Can you spot the monster in this picture? No, NOT my daughter - although she has her moments! - but the big digger in the background.
The significance is that only a couple of days ago we signed our building contract.
After two years of planning we are finally going to see some action, beginning tomorrow. We can't believe that it's really happening, that our house is going to move from paper to actual bricks and timber.
Today we spent some time soaking in what we have, before it transforms - with some regret as I do love it just as an old cow paddock - into a pile of dirt ready for a slab by Christmas.
It definitely pains me that we are infringing on our environment in this way but we've agreed to do the best we can to do right by the land we own. We've already planted about 50 trees with plans for many more. We plan to preserve our little bush grove and plant in all the understorey that generations of cattle have grazed out. And we welcome every kangaroo, echidna, goanna and bird that wants to call our patch 'home' with us. The brown snakes?.....they need to keep their visits very brief!
This also starts the chapter of our lives where we go back to frugality as we carefully make our way through that awful period of paying for rent and building a house at the same time. Unfortunate timing being just before Christmas but we have to forge ahead, save everything, tighten our belts even more and cancel some plans which we now can't justify. I hate to be a slave to the bank but hopefully it will be worth it.
So for us, for now, 'staycations' at the Hill of Hello are all the rage. And if we keep having days like this then I don't mind a bit.
