So catching up with your neighbour’s, when you live in the middle of nowhere goes something like this…..
Mrs Savvy B & Co have come over to visit this weekend. I have been having withdrawals from her, after our fabulous holiday on Magnetic Island. I mean, it has been over 2 weeks since I have seen her and all.
Mr Savvy B & Mr Chardy are going for Father’s of the Year and have taken the 4 boys fishing, while Mrs SB has come here to hang out with Clancy and I. Now, because both of our wagons are still in Camooweal (after we had to fly back in from holidays), I had to drive out and meet her and bring her back here to the house. Just a quick trip to meet them, only took a couple of hours out and back, by my goodness the road was bumpily…oh my, I thought the ute was going to rattle to pieces….bump bump bump….hold on to your hats people, I am telling you it was a good thing I wore a decent bra, that is all I am saying.
There is certainly no popping over the garden fence for a visit. Oh no, that would be far too easy. Instead I packed a snack for Clancy and we all met half way at one of our major intersections along the Eastern Freeway, also known as The Wine Road – don’t worry, not a toll booth in sight.
Here have a look – this is the “Major Intersection” I was talking about… see
See that tree – I can’t believe it has fallen down. This cross road intersection is better known as Bus Stop. I think we might need to plant another tree.
This is about a 60km drive for both of us. It involved 3 utes. The boys all then headed north to a waterhole and Mrs SB jumped in the ute with Clancy and I and we hit the road back home to Chardy HQ. Bump, bump, bumpity bump!
Mrs SB and I have made a pact: when we get together we are not going to just sit around and drink wine waste time. We are going to help each other with something that needs doing, a little project. That is the definition of a good friend isn’t it…… invite them over so they can help you out with your crappy jobs. I love it. So today we are getting my verandah sorted. It always seems to be in such a mess so we are onto it. And you should see Mrs SB go, while I sit in the cool air conditioning tap tap tapping away she is out there working up a sweat moving things and chucking crap out. I have a verandah around the whole house, and it always seems to be in such a state, but we are getting it sorted once and for all. Isn’t it great to have a fresh set of eyes and a different perspective, it is going to be so great once she is we are done. What a champ. I underestimate her abilities…..!!!
Look at her go…. I just told her to stop for a while because I feel bad that I am in here typing away while she gets her clean on….her reply: “Oh god, don’t worry, I am better off without you……..don’t hurry, I have to get this right before you shoot me down”…. ha ha ha, I think I had best get out there and see what on earth she is up to.
Later this afternoon (much later hopefully, ha ha ha) Mr SB, Mr Chardy and the children will all come back here for the night. I am sure I will be sad in the morning when I have to say goodbye to them, I am always in denial when they have to go and try so hard to convince them to stay for just a little bit longer.
So there you have it – that is what is happening here on this wonderful Saturday.
What are you up to? Are you catching up with your neighbours?
How far away do they live? 3 meters or 120km?
We had a wonderful impromptu afternoon with my brother and sister-in-law, who live 2 hours to the north west but are weekending 1 hour to the south east of us! They only phoned this morning, which made me grateful to have some leftover dukkah in the cupboard, a loaf of sourdough bread rising beautifully before being put in the oven, some frozen mashed pumpkin so I could knock up some scones, and of course wine in the fridge! Hubby had to duck to the shop (10 mins away) to pick up some milk as we were nearly out, one of the privileges of living so close to an urban area. I guess you have a cupboard full of long life or powdered milk?
Thanks for the interesting, thought provoking post – once again you shine a light (always with good humour) on the challenges of rural women.
Enjoy your ‘sorted’ verandah!
Best wishes,
Jo
Oh thanks so much Jo. Wow – you sound like a complete domestic goddess!!!!! Way to go. Hope you had a lovely time with your Brother. Yes, we sure do have boxes and boxes and boxes of powdered and UHT milk!!
I’m an urban girl and exclusively use longlife milk. Old habits don’t die! I was so excited when Devondale bought out the 2ltr packs.
Oh god, I am beside myself with the 2L bottles of Devondale, I was forever opening those little 1L packs….meanwhile Mr Chardy still goes over to the Station Kitchen for his coffee so he can have powdered milk, ha ha ha. Must say I don’t mind a coffee made on powdered milk. Love that you still use UHT, ha ha ha.
Miss Chardy you are so refreshing! my sister found you and I am so glad she did! I think of myself as a bit of a Geeezzzz and T kinda of girl! I also live on a cattle station in Western Australia, not quite as remote as you but still I get your UHT milk and your tasty Jackaroo delights (food that is!) stories. Our neighbours are only 4o kms as the crow flies but we wouldn’t think twice about driving 250 kms for a night out on the tiles with our friends on other properties. On a “getting sorted with Chards” note – You have inspired me to Get up and get going early and “put away “everything once I have finished with it…how much more efficient are we!!! With 3 young girls I seem to be forever on the hop picking up things around the house. today I found a smoothie stashed in numbers 3’s room huddled behind some leggo construction that had been quietly fermenting for a good 4 weeks! I didn’t care because I was so proud of the fact that she “drank” something with spinach in it. The nutri bullet is (if you haven’t heard) the bomb! anyway, just wanted to touch base and tell you that you are FABULOUS, and funny and I totally get where you are coming from!! keep up the great blogs! Miss GEEzze and T’s xx
Hello there Geezzzz & T!!!! Thank you so much for saying hi, you have made my day! Where do you live in WA? Well done with putting things away – isn’t it amazing the difference it makes, I feel like a whole new person….loving it. So glad to hear that Get Sort with Chards has helped inspire you1!! Love the story about the smoothie, ha ha ha. Have a great Sunday x
We are at Bullara station near Coral Bay/Exmouth..pretty amazing place near the Ningaloo Reef. check out our website http://www.bullara-station.com.au .
Maybe you and the Savvy Bs can come and holiday in our neck of the woods one day!! We run Droughtmaster cattle and have diversified into tourism. Look forward to reading you next post! xx
Right, after I publish my post this morning I am off to read all about Bullara!!! Sounds wonderful. And guess what – Mrs Savvy B & Co run Droughtmaster cattle too!!! Would love to get over to WA one day. Via the Kimberly.
Mrs savvy b is a keeper! Hope your verandah is looking awesome!
She is definitely a keeper Mrs T, don’t know what I would do without her, we are so lucky to have them as our neighbours.
That is such a great idea – we have neighbours but I’m not friendly with them, weird that. I miss those rural neighbours xx
So great getting in a getting things done with your friend, makes it so much more fun Em. x
Mrs Savvy B is the bomb! We used to have great neighbours when we lived in suburbia. But since we moved to the 100acres we live on now, we don’t really know our neighbours. It’s different when you live on land close to a city. Not the same rural feel. We have got to know the house that borders on the far end of the property. That’s because our dog keeps roaming there so we have to constantly go pick him up! Luckily they are lovely people who don’t mind our labrador that keeps hanging around.
She certainly is the Bomb Caitlin!!! So lucky to have them as our neighbours, so so lucky!!! We always say how lucky we are too. It is different down there. Up here we are all one big community but down where there are more people I understand that it is very different.
Wowser long way between neighbours indeed. I live in the suburbs so my neighbours are up close and all around! Thankfully I like them, we live on a great street. I am a little jealous of all the space around you though x
So great that you live on a wonderful street, would make all the difference. Nothing beats great neighbours! Thanks for saying hi Clare.
Um well here goes my suburb has all nosey neighbours who seem to peep through the curtains to see when you get the mail etc… It was fun when we first moved in 10 yrs ago now i totally ignore them sad but you do what you need to i guess *sigh* We like to just keep to ourselves really.
Nothing worse than a nosey neighbour 🙂
Helping each other out with a crappy job is a sensational idea! Mrs SB sounds like a star. We’re on a 600 square meter block, so we’re intimately involved with the goings on in our neighbours houses – though we don’t catch up or talk very often. I wonder if it’s because we’re so close? We know so much about each other already, not talking heaps maybe helps feel like there’s a bit more space than there really is? Our best neighbourly friends live the next suburb over. No kids to factor in, but our husbands are often scheming about buying adjoining properties and creating a tunnel system and co-parenting our schoodle, Archie Boo. I’m starting to believe it might actually happen! x
Ha ha ha ha, too funny about the tunnel system – that sounds like a plan!!! Yes, Mrs SB is an absolute STAR!!!