Monday 27 January 2014


So, while the guys were on holiday, Michael worked and worked!  He’s a pretty wonderful person!

He and I spent three days planning our electrics – where exactly all the lights and power points will go – who knew it would take so long!?  And I am again, so glad I didn’t have to make these decisions before the build – I would have had no idea at all!  That already shows though, doesn’t it – because I took three days to get through it all anyway...Ah, well – lucky Michael is the electrician, that is all I can say – he lets me change my mind ;-)

Then he got busy putting all the conduit and cables in. 



 
















It has certainly been a bit tricky for him because we have no ceiling space – there are going to be strawbales up there – so there was a lot of thinking how to get ‘a’ to ‘b’ via the internal wall spaces as much as possible.

It still amazes me how much cable you need for one light – I thought it was one wire from the switch to the light = all done.  But apparently you need one there and one back, and another one there if it is going to connect to the next light etc etc – too much for me! 

So I stuck to finalising our kitchen appliances, based on the Choice magazine recommendations.  It wasn’t easy – trying to figure out what was reliable, realistically priced, long-lasting and preferably made in Australia (for less transport miles) – plus of course, water and energy efficient.  I am sure it should be easier.  Time will tell if I got it right!

Sunday 26 January 2014


My Honey and I went on a date yesterday!  All day without the kids! 

We went for a lovely, long drive in the countryside J.

In the truck.   To pick up strawbales J.

Here was my view in the paddock:



 
















I was driving the truck in the paddock!!  Oh, yes, I was!  And I tell you, I would kiss the person who invented that bale loader machine thingy – what a God-send!  Ned and Michael were busy stacking on the back of the truck.  I bet they would kiss the person too!

And then we finally had this view:



 















Lucky last 3 bales J.

Now we just have to get them from Knotwood to here – it’s about an 8 hour round trip - Michael is on his way back with load number four, then four more to go…

Wow, Ryan started back working on our home Wednesday this last week – yay!  And he is zipping along as always – so we already have internal wall frames up – it’s looking good J.



 
















You can see how the strawbales will fit in too – vertical.  Different!  Oh yeah, it is…

And lookie at these gorgeous window seats framed up J:



 
















(Roof sarking on the outside – from the wonderful Mick at Albany Wool Batts).
 
And for those of you who have noticed, and those who have asked me – yes, these updates were a wee bit slow in getting on the blog – blame it on changing computers – not something I ever, ever enjoy…

Thursday 23 January 2014


There are bales on the block, people!!!

 



 






Real, honest to goodness strawbales!!!!!

It really is exciting now – we can very, very nearly call ourselves strawbalers!!!

We spent last Saturday starting the pick up out of the paddock, and Michael spent the night at Knotwood with Ned and Avril and Juris to do another few truckloads and bring this lot home.  (Wow, home, these strawbales are our home – that sure is a nice feeling J).

It is extra nice that we know where the strawbales are coming from.  I so appreciated being able to walk the ground where the straw was grown, to feel the connection and to say my thanks to the earth for providing our shelter.  And it was lovely to meet the farmer too.

I am really loving this part of building our home – having this connection with it – and with the people who are in this adventure with us!

We have found another connection too – I went to uni with Avril and Ned.  Who would have thought our strawbales would reconnect us 20+ years later?  Ned was instrumental in getting these bales for us – he needed some too, so he did some asking around (he got the proximity rule right - they come from the farm next to Knotwood!) – and now here we all are J.

Thanks Ned and Avril for all your hardwork, your dedication to strawbale building and to your generosity in having us come to Knotwood.

So... how ya’all been?  Good Chrissie and New Year??

Ah, holidays – aren’t they wonderful?

We had a lovely Christmas celebration – including lunch in our house!  J

And, then 2 days later we had 17 here for another family lunch – I loved it!!  This is why we moved – to be closer to family and it has been very nice for this to be happening.

And meanwhile, progress on the house has been ticking along – with plenty of time in between to read in the hammock, go to the beach and take some lovely walks – yes, holidays are wonderful.

But the best news of all – our strawbales have happened!!!  Lookie at these wonderful photos:

The last of the crop:




 









The straw:


 











And the bales:




 

 







(Plus we have a family connection too in the end – that is Michael’s niece’s husband’s dad doing the baling J.  Thanks George!  And thanks to Ned the finder & photographer and Richard the farmer).