Forever House #7

Saturday 23rd March, 2013

View west from Hogarth Ranges en route to Forever House

Finally I am again at the caravan table writing at twilight. A plume of smoke has just sprung above the trees across the river at Daph and Stan's - one of their two fuel stoves alight for the evening. I was at their place by ten this morning for a Currawinya General Meeting, to set the budget and the levy we shareholders will pay for 2013-2014, among other things. There were nine of us around the table in Stan and Daph's shed, and enough proxies from most other financial shareholders for the meeting to go ahead as planned.

Daphne and Stan's punt across the Cataract River

It was two o'clock by the time I was ferried back across the Cataract River to my car, and I spent the next four hours mudding, It's been so long you'd think I'd forget how... but I had a very productive afternoon. Unfortunately the cows that range through Currawinya illegally had broken into the house and stomped my pile of previously sifted dirt out across the lounge room, shat everywhere, and I assume it was they who drank half the forty-four gallon drum of water I filled last visit.

Bloody cows...

Jeff woke early with me at home, and helped me (or I helped him) to get the cement mixer into the trailer and tied on securely for the 2 hour drive to the Forever House - the last forty minutes being dirt roads of varying condition. I left home at half seven, bought fuel and oil from my independent petrol man at Casino, a coffee from Macca's because it was the only place open at that time of the morning, rang Mum and Dad from Macca's carpark to encourage them to drive out and say hi tomorrow; then was on my way in earnest to reach the meeting by ten. Jeff and I had a practice this morning as to how I would get the mixer off the trailer by myself. It worked a treat and is now set up in the lounge room alongside all the ingredients.

Checking the tie downs along Paddy's Flat Road

Before getting into making mud, I filled the watering can and clamboured up onto the scaffolding to wet down the top of the wall ready to lay the next layer of mud on. This is necessary so that the new and old become one so to speak. I watered it down three times to get it wet enough. I'm so close to the roof now that the watering can will hardly tip up enough to shower water out - I tipped it this way and that around the metal framework (top hats for those who know about such things), and as the skillion roof got closer to the wall I just tipped the watering can sideways and tipped it out of the hole at the top. (A skillion roof is a flat roof that has been inclined slightly. The house is split level so the roof gives various heights inside.)

Inside the wall where I am working

I filled the genny with fuel and hoped I would remember how to start it... The first couple of pulls got no response, so I looked again for what I might not have done - found the ON switch, flicked it into position, and the next pull started it easily. I shovelled dirt into the mixer, remembering fifteen shovel loads is the recipe; but then recalled it pays to have the water in first. Half a bucket of water, a tin billy of sand, four handfuls of chopped straw. As the straw took its time to bind through, straw soaking in water came to mind, and I did this ready for the next mixer load. With two mixer loads in the barrow and that noisy genny off, I wheeled the barrow through to where I am working, three metres off the ground by now. Alone on this occasion, I manhandled the mud out of the barrow in 'cobs' as large as my hands can manage, and stacked it up on the plank on which I will stand when I get up to mud. I have to place it as close as possible to where I need it while also leaving myself room to move when I get up there. There is a forty four gallon drum at either end of the wall upon which a plank lays; some besser blocks for more height, and another plank. The top plank is just below my shoulder height. Underneath are four pallets stacked on top of the other to step up.

Outside the wall where I am working

All the scaffolding inside and out has been refreshed of recent times to see me through the remaining mudding. I collected about eighteen pallets from around Lismore over a couple of days mid last year after deciding to name a housewarming deadline. Jeff came out with me and helped me cut down lantana that had grown through the existing scaffolding, and replace anything that had gone rotten. So here we are in March before I have actually used it... Currawinya time. And there's plenty more lantana growing up around it again. However the scaffolding feels good - safe - and I only have a few more rows of mud to go. I thank my lucky stars that I have regained my fitness over the past year - this work requires core strength.