon and lime trees bottomerow lemon and lime tree and sad looking brassica self sown
I have been picking a few beans every day, often eating quite a few as I wander about the garden watering or looking. Similarly with the broccoli I just eat it raw at the time or in salad raw. Too nice to cook.
The corn is swelling. I did try my first cob last night for part of my dinner. It was so sweet and tasty, some of it not so developed. I picked it because I could see something had been trying to get into it. I have a few cobs left. I know that if I were to grow corn next spring summer I will not be doing it in a three season bed. Same thing with the pumpkin. Everything grew well. Everything has produced is producing something but in tiny amounts apart from the beans. The only thing that I feel was really successful and I feel it would have been on it is own is the bean tripod.
I have self sown rocket, red sorrel and a brassica of unknown origin or type just popping up about the beds on the paths of the Vegetable garden. I have not had plantain in my vegetable garden for years and this year I have it. I am so happy about this. This does not bother me in the slightest. Gaia is so generous if we allow her.
I keep thinking I should pick some Rosehips, and make some Rosehip syrup.
The dogs enjoyed being outside between showers, and sniffed, played and rolled about in delight. As I picked and ate some blackberries. I also looked at the wild apple tree in the hedgerow and picked a couple of apples off it. They look a bit green to me.
The middle photograph in the top row is of a watermelon plant that was planted as a seedling back in November. It is only just flowering now. I do not like my chances of getting any fruit. Oh you have to gamble some times. I feel the position of this bed and the metal walls protecting it were to much contributing to it not doing well.
The middle row shows the dogs and I looking at the hazelnut shrubs. I was picking hazel nuts off the branches, and off the ground. Noting that some thing has been eating them. It is interesting to note that almost every nut on the ground still has no nut inside. How do these critters know this? Busby likes chewing the shell and seeing if their is a nut inside. The two he got that I had dropped on the deck both had nuts in them. I can find it hard to distinguish if there is a nut or not. I have four different types of hazelnuts so do not understand why I am not getting fertillised nuts. Something to research.
As the garden heads further into Autumn I am thinking of what I need to do to prepare for next spring.
I have to soon plant garlic. Possibly in the next week. Peter Cundall who was one of the long term presenters of Gardening Australia on the Australian Broadcasting Commission TV. He happens to live up in Tamar Valley in the North of the state. Used to say plant on the shortest day and harvest on the longest. This worked for the first few years I grew garlic but no longer. The season has changed.
These final photos are back on the deck some garlic that was sprouting (not my home grown ones but some I had bought as locally grown) I placed in the pots. The bounty of hazel nuts and all that was left on my Huonvalley Crab Apple tree. The rest show a hodge podge of pots on the deck with cos lettuce, mints, sage, brassica, flowering strawberry plants, cape gooseberry, a small pot with a self sown broad bean and pea.
I personally find gardening wonderful, challenging, and constantly requiring evaluation. I find for my mental well being it is a wonderful place to be. I rarely wear gloves (even with risks of Scorpion stings and Jack Jumper Ant bites) preferring to have my hands connect to the soil. I call it being earthed. For me it brings a sense of well being of contentedness to Gaia. That perhaps things are not so bad in the world.
Why would I shy away from my meeting with my psychologist? Our last meeting was good, as it ended she made a small comment along the lines how good it was that I had three people helping me with supporting and helping me.
Its true, I have three professional people helping me just to manage the things in my life that I am no longer able to manage. This is a serious part of my CPTSD. It is a part that is not visible and something I struggle with in myself. I get frustrated and flustered with the fact I have had to ask for a social worker to help me with paperwork.
I have always been very independent and strong. I have always found it impossible to ask for help. I have had too. It sucks. It was so hard for me to respond when my GP referred me to the Social Worker. I do have to say she has been pretty great in dealing with Centrelink for me. It is good.
So for me hearing the words I had three people supporting and helping me, the words have sunk down into my dark place, quietly and my reaction is self preservation and do not talk to anyone! The positive is that I am aware of what is going on. Which says how far I have come. Insight is always a good place to start.
My psychologist has sent an email. I of course have not read it yet. I will as I will also compile an honest email to share what has/is happening within me at the moment. Perhaps this will happen over the weekend.
The the three people who are supporting and helping are my psychologist, GP, and a Community Health social worker.
I need them all at this point in my life and I am very Very appreciative, and happy to have them to help me and support me as I keep moving in a forward direction.
If I could share one thing with anyone asking for support and help may be really hard. If you need some, ask for it. Having a social worker who is able to speak to Centrelink for example on my behalf, we had to have an authority signed by both of us to say she could. Just having this has been a huge help as I know I can contact my social worker and she will deal with the issue on my behalf. Dealing with Centrelink has triggered me a lot over the past years.
Pushing through my own emotions and anxiety to ask for help has been a positive thing for me. It can be for you too. If you need support and help. You like I did have to breathe and do it for yourself. Asking for help if and when you need it is a good thing.
I am thankful for the three people who are supporting and helping me on a professional level. I am thankful that I did ask for help.
I had been fortunate to get 3 rather large raw chooks each about 2.5kgs/5.51lbs in weight. I boiled one, and roasted the other two as the use bye date was in two days. At $3.50 a kg/2.2lbs it was a very cheap form of meat for my dogs. I was also able to get winter vegetable frozen blend in 1kg/2.2lbs bags. Australian grown for $3.95kg/2.2lbs The bag of frozen vegetables provided me enough veggies for 5 meals. The contained beans, cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli. I boiled some in the stock made by the boiled chicken, and took apart the chicken that was boiled ensuring I had removed all the bones.
When the stock had boiled I first add the frozen vegetables, and turn the heat off. A short time later I added a cup and half of oats to it and several garlic bubils (the tiny garlic bulbs that develop at the end of the scape.) They can be planted out and will develop into bulbs. I use them in dogs food and salads, but will plant some out in my tubs perhaps this year. I also added some turmeric about 3 teaspoons.
You can see how fit and active Busby and Miss Treacle are here playing with a friend.
I end up blitzing the vegetable/oat chicken soup sort of mix before I add the chicken. As Miss Treacle will spit out the vegetables if they are too big.
I will freeze the rest which will mean from this one chicken my dogs had a raw meal the night I bought the whole chickens home. They had their meal today, and I will get three more meals for them which I will freeze as ready to go meals.
I will do similar with the two roast chickens that are cooling in the fridge. I may do one with boiled rice, and the other with oats. These will also go in my freezer giving me in total 13 frozen meals for my two dogs so 13 days of food. Because I roasted these two chooks I will make stock out of the bones. Perhaps for me to have available for soups or whatever in the freezer.
Busby loves rolling around in the grass, you can see he has no redness from allergies on his undercarriage.
In comparison Optimum for example at Woolworth’s is $35 for 7.5kgs/16.53lbs of kibble style food. It would take 450gms /15.9oz of dry feed a day for Busby and 160gms/5.6oz for Miss Treacle. Total per day 610gms/21.5ozs, at a cost of $2.91 a day. Sounds great. You could get a deal if ordered online for 2 bags for $52 a big saving of $18. but not if your dog has issues with what is in the ingredients.
Comparing my chicken oats, and veggie meals for my dogs and the Optimum is going to be an interesting thing. I paid $9.35 for almost 3kgs of whole raw chicken. Cooked weight with all bones removed was 2.45 Kgs plus I had the chicken stock from cooking the whole chook in.
I added two cups of frozen vegetables about 1kg, plus some broccoli leaves shredded from my garden. I added garlic pearls/bulbils also free from my garden. I did not add any extras to the basic mix at this point in time. But tomorrow night they will have beef mince with brewers yeast. Oh and turmeric was added at about 3tspns in total, so $1 worth. Oats at $3.95kg and I used about 250gms of oats for this volume so $1.00 2450gms of chicken meat will provide 5 meals for both my dogs as they get 500gms of meat per meal. (because they also get regular fresh raw bones ).
Miss Treacle is showing you her wonderful teeth pretty great for a girl her age. She had one missing when I adopted her, and she has an under bite. She was from a hoarder so we do not think her diet was very good before she came to me 10 years ago.
Chicken $9.35 Oats $1.00 Veggies $4.50 Tumeric $1.00 Chicken stock free bulbils garlic free $15.85 Cost of 5 meals $3.17each for two dogs =$0.06 cents per kg of dog.
Busby 41Kgs/90.4lbs $2.60per meal of pure chicken veggies and oats with turmeric in a chicken stock. Miss Treacle 8.5kgs/18.74lbs . 48 cents per meal (rounded up)
Miss Treacle very Happy this afternoon.
My ingredients, human grade chicken 100% , chicken stock (no added salt made with water and whole chicken from whole human edible grade product) cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beans, frozen. Fresh broccoli leaves my garden, oats or rice. both human grade, garlic bulbils my garden, turmeric powder. Everything was fit for human consumption. The three chicken meals that are left will be frozen. I will add once a meal is defrosted for dinner either egg or sardines, and brewers yeast to the meals for each dog. If I had used rice it would have been cheaper as my brown rice was cheaper than my Oats to buy when I purchased them.
Oh that does not look great. The dogs loved it wolfed down their food this afternoon.
Compared to the ingredients in the Optimum dried kibble Chicken, Rice and vegetables, off the Woolworth’s site :Poultry And Poultry By-products; Sorghum And/or Rice And/or Wheat; Barley And/or Corn; Chicken Digest; Cereal Protein; Beet Pulp; Vegetables; Salt; Vegetable Oil; Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Zinc Sulphate, Ferrous Sulphate, Copper Sulphate, Potassium Iodide And Selenium); Sodium Tripolyphosphate; Vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D, E And Choline) And Antioxidants
Sodium tripolyphosphate, also known as pentasodium triphosphate, pentasodium tripolyphosphate or sodium triphosphate, is used in a wide range of applications in the manufacture of cleaning products and food preservatives as well as in water treatment facilities.
https://www.chefsteps.com/ingredients/sodium-tripolyphosphateSodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) is an alkaline salt that will raise the pH of meats and seafood, enough to increase their water-holding capacity. So if you see this on human grade foods you have to wonder how much extra water is being added to the product to give more weight.
https://www.dogingtonpost.com/a-guide-to-understanding-dog-food-ingredients/Sodium tripolyphosphate works as a preservative in your pet’s food. According to a fact sheet by the Food & Water Watch, sodium tripolyphosphate can be harmful if inhaled and is a skin irritant (MSDS). … Let’s leave this unnecessary, non-nutritive ingredient out of our dog food. Watch for STPP in your fish, too.Sep 29, 2015 beet pulp Fiber/filler, stills contains enough sugar for rush/addiction to food and hyperactivity. corn This controversial cereal grain typically used in dog food is feed-grade (not for human consumption) and can include mold or fungus. Corn is typically considered a cheap filler which is both difficult for dogs to digest and can increase a dog’s blood sugar, leading to diabetes, weight gain, and joint dysfunction.
https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_pet_food_for_your_pets_sake By-products (for example, chicken by-products or beef by-products): clean non-rendered “parts”, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, blood, bone, fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. This is a cheap way for pet food companies to keep the protein levels “high” (although not high quality) while keeping food production costs low.
These are enough to cause me concern. So many dogs and cats have allergies and skin issues. Non of my animals have on the raw, home cooked and Vets all Natural, diets I have had them on . I personally loved the Vets all natural raw diet adult mix but sadly of late the cost of the 15kg bag is becoming so expensive and at present I am finding my home made raw and cooked meat meals cheaper.
So for me the fact my animals are incredibly healthy. Miss Treacle is 12, 1/2,she has a aging condition that makes her eyes look like they are developing cataracts the vet has assured me she can see well. That these are not human cataracts. Busby will be 5 on the 8th May.
Look at Miss Treacle move, not bad for an older girl!
I currently spend $6 .99for a kg/2.20lbs of pet mince premium (no preservatives, or colours or food enhancers as can be used in sausage meat which is also included in the cheaper pet mince at my butcher) I buy my meat at a local butchers, and they have their own farm/s so much of the meat is usually local. Unless specified.
I buy usually 14 kgs/30.86/lbs for $6.99 for a total of $97.86 but this will actually provide my dogs for over a month of food when I add the chicken necks once a week $3.50kg/2.20lbs. I also buy bones 5kgs bones $5.00 They will get sardines once a week with their meal. I will also add to two meals one egg for Miss Treacle and two eggs for Busby. They get less meat in those meals. Which extend the meat longer.
125gm tin of headless whole sardines usually 3 in a tin, costs $0.75. I usually buy in spring water unless it they have them in olive oil.
I will also give them eggs two for Miss Treacle and four for Busby a week, total cost of $3.25 I buy oats at $3.95per Kg from a bulk wholefoods they may be less as these may have been organic ones, and the frozen vegetables usually at about $4.50 a kg.
Once a week I will use 1kg of chicken necks for a meal.
I will make six meals of beef pet mince 3.6kgs of meat. which cost me $25.16 plus $4.95 for the vegetables. Eggs cost me $6.50a dozen $0.54 per egg $3.25 for the dogs 6 eggs and $0.75cents a tin of sardines.
I will also add turmeric and brewers yeast alternately. I use turmeric powder that I get from a local supplier for about $4.50 for 375gms/13.28ozs and the yeast I get from a pet supply company for a lot less than from any supermarket. I have had my supply for ages and as I use only a small amount for each dog it has been very economical. lets say $0.30 a week turmeric say similar as it is small doses.
A cost of $34.71 a week for my dogs to eat a home made raw diet that includes beef, eggs, vegetables, fish, turmeric and brewers yeast. All Human grade. Plus bones which $5 bag lasts me two weeks so another $2.50 total of $34.71 for a 41Kg dog and a 8.5kg dog. They are both really healthy with shiny soft coats, they have no skin issues. Fleas and ticks are very rarely a problem and I live in the bush and they have wallabies, rabbits and other macro pods about all who can carry fleas and ticks. I do not use any chemicals to control these critters.
Note I do say human grade meat for my dogs in regard to beef. As it from the butchers. It has no preservatives in it and is made generally every week from off cuts and scraps. It is from human grade edible beef though I may not wish to eat it.
Also note my recipe is using oats and not rice this time. I buy my rice from an Indian store in Hobart and my last bag of brown rice (Australian) was $18 for 15kgs. Both dogs and I eat this too. My dogs also eat apples and carrots as treats. I also will grate both in their raw food which is how I do their beef mince. Along with frozen veggies that I have just defrosted and pureed.
A total of $5 a day. So yes more expensive but when I compare what is in the dried kibble from optimum the ingredients list off the Woolworth’s site and the possibilities that some conditions that some dogs seem to have. I will stick with my perhaps slightly more expensive food but definitely cheaper regarding vets visits and after care costs.
I chose Optimum because it is at Woolworth’s and seems to be endorsed by a TV Vet Dr Chris Brown whom appears to have been involved in the design and development of their Grain free food. See their website https://www.optimumpet.com.au/ While looking at the company website I noted in small writing on their Daily feeding guide. Research shows that feeding your dog a mix of both wet and dry products has a broad range of health benefits. OPTIMUM™ has created a variety of both wet and dry formulations to suit your dog at every life stage. When feeding both, simply halve the recommended quantities of each product. I would need to feed Busby one full can $3.75 per day and 1,1/2cups of the kibble. As I am not sure how much weight that is I can not price it. It would have to be at least $1.25 OH I just found it I would have to feed him 130gms of the kibble at $0.50 per 100gms so 80cents for the kibble making it $4.55 for Busby For Miss Treacle 8.5kgs I would have to feed her 300gms of wet food and 70 gms of kibble so $0.75 for the kibble and $3.75 700gms tin so $0.54 c/100gms $1.62 for the wet so $2.37 for her bringing the total to $6.92 to feed this food to both my dogs as per the recommendations of the company.
Making it almost $2 a day more expensive than my fresh human grade chicken and beef scraps and off cuts.
I am also aware that for some their is concerns in regard to Brewers Yeast, What are the risks of brewer’s yeast for dogs? In large dogs, the amount of brewer’s yeast needed to have an effect may cause stomach and intestinal upset. Gas is the most commonly reported side effect in all dogs. Brewer’s yeast can interact with some types of anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medications. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/brewers-yeast-dogs-understanding-benefits-and-risks
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11108195 the research article that states potential for toxicity of garlic but the amount given was massive the research paper mentioned below can be found in the link at the beginning of the paragragh.
ttps://www.petguide.com/health/dog/the-shocking-truth-about-dogs-and-garlic/Garlic got a bad rap in 2000, when a research paper was published that was based on garlic’s effect on dogs. Even though the dogs tested didn’t show any outward appearance of toxicity symptoms, there was an effect on the red blood cells. The researchers stated: “we believe that foods containing garlic should be avoided for use in dogs.” From that point on, the rumour spread that garlic could be deadly for dogs. However, that reaction was a little hasty and harsh. Most people read summaries of the study and jumped to conclusions. Reading the results in detail reveals a more complicated story.
Let’s take a closer look into the study itself, not just one quote. This study, which was undertaken at Hokkaido University, was conducted on four dogs. Each of these dogs given 1.25 ml of garlic extract per kg of body weight for seven straight days. As an example, if the dog weighed 40 pounds, it would be given about 20 cloves of garlic. That’s a staggering amount of garlic that no dog or human would ever actually consume in that time frame! Don’t believe us? Then Calculate how much garlic you’d be eating using that formula. It would be more than enough garlic to make anyone ill.
So this is my food for my dogs, they do not get treats (with the exception of when they visit A dear friend Billy she is like their Aunt and will give them and her dog those shmackos. Miss Treacle runs into the pantry if the door is open and sits in front of the jar looking at it longingly and wagging her tail knowing what is in store for her. Obviously deprived my dogs are. All the above is my own opinions and thoughts, I am no way endorsing any products or suppliers, I also am not saying you have to do anything if you are happy with your dogs food.
I would also like to add I could not afford to feed my dogs the more premium dog foods that are vet endorsed and they may or may not be better in quality than how I perceive the particular one I have chosen.
I also have noted many non grain dog foods have a lot of broad beans as the extra protein ingredient, as they are a cheaper source of protein than meat. One such is Australian company who do a home delivery direct to you contract. They say they specialise in ensuring the quantity/ap for your dog.
$79 per box – free shipping to Melb, Bris & Syd 7.5kg They are Australian and state they use 97% Australian sourced ingredients. Scratch is the companys name https://www.scratchpetfood.com.au/grain-free-dog-food/ I have never tried this dog food for my dog, and they charge $5 for a sample? So will never be likely too. I have read some positive and some issues with the products for some dogs on their companies own site.
I have used Vets All Natural again an Australian company but raw based. I have only ever used their grain mix that you soak and add to raw meat. My dogs loved it and it WAS economical for me. Sadly it is too expensive now which is why I am doing my own food for my dogs.
There are some concerns over feeding too many broad beans or legumes to dogs. That in some incidences the Food and Drug people of USA have noted that their has been a rise in heart issues of breeds not previously known to have any genetic issue and when information has been gathered about diet the higher percentage of dogs involved seemed to have diets high in legumes and or potatoes though most were grain free foods but some were grain diets also where these products were included. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fda-center-veterinary-medicines-investigation-possible-connection-between-diet-and. Updated post on 27th June 2019
Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Scomo) gave a speech this morning (10/03/2020) to business people. I am not too sure how many small and self employed businesses might have been represented. What I heard him say was that businesses should think about continuing to pay any casual employee who is forced to isolate.
What a very bizarre thing to say. I can not imagine many businesses that can afford to pay casuals, casual rates whilst they are isolated.
The reality is that casual rates are higher and this is to cover sick leave and holiday pay.
He never really mentioned the health and concerns for the people impacted already by the deaths or illness, or isolation. Nor did he actually tell us what OUR Government is going to do to help the people. Nor did I hear and I may have missed if he did mention if people used holiday and sick leave it was still going to cost businesses. Now sick leave is there for the very reason you are sick. So USE it if you are, but if you are in isolation are YOU SICK? Holidays will cost your employer more money.
A day or two ago he did or some representative suggested people buy extra food items each week. (me I think I will stock up on chocolate. Fruit and nut that is dairy, protein (nuts) sugar, fruit fibre, Some of the new salt cracker with chocolate. Well I cant get toilet paper… lol. If only chocolate was still wrapped in paper I could use that in an emergency but my septic system would not like the plastic
It seems that now with Qantas impacted due I imagine to peoples fears and the risks inherent of traveling to so many locations where the virus is spreading.
In a statement, the airline said: “The latest cuts follow the spread of the coronavirus into Europe and North America over the past fortnight, as well as its continued spread through Asia.”
As part of the cutbacks Qantas will:
Ground 38 aircraft, including eight A-380s
Re-route services to London, flying via Perth instead of Singapore
Ask staff to take annual leave and unpaid leave
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said while redundancies were a last resort, the changes meant about 2,000 jobs were now surplus to requirements.
He also said the senior leadership team will take a pay cut of 30 per cent, in order to “pull every lever that we can to make sure that the group gets through this environment”.
Jetstar will make significant cuts to its international network by suspending flights to Bangkok and reducing flights to Vietnam and Japan by almost half.
Both Qantas and Jetstar’s domestic service reductions will be increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent.
“This will be a survival of the fittest,” he said.” I imagine the survival of those 2,000 surplus to requirement staff are not included in that statement. I imagine those surplus to requirement are being notified. I wonder how many of those are casuals? He did not elaborate on the numbers of staff he is expecting to take unpaid leave or holidays, (which is not a saving to any company as in Australia full time and part time staff are paid an extra 17.50% of weekly wage to actually take holidays. On top of their normal pay. So this will actually cost more to the company than if the staff were working.
Australia vulnerable due to high household debts
In Australia the big concern is household debt, which now stands around 120 per cent of GDP and nearly 200 per cent of household incomes, and as the housing market has bounced back in the last few months, individual loans have become even bigger.
Add that to what is happening overseas, and many are wondering if the world is slowly inching back to conditions like those that led to the global financial crisis.
However, Shane Oliver is not yet unduly concerned.
“If you look at the overall picture I don’t think we have anything like the degree of gearing on the sub-prime mortgage debts that we saw going into the GFC,” he said.
“It’s hard to see a sort of a bubble akin to the US housing bubble like we saw prior to the GFC.”
Shane Oliver does think a good old-fashioned recession is coming, though.
A recession which a ticking debt bomb and the lowest interest rates in history will make worse.
Now the Australian Footy League (AFL) if no large gatherings are allowed they will play games with no people watching. The season starts Thursday 19/03/2020. I can’t imagine how Melbourne people and Tasmanians will survive if they can’t watch their footy at the stadiums.
University of Tasmania is being impacted by the Covid-19
Tasmania’s university was “not making enough progress to be the right size to be sustainable even in the short term”, the vice chancellor told staff in an email
UTAS’s educational offerings would be cut from about 514 degrees and courses to 120 by next year, in an effort to cut costs and “cut through this tangle of complexity”
The university was “over-reliant” on Chinese students — a factor which had backfired in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, UTAS admitted
National mortgage hotline has been receiving a spike of concerns due to mortgage stress of people, and the Government has requested that the banks go ‘easy’ on the folk who have asked for more time to pay. Interesting as interest rates are at the lowest point they have been in Australia for a long time.
I do hope the banks do heed this as I have been there in needing more time to pay here and there. Thank You Bendigo Bank! (I bank with them and that is all I do not gain anything for saying this). I was honest with them. This was quite some years ago, so I can not say it might happen today.
It is all very interesting and suddenly so many decisions are being made, so it would seem that neither Qantas or the University of Tasmania will be paying casual staff that may be forced into isolation or casual staff at all as they will be the first causalities. My feelings are that if a staff member was exposed to Covid-19 on a flight where you were working it would be compensation. Other wise it would seem from my thoughts which are purely my own, that it would be best to use it as unpaid leave as this way the company would not have to pay you a thing.
Though again my personal feeling would be at a time like this if you asked every staff member if they would prefer to take a pay cut of 30% and keep their jobs it might help everyone. Now instead 2000 surplus to requirement positions means what exactly? I am assuming that no other airline will be looking at employing anyone in this current market. So I am guessing that many will not have much savings and they will be applying for guess what NEWSTART soon to have a name change,(at a huge cost for reprinting of all material I imagine and logos training stuff sigh) Jobseeker payment. Oh how much better.
I can only imagine that there will be many more distressed people with mortgages who will be very distressed and anguished about the possibility of no income to pay their mortgage.
Or rents for that matter. Casual employees who will always be the first to be let go, when businesses no matter what their size are struggling. I find it interesting that taking holidays was mentioned.
At least the price of petrol is supposed to come down in the near future. Yeah! Oh and I imagine there will be big specials on toilet paper here in Australia in the near future as so many people will have so much in their homes.
The Reserve Bank last week cut the interest rate by 0.25points what worries me more is Donald Trump tweeted how wonderful it was.
Australia’s Central Bank cut interest rates and stated it will most likely further ease in order to make up for China’s Coronavirus situation and slowdown. They reduced to 0.5%, a record low. Other countries are doing the same thing, if not more so. Our Federal Reserve has us….
The major Banks lenders were widely expected to hold on to the savings given the dramatically reduced profit margins on home loans. But all major banks have passed the full amount on. SHIT we are heading to a recession!
“The banks are now walking a very fine line and with savings rates already down around 0.10 per cent, they have very little room to move,” comparison site Canstar’s finance expert Steve Mickenbecker said.
“A 0.25 per cent interest rate reduction to the average $400,000 home loan over 30 years could mean monthly principal and interest repayments falling by $56 to $1,794, and an interest saving of $20,249 over the life of the loan.”
Now if I have a mortgage and I could continue to pay the same amount I had been paying before this interest rate cut I would not change it. Because IT woulld save me even more interest and reduce the length of the loan.
It is these times you feel really bad for people who have fixed home loans.
Back to renters, and University of Tasmania. With all the students who have not been able to come to the university there will be a lot of available rentals I imagine in Hobart and Launceston which is a good thing for those people who are living out of their cars and homeless. Oh but wait most of those will not be able to afford the bond or the rent. So will this see more people in mortgage stress. As there investment property may not have any tennants? It is a bit of a vicious circle potentially.
I also noted that in Adelaide people are not eating at the Chinese Markets? Seriously why NOT. Is it like the toilet paper, Oh its because the people there are are Chinese and Covid-19 came from China. I am shaking my head. Do people believe that the people who have these businesses are likely to have Covid-19?
So these poor businesses are struggling for no other reason than they sell Chinese/Asian food and are usually run by Chinese/Asian Australians or immigrants who have lived here for a while. Sigh With that kind of logic I really feel for any person who looks Asian or now will it be Italians will pizzerias and Italian cafes and restaurants be avoided? I bet they have no casual staff at these places working. I bet Scomo they will not be paying these casual workers. They can probably barely afford the rent and overheads.
It was also interesting to see China’s President visit to Wuhan where he spoke with patients, ….via video screen and still with his mask on and when he actually spoke with doctors and army personnel he still had his mask and a good distance between them. Yes all is fine in Wuhan things are returning to normal ‘not’. I also heard that his visit to neighbourhood the residents were moved out and everything was sprayed, again with who knows what. I assume the residents were allowed back in after he left. Caution is a good thing.
How am I a person with CPTSD feeling about all this. Well my medication is working so well, I am OK with it. It may be more that I already live relatively isolated. I only go into town once a week generally unless I have an appointment. Or I absolutely must for something as I had to today to pay my internet (that is another story for another post perhaps).
I also live out of town, my neighbours are far enough away I do not have to fear coughing or sneezing if I sit on my deck. I have always had a pantry and enough meat for my dogs for a month or more in the freezer. Of course there is the concept that what if the power goes down. All that meat will be no good. Not going there. Right now Australia is doing OK. Well except for the loo paper issue we do look like a recession may be on the cards.
It is very unlikely there will be any positives for the budget and I do not see it being in the black after the drought, fires, floods, and now Covid-19 and what economical impact that may have.
We are also coming into Winter, and our normal cold and flu season. There is no use worry for me about any of it. I certainly will not be receiving any help from the Federal Government, I feel for all those who are on Newstart and will potentially be going on it. As casual and seasonal work potentially begins to dry up. As many businesses that rely on tourism and that is a lot down here in Tasmania. May begin to feel the pressure of it all.
I can not imagine how the homeless must feel with no protection from exposure to normal colds and flu let alone to this Covid-19. They also do not have the ability to stock up on anything. If they are on Youth allowance even worse off. They do not have easy access to wash their hands with soap for twenty seconds. Yet nothing said about them either by Scomo.
Fear is an interesting thing isn’t it. The Coronavirus is a really interesting demonstration of this. Add to this, what is happening in the supermarkets where ‘panic or preparation’ is happening. The following post is my personal opinion and thoughts.
As a person who has CPTSD and who can fixate on things often to my own detriment mental health wise I have not allowed myself to be concerned about the Coronavirus. I am aware of it.
Now in Australia alone in 2019 1,146 people were killed in road related deaths, that is 3 people a day.
Domestic violence related deaths in Australia 74 women and 24 children were killed in 2019.
Winter flu deaths of 2019, 192 people died (winter in Australia is June -01/06/19).
In USA report for 2018-2019 flu season.The flu had already killed as many as 2,400 people as at 01/12/2019.
Deaths in USA from car accidents estimated 38,800 people lost their lives to car crashes
Deaths from domestic violence in the USA in 2019 no actual national figures available however a nurse ,Dawn Wilcox, an activist documenting femicide in the United States, at her home in Plano, Texas. Dawn’s project, Women Count, focuses on women killed in 2018 and has so documented 1,635 cases so far. Photograph: Laura Buckman/The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/11/the-nurse-tracking-americas-epidemic-of-murdered-women
I do understand that Corona Virus spreads, and impacts more and more people. We also potentially do not have the real figures of people ill and who might have died world wide. I also understand that it is a dynamic and still new virus, with Scientists and Doctors working and learning on their feet. It is going to get worse I also understand that. The figures will increase potentially in all statistics.
I understand as a person whose career was as a RN/RPN the concerns the everyday person has in regard to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) as it spreads. The main concerns I believe held by governments are not just the spread, but the fact that certainly here in Australia our hosptials were/are already full of ill people and injured those requiring surgery. It is also the huge economic impact that certainly western countries are going to be felt as borders and export/imports are stopped.
The potential if the spread creates isolation where so many staff are not able to work. Government business may also be impacted. Which than creates more fear, more distress.
My feelings are and always have been it is always advisable if you can afford it to put some food, for me and my dogs. It seems like for some reason bottled water is important to a lot of people, I do not know why you can not just drink from your taps, I have my tanks as I do not get town water. Don’t forget personal supplies feminine hygiene, medications, and first aid in your pantry. To me this is just common sense, as I live out of town and have had situations where illness or having no transport has meant I have totally had to rely on what I have in my home. I am not a prepper, but if that is your thing your totally covered.
I guess for me if you look at how I view the possible impact of being hit with the Corona virus, it is more about just making sure I am OK for the things I my dogs might need for the period of isolation. I also am very fortunate that I do not live in a city or large town in regard to increase risk of catching any type of flu or virus that is spread from person to person.
In saying that I was not often ill with flu or viruses when I worked in hospitals and emergency areas. The washing of hands, every time I went in to anyone’s room, or a patient, and when I left. Not touching my mouth or face, and using gloves as appropriate. I only ever wore a mask when I was caring for immune suppressed patients or those who were in isolation and or infected virally. The antibacterial solutions hand sanitiser were available but dried my skin and created cracking, so I as a nurse was totally reliant on hand washing.
I am very aware that medical and nursing staff have caught the virus and there have been deaths within these numbers. I can not comment on why or how this has occurred.
Of course I have had flu real flu knock you out aches, pains, chills, fevers, bed ridden. I am not playing the illness down please realise that. You need to be conscientious, responsible aware and really informed rely on real information not social media. It is not foolish to have supplies. It is make sense to me.
So think about when you get into your car to go and buy all the supplies you feel you need, or should have if you are required to be in isolation that you really have far more risk of being killed in your car heading to the supermarket to get the supplies. Than you do if you are a reasonably fit healthy person who follows the guidelines to minimise your risk of contracting the Corona Virus. Especially with the way the spread is currently.
Of course if you are in higher risk be aware of all you need to minimise your risk.
If you are showing any symptoms of flu like illness don’t go out, phone your GP and inform them. Listen to what they advise which is generally isolation. Until you know that you are clear of the virus.
This is all my personal opinion and thoughts. I am happy for your thoughts and comments.
I ran into someone today in Huonville who asked me how I was, as they had not seen me for a while and I was very rarely on Facebook. I responded no I did not go on much. That I was actually not bad, and quite content being at home, attending to things. He asked me if I was unwell withdrawn or OK being at home. I reassured him that I am perhaps feeling the best I have been in a long time. That I was OK at home. I was very aware I need to have social input. At the same time I know for me that I need to limit that.
I surprised myself when I said this. I also realised the truth I had spoken.
I enjoy my lifestyle and always have tended to be happy enough on my own (apart form when I lived with someone and especially when I lived with my partner for a lengthy number of years before he died).
I have a lifted spirit, and have be doing some small things in my home.
Now I do not think I have mentioned, that part of my CPTSD saw me become a hoarder. It was the way for me to keep people out of my home. It was cheaper than building a wall, and along with never asking anyone to visit, created a total impregnable barrier.
Several of years ago, while seeing another psychologist (whom I never really connected with Though he thought differently. Weird that, I read some notes he wrote to my GP at the time, whose office closed and I was able to get my complete notes from it ). He decided to work with the hoarding as my major issue.
This psychologist also encouraged/pushed me to be referred to a social worker. Who was a nice enough fellow, but not at all it seemed to me at the time, or in hindsight knowledgeable about hoarding and how to help.
I was extremely unwell at the time, and really was not able to say no to things. I also was fighting to stay out of hospital. As I did not want to have to be admitted to the mental health ward/s I had worked.
After a few visits at coffee shops with the social worker, and me sharing the issues of hoarding and my home with him. He somehow ended up coming into my house with my invitation. Within three days I had a skip and someone coming to help me get sorted. Perhaps anyone with anxiety, CPTSD and huge trust issues might understand the distress and angst I was feeling. I was extremely worried that the person coming would know me. Maybe in a professional capacity.
I also felt mortified because unbeknown to me the social worker had hired a large skip to my place.
The day came and the woman turned up. She was a lovely person, and I saw the disgust and sadness in her eyes. She was a doer. She was a cleaner not someone with knowledge or experience of assisting hoarders to work through the hoard and issues that go with that.
This was not her fault, and as she was in my home and I was so unwell mentally, that we both just began cleaning and throwing things out. All the while me feeling panicking, and sick in my stomach. I had a headache, my jaw was clenched and I did not want to chat. I dreaded each day she was due.
I did attempt to explain my situation. She bless her did her best. I on the other hand felt pressured and guilt, I was very ashamed and distressed. I continued with this set up for four weeks. In the end I had to say to the social worker that it was causing me great angst and I was feeling worse especially on the mornings she was due. I was triggered and I just wanted to not answer the door in fact I did not want to get out of bed.
It is quite strange even writing about this situation is causing the symptoms again. In the end I explained to this lovely woman it was just not working for me. That I had appreciated her help very much. When she left I went to bed and did not get up for two days, except for the dogs and my needs, and food for the dogs. I ignored for the next fortnight the Social workers calls, and messages.
Eventually I came out of my room and contacted him. He was helping to find a Mens Shed Organisation to come and take my partners wood turning and wood working set up as a donation.
This was going to be so hard for me. I had taken ages to decide what I wanted to do with it all. I thought about selling it but I was to unwell at the time and I just wanted it all gone.
I had been in his workshop and sorted through everything that I wanted to keep, I had taken some items into the house, and stacked everything else separately away in a corner. I showed the social worker what was to remain.
I knew it was going to be a traumatic and emotive time when the lathe and his own tools were removed. I could not be at home while it was happening. I explained this to the Social worker, and he reasured me he would be there.
I was numb when I left in the morning. I took my dogs for a walk along the river and then we went and met up with a friend at a local cafe. I was not thinking about any of it.
A few hours later I returned home with great trepidation. I was really uncertain how I was going to be impacted with my partners passion his wood turning lathe, his carving tools, his woodworking books, the band saw and the bench all gone.
I parked the car, let the dogs out and noted that the large skip was fairly full. I wandered over and to my dismay there were all the things I had put aside that I wanted. Things that I needed for the garden, some paint to finish some things. Bits and bob, netting for my fruit trees. All covered in oil and sawdust. I panicked and attempted to pull everything out, but items were broken, and as I said covered in oil. Some of the tins of paint had spilt. I was so upset. I recall I just threw my arms up in the air and sobbed loudly.
I then charged up the steps into the workshop. I stopped and was flummoxed. There was just an empty room. A totally EMPTY ROOM. All the shelving had been removed. All the containers of screws, nails, bolts, bits and pieces that my partner had saved, collected to repair things in your home. Especially when you are the person who built the home and know every nook and cranny every gap and thing that will get finished one day. The chain saw and drill, the axe. Paint rollers, brushes. My things that were now in the bin. Destroyed. All The very things I had said to the social worker were to stay!
How could this have happened.
I was floored. I was angry, wounded, I was bewildered, lost. I had made sure the social worker knew what was too go. What was to stay. How could this of happened? Of course it was to late to contact the social worker by this time. A really bad nights sleep, and my mind just going over and over what did I do or say wrong that caused this to happen. Grief overwhelmed me, I had lost everything EVERYTHING and given away treasured items, I felt so let down. I rang the social worker in the morning. It was quite weird and I have to honestly say I do not have a huge recollection of what happened, with the exception that he did say he was not there at my house when the men came to remove everything. I had never met any of these men, I did not know any of their names I did not even know where everything ended up. I know at that point I really just shut down. I could take no more.
I never spoke to this person again. I never reported or lodged a complaint. I just sat in my home, cuddling my dogs. I stayed home for a few days and began to hoard even more bizarre things. I did not go out, I did not shower, I did not clean, wash up. All I could manage was to ensure my lifelines, my dogs were exercised fed and loved.
The trust I had begun to rekindle in people was gone. TOTALLY and UTTERLY gone.
I did eventually realise how I was deteriorating and went to see my fantastic GP (who left a year later to go and become a psychiatrist) . It was through her I was put on the council program and met the psychologist I have now.
Now if I feel that my trust has been taken advantage off, or I have been manipulated I do not even bother to say anything. I just never go back to the place, or deal with the person, or continue the friendship of the person where I feel this has happened.
It took me so long to be able to ask for help. Then to let someone inside my home and see how bad it was. To let someone in to help me ‘clean’
Even now as I write I feel violated and that is such a weird word to write when I am talking about this.
I am OK and it always help to share and write things down I find.
I feel from my own perspective and experience. The ‘kind meaningful help’ that can be offered to anyone with a mental illness or chronic illness, a disabilty, are so very subjective and if respect and understanding, and most importantly keeping the promises you make as a paid support worker are not met. I ponder how the duty of care is maintained.
Perhaps if I had lodged complaints about what occurred it might have helped. I was to unwell and mentally not competent to undertake this. Not even in a phone call. I could not even say what I really felt to the social worker.
What I do know is that it put me backwards in my treatment and I quit the psychologist at the same time, never explaining or seeing him again. He never followed up to see if I was OK.
I struggle now to let workman into my home. I need a couple of things fixed. I let one in to fix a leak under my verandah door upstairs in my bedroom, that leaks into my kitchen. He assured me he could do it. He was a lovely man. I had to call him back three times as each time (when it rained the leak was actually worse than it had been origianlly). In the end he just said he could not do anything else? I wanted to scream, again I could not. I had paid him in full. (you only find out the job doesn’t work when it rains. I did not think to put the hose over it. So now I can not afford to pay someone else to fix it. I dont have any trust in anyone else to fix it. I keep thinking I can probably fix it. (maybe I can). lol. Living rurally can be hard to get anyone to come out here.
Even with sharing all of this, I still feel better than I have in a long time. I am sleeping in weird patterns, I sleep for two weeks 12-14 hours then for 4 night 4-6 than the for some nights 8 hours. It seems to be a cyclic thing, so perhaps the medication. I also have really bizzare dreams and sleep very heavily. I do find taking paracetamol and ibuprofen seem to stop the dreams. That seem so real.
wow did this post go a way I did not see coming..
I am falling in love with my home, I am seeing it again, and wanting to slowly remove things. One of the things I was hoarding were cardboard boxes. To use to kill of the grass about the veggie area and pathways. Now I bring a box home, empty it, and then flatten it and go place it out side where I want it to go. There are no boxes inside my home. Where a few months ago I had 30. One situation is being managed. I am proud of that.
Moving and improving your life with CPTSD is about so many things. I found forgiveness was a huge milestone for me. I may have posted this on another post. Forgiving the people who abused me. Not to their faces, or in writing. I just voice my forgiveness. I did it purely for me. I just basically with a sincere heart said. I forgive……,……, and……,……. ect for what they did to/at/against me. I will let it go. I felt something give, something change. Like a hole opened and a light shone inside me. I felt brighter. I felt less anger.
It has been over a month closer to two since I did this. I now am able to work on changing my mood and not fixate so much. I am more positive. This ties in to the very first paragraph.
I have forgiven the Social Worker and the Person who came to fix my leak. Again not in person, or a letter but for me. I feel a sense of another piece has fallen off my wall.
I am thankful that all this happened as it was through this whole shebang that I ended up on a Huon Valley Council mental health package where I met my current psychologist. I am so SO very thankful for Her.
I feel at peace in my home. I no longer want to flee, because I can not deal with the hoard and mess. I don’t like the way it is however I know that it is a very slow, time consuming and emotive at times, work in progress. That in all honesty I must do on my own.
Umm Have I mentioned I have a bit of a tendency for OCD. Now my psychologist explained it well to me. When my home is clean and comfortable. I tend to like my CDs in alphabetical order, my books in genre and alphbetised by Author. My pantry in food types and alphabetised, My wardrobe and drawers in type ie pants, shirts and within that colour groupings. So her feelings are that it part of what is inhibiting me.
Perhaps I will share more of my work in dealing with my hoarding here.
I also note that having connected with so many other peoples blogs some with CPTSD some with depression anxiety, physical, chronic, illnesses and disabilities, others with none. Connecting and reading stories written by wonderful writers, from all over the world. Connecting with an supportive art group from beginners through. I am meeting people I would never have had the opportunity to have connected with in my life here in Tassie.
I feel so thankful to have all of these experiences, I feel thankful to have had my breakdown and I know that sounds really weird. I just see my life in such a very different way now, and I accept it. I also do not really care if others do not.
I am so happy to have connected (even if I have not done any painting this week ) with the art group, I am thankful for them and Charlie for his blog Doodlewash. https://doodlewash.com/
Thankful to my neighbours, who I know keep an eye on me. Especially thankful to these two.
It was simply a stunning morning along the Huon River as you can see, and not a breath of air and the tide was just sitting still too. ( I have no idea what that is). I will often say to people that Autumn is a lovely time to visit the Huon Valley.
Raneleagh is a tiny town, well it is really a suburb of Huonville as it is only about 5km/3miles from the Huonville Post Office.
from Huon Valley Councils Master Plan for Huonville and Raneleagh 2019
It is bordered by the Huon River and Mountain River, though from the town ship you can not see either of the rivers easily, and there is little public access to either. Though the Caravan Park (privately owned ) is situated on the river.
There is a really special wood fired bakery/ cafe called Summer Kitchen which does stunning sour dough breads using many grains, delectable pies meat,vegetarian, and vegan, in individual and some in family sizes. Sweet pastries and cakes. Almost forgot their stunning flavoured cream/custard filled donughts. Todays was banana maple cream. Seasonal fruit is used to flavour the filling. Soups in Autumn and winter served with their sour dough bread, along with salads that are unusual, a terrific side for a pie or sausage roll. If you want something cool they have sandwiches made with their sour dough bread. YUMMO! Plus the coffee is so good.
They have a great courtyard as you can see in the photographs, with out side under trees or under a roof patio area. It is Dog Friendly of course dogs must be socialised an on leads.
Be warned the pies bread and many other items will run out There is indoor seating, in wintertime they have an open wood fire for warmth.
John and Marie the owners have built this business up, with John doing most of the building work of the courtyard and unique tables and benches under the trees himself. It has certainly been a lot of hard work, love and passion to get this business as successful and popular as it is today.
Photo below was my mug of cappuccino, and a passionfruit curd tart OH MY I LURVED ThIS! Tangy and not too sweet. Fresh local passionfruits used.
My dogs love it when we go here as they know the chances are we will be going to one of their favourite places! I feel it is great value. A lovely place to meet friends or family.
My dogs were in luck we did end up going to their favourite place for a walk off lead.
It is the Raneleagh Showground. Every year around November so end of Spring here in the Southern Hemisphere the Huon Valley Show is on.
Primarily an agricultural show, with exhibits for prizes cakes, art, knitting, ect. There is show jumping, a parade, dog high jumping, and some years Jack Russell Dog Races. (nothing like greyhound racing) Just family pets who go, enter on the day, and run not chasing anything, just running to their owners. You can imagine it can be quite hilarious. It sounds so simple I am sure, but it is a lovely day out (it only goes for one day and night) for most ages. There is side car alley, where rides show food drinks and the show bags can be found.
There are often Dog shows over the course of the show too. There will be Agricultural equipment on display and for sale. Along with local growers and producers with their stalls. The Grand Parade of all the winners and whom ever else wishes to join in. It is not a huge show, but is charming and a little older world perhaps than many and we are so fortunate to still have our show.
They both look pretty chuffed to be here these are the Cattle stalls.
Live Stock areas, sheep, cattle, there is a poultry shed, pigs, goats, horses, alpacas, and animal nursery (not in photographs). Does not take much imagination to work out why my dogs love it here. Above are the sheep, goats and Miss Treacle is in the cattle pens.
Busby was really enjoying rolling in the grass. In the middle row the last photo I told him to go and get a drink of water. He went off and did it, there is a tap with a water bucket up at that food stall shed. In the first photograph of the same row there are port-a-pots. Not a usual item at the showgrounds. The showgrounds are used for other things too throughout the year. I have a feeling that many dog lovers will know the feeling of the final photograph and I imagine many parents too!
This weekend is the Taste of the Huon. A festival of local produce, where you can taste all sorts of food and produce that is grown, made, and cooked in the Huon Valley. Ciders, Pagan Cider Cygnet/Cradoc does a delicious Cherry cider and more traditional ones, Franks Cider at Franklin, Willie Smiths Cider is known I would like to encourage visitors to give the others a try as they are all very different. Perry which is made from pears and is similar to a cider, saffron, lavender infused foods, ice creams, smoked trout, and other smoked food, jerky, cheeses, wines, beers,
I want to say gin and whisky but I know they are both made here in Tasmania some is made in the Huon Valley. Vodka made from sheeps whey, apple brandy, goats cheeses, goat milk products skin cream soaps. Dried fruit, it is a seduction on steroids for foodies.
They have music and also other stall holders artisans, oh and wonderful sea food. You may find Churchills beer brewed in Raneleagh may be at the Taste, wineries, it really is a amazing and productive valley my home the Huon Valley. It is usually held in March so if not this year perhaps another.
Self explanatory really.
This hall is interesting as most communities in Australia have a RSL club Returned Service League. For all Returned Services personnel.
Where as this piece in The Mecury Newspaper (which is still going today) The Ranelagh’s Soldiers Memorial Hall was opened on Saturday afternoon by Lieut. Colonel C.H.Elliott, D.S.O. in the presence of over 1,000 people representative of all parts of the Huon district. The Mercury (Hobart), 27th May 1924.
The only other shop/eating place in Raneleagh is just up the road from Summer Kitchen and directly opposite the Memorial Hall and is The General Store. It was for sale so I am not 100% up on if it is still a delcious buger cafe, and open for dinner some nights of the week. With a small amount of general products that locals may need. It was great when I did go there but that was a few years ago.
Raneleagh has grown in the 20 years I have lived in the valley as has everywhere really, 13,141(2001)Census 17,219 (2018)Huonvalley Council it will be very interesting to see how much the population has grown in the last two years. It feels like so many more than just under 4,000 people have moved here.
I do laugh at myself when I see how few people live here and we have five townships Southport which is the farthermost town 135 residents(2016 census), Geeveston 616 (2016 Census), Franklin 337 (2016 census), Huonville 2,714 (2016 census), Cygnet 929 (2016 census) Ranelegh 1,268;
These last 3 are small communities Grove has a petrol station general stall post office all in one. Judbury 392 (2016) Census, Cradoc 742 (2016 Census) Grove 458 (2016 Census) Of course there are many small communities such as where I live which have no shops or service centres.
With an area of 5,500 km2 (2,100 sq mi) according to updated figures from 2018 there is 0.03persons per hectare in the HuonValley. I feel overcrowded. Oh dear it is a bit too funny. I did grow up in Sydney so I do no the realities of city living.
Some of the houses around the showground.
Raneleagh has many housing developments so there are houses like in most Australian cities, built boundary to boundary almost. Sub-divisions mixed along with older homes and some rather gorgeous old buildings and homes.
There are two Churches in Raneleagh and for some reason I forgot to take photos of the Catholic Church. It is a very modern newly built church.
Raneleagh has hills as you can see about it, and the in the row 5 first and second photographs are of an Oost house. Hops were grown and dried in the Huon Valley back in In researching a little I have just discovered there is a brewery in Raneleagh.
“Church Hill Brewery, in the Huon Valley, joined the burgeoning brewery scene in early 2016, giving the popular tourist region in the south better known for apples, cider and stunning landscapes a local brewery to call its own too.
Where do you brew?
On my property at Ranelagh in the Huon Valley, Tasmania.
I have converted a secondary building on the property, which I built more than ten years ago, into the brewery.
Why do you brew?
I remember my father trying his hand at some homebrewing when I was a lad and it always fascinated me, then when I met my father-in-law he was also a keen homebrewer. I think I was always destined to take it up.
I got a homebrew kit as a present from my now wife for my 18th birthday and I have been brewing ever since. Of course, in the early days it was just kits, then kits and bits and eventually all grain as the hobby became a passion and then an obsession!
What beers have you released to date?
Salvation Golden Ale, 4.6%
Pilgrim Pale Ale, 5%
Road to Redemption Red Ale, 4.6%
Crusader IPA, 5.8%
Confessor IPA, 6.1%
There have been a few others but the above are my main beers at present
Sadly you can not try his product at his brewery,
Where can people find your beers?
I am not bottling or canning yet.
I am currently on tap at:
The Whaler – 39 Salamanca Place, Hobart
The Apple Shed – 2064 Huon Highway, Grove
Blue Eye Seafood Restaurant – 1 Castray Esplanade, Salamanca Place
This could well be at the Taste of the Huon this weekend.
Caravan Park and camping Raneleagh between Huonville and Raneleagh Walking distance to both.
I imagine looking at this old building that it would have been a shop perhaps a general store. I am just guessing here , but it does have a look of it with the wider double doors and big windows fronting the street.
First two photos are pretty self explanatory, the Huon Valley is a large Cherry growing area. Next two I spotted this stunning flowering gum (eucalyptus) It is interesting to have (fall)Autumn/Winter flowering gum trees. With less bees about birds and mammals help pollinate them. Last two photos There is something just stunning about a row of tall elegant poplars. I hope to remember to get out there to get some photos when the Autumn/Fall colours hit.
Of course there is much more to this delightful village/suburb. It has a mixed demographic of young families, retirees, first home buyers and renters of course along with Government housing. A mix of many styles of homes, and just out a little bit are 5 acre properties and larger than farms.
The area has numerous B & Bs and Air BnBs.
Just on the outskirts of Raneleagh and indeed between Huonville and Raneleagh there are orchards and farming. Cherry and Apple, sheep and cattle. Alpacas, and Horse. Grapes and wineries
The dogs and I had a lovely time here at Raneleagh and it is a great way to go through to Judbury following the river back around and crossing the Huon River to join the Highway and either return to Huonville or head further south to Franklin, Geeveston, Southport or the Far South as far as you can drive to Cockle Creek where there is camping and wonderful beaches and walks. Or if you are heading back to Hobart you can take a diversion of the highway and visit either the General Store or Summer Kitchen Bakery for something to eat. Than drive by orchards, and lovely vistas joining the highway at Grove.
Last year the Huon Valley Council released a Master Plan for Huonville and Raneleagh. Notwithstanding Ranelagh’s proximity to Huonville, Ranelagh is a distinctly separate community from Huonville and is predominantly residential in nature. The connection between the two towns is limited with the towns being separated by an area of agricultural land with significant areas being identified as being flood prone. If you want any information about the masterplan see below. https://www.huonvalley.tas.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Huonville-Ranelagh-Master-Plan_4-April-2019_with-appendix.pdf
It was not all we did today, I had to do my grocery shopping and return library books. It was such a warm sunny day and both my dogs are asleep as I write, just gentle deep breaths from Busby and Miss Treacle occasionally dreams and chatters in her sleep. I too will begin to think about sleep soon.
I receive my benefit payment once a fortnight, so I budget quite fastidiously. It does not take much to create a bit of a bottleneck of who is getting paid first and who can I possibly leave for a fortnight. I am not saying I will not pay bills when due. However it is pretty usual to receive a reminder if you do not pay the bill before the due date. If that happens I usually will ring the company and explain honestly the situation and that I will pay the full amount in however many days.
I have found it to be so beneficial firstly to pay bills generally by the due date. If for some reason I can not pay the full amount I pay a proportion, and contact them to say the rest will be in the next fortnight. I have never incurred late fees or charges as it happens very rarely. I believe to that most companies will understand and see intent to pay.
I used to get very upset and anxious. I would fixate and then I would not be able to phone the company. It could have become a horrible situation. As I do not own a credit card.
I seem to have somehow created this potential situation this fortnight. My internet payment which is done as a direct debit for some reason did not go out on its due date. Of course the money was used as I assumed it had been paid. (Yes I know assume only makes an ass out of u and me) 🤪.
I have been attempting to pay this, again since I do not have a credit card and the call centres can not provide a bank account number or a BSB so I can transfer the money. I have grown frustrated angry and over the situation. My account is due again this week, and I just hope they will take two payments! I have been emailing the company attempting to explain that I have CPTSD and dealing with the call centres every second day for basically 3 weeks has caused huge issues for me, as they can not resolve the issue, even when I provide the reference number. I also can not seem to lodge a complaint or access them through a thing they call toolbox. Go Figure. So whinge over. I owe them $140 at the end of this week.
I have ordered my dogs meat (they eat raw diet) I get 14kgs /30.6lbs which lasts us about 21 days. The meat costs $6perKg/2.2lbs $84 in total plus some lambs frys 2.50each I got 2 so $5 and a bag of dog bones probably $5 So $94 all up. I also ran out of my LPG (gas/propane) and had to order 2 full bottles 45gk/99lbs I think I pay about $120 a bottle delivered and installed. So $240 due this fortnight.
In total bills for this fortnight will be $474.00 leaving me $104 for the entire fortnight. Not as bad as I had thought. I will have the money to pay everyone fully and still have money for essentials.
In the past I would have made myself very unwell and my anxiety would have run away with me. What I was able to do, and I know I am so very very lucky that I do not have to pay rent or fares, etc. I had been putting some money aside and had a couple of hundred dollars, this was towards costs that I work out for 12 months all my known bills and on last years I usually add an extra 10% to budget for this years. This meant I did have some extra money because off course this fortnight I also needed to buy some pantry staples that had run out.
I was out today and did a rather large pantry shop. I am also fairly certain my next quarterly payment for Rates is due at the end of this month. It will not be as high as normal as I paid extra on it last quarter. This is another thing I will often do with bills such as electricity, and this year with Rates (as it is the first year I was not able to save for the full Rate payment amount and pay only it).
For me a really positve change in the last few months is not getting so distressed when I feel overwhelmed by how many bills I have and costs. To talk to the companies before it becomes a bigger issue. To also when I do have extra money to pay a little more off a regular bill so if I am short the company can see I endevour to pay their bills.
I am thankful that I live in a country that supports people who are unemployed with a monetary payment (as small as it is and as hard for so many to live on).
I am thankful to now be able to manage when speaking to companies generally in a more relaxed and conscience manner. It is something I still struggle with especially with my internet provider call centres. I am still very much a work in progress in regard to my CPTSD. I am thankful to have found other people who have CPTSD and who share their own experiences through blogging. It really does help to hear and see you are not alone or that unusual. I am so incredibly thankful for having found a psychologist who has really been able to work with me and I with her, (not always an easy thing to find) who I have had consistently for several years now. Which also makes it a heck of a lot better. My GP who is great and supportive, who says it like it is. I am also thankful for all the lovely folk I am meeting through this blog. For their stories and comments here and support. What a blessing.
WHilst this post is about cancer,death and funerals and a bit after it also is about life. It is sad sure but it is not all darkness and somberness. For my partner and I were/are not fearful of death. He did not want sombre music we had lovely jazz and if he could have made everyone just wear what they wanted he would have. No suits, no pretension. There was lots of laughter at the afternoon tea.
A few weeks before the Christian celebration known as Christmas 10 years ago my partner went to see his GP. My partner was a pipe and cigarette smoker for many years. He had a cough not surprising for someone who had smoked as much and for so long as he had. X-rays revealed an area on his lungs. A respiratory specialist was contacted and appointment made.
Testing showed that he had been exposed to tuberculosis when he was young and had scarring on his lung. However there were other spots which were cancerous. Only one lung was involved and an operation to remove his lung was being discussed. He was not very willing to give up his pipe. (I will add here that my partner was substantially older than I am). He even asked the specialist when he might be able to smoke again. Understandably the specialist surgeon told him never. My partner was not sure he would be able to abstain.
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The above photo is not us but it might have been. I had accepted that him smoking was better than us being apart, as he would have been horrendous according to his children who had experienced his giving up in the past. He smoked when I met him. Part and parcel of whom I fell in love with.
We left the appointment, I made no judgement on his feelings, and the real decisions had to be his alone.
Not saying he did want to know my feelings and concerns, we talked at great length about all that has to go into issues when you have been told you are going to die in a certain period. In reality he really knew I would prefer he did not smoke, but at least it was a pipe and I really did enjoy the aroma. Probably because my father smoked a pipe or cigars at times. As a child I have fond memories of the smell. He was a grown man, he was independent and competent. He had all the information at hand and he was not a fool or unintelligent.
We chatted and he decided to wait to see what the further scans and test he had to have would say.
On the day the results were going to be available. He had an appointment with the specialist. We went in together. We left with the news which in some ways took some decisions out of my partners hands.
He did not have to have an operation nor give up his beloved pipe. His lung was cancerous but the cancer had spread through into his bones. It was in his legs, hips, sternum and one arm. There was little that could be done with the spread so great. I guess we were understandably numb yet he was able to take some comfort in his pipe which the moment we were in the car he began the ritual of getting his pipe set up. I personally believe it was this ritual along with enjoyment of his pipe that gave him a great deal of pleasure.
He had radiation which he said if he had known how it would make him feel he would not have had. He was on strong pain killers understandably and methodone was used for pain and seemed to be one of the better reliefs for him.
As he did get sicker he began to have great anxiety, in fact major panic attacks. Not about dying, but how and where. He was so fearful of dying in bed. I promised him he would not die in bed. I also promised him if he wanted to remain at home that would be done too. Valium was wonderful and it helped with pain.
As a Registered nurse (RN) I was not afraid of caring for him in our home. Where he would be able to continue to smoke inside, and our beloved cat and young dog were there and would lie and sit with him.
He was an incredibly fit man for his age, and had climbed all the mountains in UK and Kilimanjaro, He had climbed and walked many mountains and walks in Tasmania. He loved walking in the bush. I gave up work in January to be with him, as I decided he was my highest priority and we would just manage on the small income we had, our savings and a very well stocked pantry. (we did not go without).
I did find that because I was a RN there seemed to assumptions made that I knew all I needed. Or would just know to ask or something. It was only later that I realised there was so much that had not been provided, or shared with me. I believe the community services did what they felt was needed and that me being a RN I would ask.
In fact what happens is I was not an RN at this time, I was his partner. He was the love of my life and dying. I was not an oncology nurse so ignorant about so much. We were very fortunate in that for my partner as much pain and anxiety he had, for five or so months we basically just kept living our normal lives, we traveled to mainland Australia to share the news with my family in person. (a very negative experience) but we did it. It was unbelievably difficult to share the news with his children, all adults with young families, they were incredibly supportive on the whole with one who wanted him to get more referrals and check ups. Go to the mainland if we had to. Poor person was understandably distressed.
About five half months into his illness he began to look less well. He was still active and eating well. His pain medication was very low dosage compared to most folk who had bone cancer. The only medications he had ever taken since we had been together was paracetamol.
Our relationship was good still but it began to become very different, and he would not talk to the specialists or community nurses. He wanted me to. I did and was told I had to let him talk for himself, and in the notes of community health I read them with his permission I was written up as being controlling and speaking for him!! Nothing could have been further from the truth. I contacted our local GP who rang the community health people and tore them to shreds for writing such subjective unfounded and untruthful comments about me in his notes. I requested a new community health visitor.
It was hard being in a relationship that was changing and at times really really difficult. Understandably it was more about my darling mans needs over mine yet again I was not offered any real information about support for both of us. Again I feel there was a lot of assumed knowledge because I was a RN.
I don’t care who it is in a caring role if you are a community worker or social worker assume anyone who has recently become a carer knows nothing! Especially in the beginning and provide information throughout as so often life situations change for both the person who is ill and the carer.
My partner and I planned his funeral, and as weird as it sounds we both found it quite a lark, and very very interesting.
In Australia at the time over 10years ago the basic cremation costs plus service were over $6800 and he did not wish to pay so much. He had wanted a green coffin but cardboard coffins back then were dearer to get to Hobart than a timber coffin. He did not want his body at a funeral service and in fact we decided to just have a memorial service with everyone bringing a plate to share afterwards.
His body would be picked up from home and taken for cremation. No one would be accompanying. The ashes would be picked up when ready. He wanted a minister who was a friend and a wonderful man (if I was a church religious person I might choose his church but only because he was the minister) to visit. So he came and a simple memorial service at the church and afternoon tea in the hall to follow. An organist(I do not know why people are made to sing at funerals!) but my partner wanted it.
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All up for cremation and church memorial plus hire of hall with china seats, hot water and ovens $3000 and that was reduced by $400 when I got a phone call after he died to say the coffin we had chosen was not available would a plain pine be OK. Ummm that is actually what he asked for but was told not available. So no issue.
If in Australia there were public crematoriums you could probably save heaps more. Sadly all crematorium are owned by funeral companies. A council that operated a public one would make a (i was going to write killing..lol) fortune. We also looked at a green funeral where you buried the ashes under a tree in an area that would become a memorial park sort of but again there were ongoing costs involved.
There is no law in Tasmania that says you can not deliver the body to the crematorium yourself as long as the vehicle so station wagon/van has blacked out windows or no windows.
I guess a horse and wagon would be OK but a bit far for 140km/86m round trip.
If we had been on more land he could have been buried here and we could have dug the grave for him.
I guess don’t just accept you have only the option of what the funeral companies dictate. Though in researching for this I have found cremation prices have come down but I am not sure if that is here in Tasmania or only on the mainland. It also does not include a get together afterwards.
It was not that we were cheap. It is just that neither of us see any point in having a gravestone who is going to maintain it, unless you go into a serviced cemetery and the ongoing costs for that are family responsibility. Nor did we need to make an impression on anyone it was all about what my darling man wanted. He was more concerned and thought it should be what me and his children wanted.
My darling man would have loved a Nordic Viking pyre and we could have all stood on the rivers edge as the tide was going out to sea and watched it for miles drifting burning going. I quite like that idea too.
My partner succumbed and died. He was active until the day before he died. He had been helping a friend load some pieces of timber that he was giving him onto the back of his truck on the Friday afternoon. We went for a short walk with our dog on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday evening he went up to bed and slept. I got up Monday morning leaving him asleep. He got up and screamed in pain. I raised up the stairs and he was in agony sitting on the bed. I gave him his pain relief medication and actually gave him a little more as his pain was so bad. (he was written up for extra as required. I also gave him some Valium as he was quite anxious it was all oral medication). I helped finish dressing him. He managed with a bit of support to walk down the corridor but at the stairs I have no idea how I managed to get him down the stairs but we did it. I placed him sitting upright on the lounge, and sat with him. He asked for a cup of tea. I went and made it but when I bought it back he was not able to drink it. He was quite vague and so I rang his children and told them what was happening. They all headed down.
This was about 8am and at 2pm surrounded by his family with his dog resting his head on his lap he died. It was peaceful and he was surrounded by his family who all loved him. Well with the exception of our Burmease cat who adored him, He the cat had not been near him since he first sat on the lounge.
He had been active he had not been bedridden he had no incontinence or vomiting, I still am awed at how incredible this amazing man managed to live and die. I believe his sternum must have broken causing his ribs to break away. As when he was sitting I could see his heart beating down near his abdomen. I was so glad I had given him the extra pain medication and valium as they were the last things he took orally.
It was such a beautiful if very hard thing to be able to be with him as he died in our home in his clothes sitting upright on a comfortable lounge. Seeing the trees and his beautiful home he designed and built himself. The only troubling thing for me was as I sat and held him as he was breathing his last breaths a single tear ran down his face. This may have been nothing more than body shutting down my medical brain says, but why just one tear, he was not dead yet. Even now all these years later I worry about what it signified. His sadness at leaving us, perfectly resonable, that there was something so incredible happening it made him cry. It would driven me insane if I kept thinking about it back then I had to work to let it go. yet everys o often it crosses my mind that one single tear just before his last breath.
His body remained in the house over night. This was the best thing. We all went to bed eventually. During the night I heard each child at some point get up and go and sit with his body. Talking and touching. I did too. Interestingly the cat slept on his body that night. Now if you are unaware when someone dies, the moment of death the body cools rapidly becoming almost freezing to the touch. Cats normally do not like the cold.
I was very appreciative of the community nurses when they came before he died reminding me to lay his body down fairly soon after so rigor mortis would not see him sitting up and make it hard for the funeral people to transport his body.
His GP came to confirm death and sign the death certificate, he stayed and shared a few stories with us about some times he and my partner had been together. Quite funny we all laughed. That meant a lot to me.
The minister (his friend) came and he conducted a beautiful meaningful short service. The childrens spouses and partners were present it was so so incredible and very moving and special. It was not something we had asked for. It meant the world to us all. This visit too had laughter as part of it.
His body was collected about mid morning the next day. By a group of women. The weird things you think at such times. They asked what clothes we wanted on the body. I was so worried about him being cold I grabbed a beautiful thick hand knitted (not by me) jumper. When they moved his body we moved outside but returned to say our final farewells. His body was in a black body bag. Over this was the most beautiful hand made quilt in pretty bright colours. One of the ladies shared, that two quilts had been made by someone who felt seeing their fathers body leaving their home in a black bag was wrong. She had made the to be used in these situations. I must say seeing the beautiful bright colours sticks in my memory and heart. What a gift this woman had given to others such as us.
On an aside when you have a body cremated here in Tasmania, when you pick it up it is in a brown box, with the dead persons name on it. Inside is a rectangular palstic box, with a round hole with a plastic disc inserted. The weight is surprising considering it is ‘ashes’. It is not really ashes like a wood fire, more like bits of pumice but heavier, and gritty with some ash like material.
My partner wanted to die at home, sitting up being able to smoke if he felt like it and with his animals and family right with him or on him as the case with pets. He wanted to be able to see his trees and do as he wanted. My partner planned how he was going to die. He shared that with his GP His family all parties involved knew his desires on how where and how he wanted to die. He had control. Don’t give up your control when you are dying. If your family want to be there and support you to be at home I encourage it. My partners experience of dying with lung and bone cancer is not the usual. His being able to walk up stairs on his own the night before he died, and eat (small meals he chose when he wanted. He kept smoking up until the night before he died. He was given a date of six months that he would be dead, he died eight months after diagnosis. I did not realise how much this meant to him until I was looking in his diary and noticed in big red print on the 6 months date ‘BEAT YOU, YOU BASTARDS!!
In the course of all the discussions about dying and death we had over the eight months between diagnosis and his death. My partner and I had talked about ways he could let me know he was OK after he died. He said he had thought about it and there was one thing that only he and I really knew but he was not going to share it with me. He did not and I forgot all about the discussion understandably.
The night after he died I went up to bed exhausted and my mind thinking about so many things who I needed to contact that I had not, what else I needed to do. Along with the overwhelming sadness. I thought I would have trouble falling asleep. I sleep on my tummy, and I rolled onto my tummy and began to drift off. I felt something on the small of my back a sort of pressure. Now I had a doona over me, but this feeling was under the doona. I just ignored it and moved a bit and began to head towards sleep. The pressure came again but heavier and moving up and down. Again I thought I was imagining it, and shook my body a bit. Just as I was settling down for the third time the pressure was unmistakable, a weight so firm moving up and down the small of my back.
I suddenly registered, every night when my partner was alive he would rub the small of my back as I drifted off to sleep. I suddenly realised and recalled our conversation that he had a plan of how I would know he was OK. This had to be it. I was still laying on my tummy, the pressure was still moving. I had my eyes shut and the room was dark anyway. I said out loud oh its you. Suddenly my eyes were filled with a white light, and a sense of overwhelming love filled me, along with a sense it was all going to be all right. The rubbing continued and I must have drifted off to sleep.
I have had experiences as a RN that made me believe in an afterlife of some sorts. I am not going to share them now. Perhaps in another post. As I have said previously I am not a religious church sort of person. I respect others choices. I am more pagan/spiritual. I know my personal experience of this night. I also know what I have been privy too and shared with by family members when death has occurred in hospital and I have been the attending nurse.
I was out picking blackberries this morning in what I consider my hedgerow. I know it is not really a true hedge row. I know that here in Tasmania mostly in the midlands and north of the state there are some amazing hedges and hedge rows. I recall driving into Perth Tasmania from Hobart and seeing these amazing structures, quite neglected but quite lovely still.
In spring Tasmania reminds many people of UK.
It is so green and rich looking, from mid Autumn to late early summer providing rainfall has been adequate. Combined with Georgian and Victorian style houses and buildings in towns and cities across Tasmania and rural areas.
Records indicate there are 3,000 kilometres of historic hawthorn hedges left. Landline: Tony King
Along with hawthorn hedgerows, many planted in the first half of the 19th Century and stone walls. In reality the only similarities are the verdant green of the grass from autumn to early summer, the Georgian and Victorian built heritage that still remains and the patchwork of fields enclosed by the hawthorn hedgerows, many of which were planted in the first half of the 19th century.
The first hedgerows were planted and cared for them which then enabled the family that owned the property to plant crops for the early colony of Tasmania. Sadly for the last 70plus years these hedgerows hae been neglected as barbed wire fencing became more accessible and affordable. Mr Dumarseq a sith generation farmer said.
“We’re slowly now just starting to trim them again, lay them over in the traditional way and bring them back into traditional working order.”
The family has employed one of Australia’s few traditional hedge layers, James Boxhall to work on the property. James has been slowly beginning to trim and lay them as the convicts would have so once again the hedge rows will be back in working order.
James Boxhall at work in Tasmania
Since the introduction of barbed wire, fencing has taken on a whole new form, harsh on the eye, requires mining and high energy to produce and is lifeless. In stark contrast a healthy living hedge is not only a fence or boundary but a nature reserve full of diversity.
Flowering profusely in the spring, highly fragrant, buzzing with insects and the chatter of birds they attract, visually spectacular with painful thorns for the unwary. A sensory overload! Ever-changing autumn brings fruit, prized by the Green Rosellas, the swamp harriers and goshawks cruise the extremities flushing out prey, small mammals find homes among the roots and branches, all while these carbon sinks provide shelter from the elements for our sheep and cattle.
The satisfaction of preserving these ancient hedges and passing on a dying craft has kept people like Mr Boxhall on the job, cutting, pushing, bending and chainsawing the thorny and at times nasty plants back into the shape of the traditional fences.
We must ensure their survival long into the future.
In the UK their benefits are of such importance the government pays land owners to look after and maintain them in the Countryside Stewardship scheme creating gainful employment for many. Here in Tasmania we too should appreciate the great value healthy hedgerows make to the diversity, ecology and charm of the Tasmanian landscape as well of course as the cultural importance of our British colonisation.
Fortunately in 2003 John and Robyn Hawkins employed master hedgelayer and stonewaller Karl Leibscher from Shropshire in the English midlands to teach a small team these traditional skills and to restore the many kilometres of hedges on their property “Bentley”.
James says he has had the great privilege of being invited to the Patrons Event, a competition held this year on the Queen’s estate “Sandringham” by the Patron of the National Hedgelaying Society HRH The Prince of Wales. “I travelled to England to compete in the National Hedgelaying Championships, becoming the first person from outside of Europe to do so”. http://www.omlxi.com/sticks_stones/about.php#james
Along with 35 other competitors from most parts of the UK we were given six hours to lay, stake and bind our 7-yard section of hedge which was judged at the end of the day. Many of England’s masters of the craft were in attendance to advise and mentor which made it an invaluable experience. The chance to meet and talk with Prince Charles about Tasmania and hedges was wonderful, an opportunity I will not forget.
So I accept that my boundary is not a true traditional hedge row, as it is not made from bent trees and woven and trimmed. It does keep my dogs in. I love my hedgerow. It is full of life. It is not for stock and meets my needs.
Looking down the hedgerow.
I do wish I could say this is a fairy entrance into my garden, it is almost as magical. This is a pathway for wallabies and other animals it goes under the apple tree. The blackberries provide a safe escape. Quiet a few years ago I watched a blue tongue lizard eating blackberries just up from this spot. This has been a pathway for all the time I have lived here. I will not fence as I love having the wallabies come in and be part of my garden. So many new people are moving here and fully fencing their properties to keep the wallabies and possums out. I understand if you are having stock or horses, but just to keep the animals that belong here much more then we do out of their pathways and feeding areas not good.
Hedge row blackberries grass and bracken no fencing at all along here. The only small bit of fencing is where the apple tree is and the first bit of grassland as people would come onto our land to pick the apples. No problem with them taking them from the road side.
How lovely the rain has arrived and is falling as I type. It has cooled off.
Hedge rows (neighbours across) is a pine of sorts just a hedge) Mine blackberries bracken and agapanthas.(white flowers) I do not have any fencing along here at all.
Agapanthas I cut and had to go back to pick up because I had forgotten them. The clouds were coming over and as I bent to pick them up I felt two stinging burning bites. Really painful I was in a mass of Jack Jumper ants. I feel they knew it was going to rain. Why they were about the agapantha flowers I am not sure. They were no where about earlier when it was humid so sticky and humid. Below is the photograph I took of two of them and some information about these beasties! (I was also bitten earlier in the week in the veggie garden on my left index finger).
Photograph of Jack Jumper Ants in my garden
The jack jumper – Tasmania’s killer ant: 2012
By Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Jack jumpers (Myrmecia pilosula) are small, black and orange ants with extremely keen eyesight and an unusual ability to jump. This tiny creature is considered one of the most dangerous ants in the world – and, indeed, the most dangerous animal in Australia! In Tasmania, the death toll from the jack jumper’s sting is about one person every four years – greater than the toll inflicted by sharks or by the most poisonous of snakes or spiders.
They are named after the ‘jumping-jack firecracker’ because of their tendency to jump aggressively towards potential threats to themselves or their nests, and to follow up with multiple painful, fiery stings.
The ant’s fierce-looking, toothed jaws are ideal for holding insect prey in place while using the stinger at the end of its abdomen to jab its victim.
Jack jumpers are so very dangerous because the venom in their stings is one of the most powerful in the insect world; about three per cent of Tasmanians (some 14,000 people) are at risk of anaphylactic shock if stung.
While jack jumpers are common in the bush, their preference for disturbed, sparsely-vegetated and stony ground allows them to colonise roadsides, pathways and heavily-grazed paddocks.
For the same reasons, they can also be common in recently-established suburbs. Nests are typically found under logs and rocks and can often be spotted from the mounds of gravel that mark the entrance holes.
Not one single ant species, but a complex of seven superficially very similar species, jack jumpers hold a key position in native ecosystems.
Despite their notoriety, their nest-building improves soil structure, while their predatory and competitive behavior with other insects and invertebrates helps to selectively enhance plant growth.
They are also a food source for other animals. The most important predator of jack jumpers is the echidna, which – unfortunately for people – avoids disturbed ground and suburban areas.
Below please excuse my dirty feet, I have been working and walking about in sandles all day. Digging and on dirt paths in bare feet. You can see my bites fortunately I am not allergic to them.
The first is on the side of my big toe, and it is swollen quite a lot now it feels like I have a huge blister or pad under my foot when I walk and the top and side is hot to touch and red. There is no pain just a burning sensation which is not unusual. This ant really had a tight grasp on me. It was still attached even when I pulled my sandle off.
Below. The one on my toe is not too bad it has not swollen any where near as much as I feared. (I could not bend my finger for 24 hours after it was bitten, and it itches off and on annoyingly so) It is burning still I know if it had swollen I would have found it really annoying as you can see I have webb toes and it would have impacted both of them. The redness you can see is the reaction but that has disapated and basically where the whiteness is and the small red dot (bite) is now red and the rest of my foot now clean is back to normal. Of course I was bitten on different feet. I can laugh now.
Even with this I have had a wonderful day and so have my dogs. We did our usual run this morning. I picked fruit and stacked some of my wood. I pruned some trees and bushes. (bushes mainly for access for my gas bottle delivery man. ) My dogs were wanting another walk so after their meal we went off on the way home one of my neighbours was out with her two dogs, so my guys played with them as we chatted for ages.
We waved as several other neighbours drove up or down the road. As the dogs played in their paddock.
Another neighbour came and joined us, bringing us each a gift of half a marrow, a zucchini/courgette that has grown huge. I am going to stuff mine and bake it, yummo on tuesday when I have gas again. She also gave us each a jar of her homemade home grown apricot relish yummo!
We chatted for quite a while and her friend came looking for her and stayed for a while and talked with us more. I had to go as Busby was so hot and tired and Miss Treacle was sleeping under the shade of a tree. So we all said bye. All smiling.
As I write I am listening to the rain and Busby snoring deeply as he has been since 5pm (it is now 8pm) and Miss Treacle making mmmering noises in her sleep. Neither of them raising their head if I get up to do something. Not normal. Sleeping the exhausted. It is a lovely night, all dry our tummies full and comfy beds to sleep in. I am not suffering with my ant bites. I have learnt about Tasmanias true hedgerows.
I am so thankful for lovely neighbours, other dogs for my dogs to play with, the rain, the gifts I received to day, the bounty of Mother Earth, I will have more blackberries, and the apples will be ready soon. I am thankful for I am truelove blessed.
Echidna Home 
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