"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Monday 4 June 2012

Digging and loading

Ah yes, I had my Royal fill yesterday - a tight throat at times choked up with emotion, tears, smiles and laughter, as I watched Her Majesty in the Thames Pageant.  My roots have been satisfied - for now.  Even though I was born there over 50 years ago, and have been back a few times, I am a very proud Brit :)  Her Majesty is one heck of a woman - not only for holding her position of responsibility and fulfilling her duty for over 60 years, but for standing for 3-odd hours yesterday, in the pouring rain!  At 88 - amazing!  I couldn't do it at my age.


But, back to our eco-journey in South Africa.


The whole purpose of our last trip to the farm was to allow the digger/loader entry to the property in order for it to dig the foundations.  I had to sacrifice my new washing line as it had be placed in exactly the position marked by the architect for the garage.  Grrrrrrrr!

The digger loader made short work of the foundation holes - damn, we need one of those machines - permanently LOL


RMan then decided that my nagging had finally been too much, and he asked the driver to scoop out some of the alien Black Wattles which had taken up residence in the spot where a previous load of building sand had been dumped.  It's all very well saying we need shade for those hot summer days, but when that quest results in completely blocking our view of Traddouw Pass and generates a feeling of being hemmed in, then I reckon it's pointless.
Overcrowded self-seeded trees
Carefully, carefully - loosen the roots...
Effortless tree removal with the digger / loader
... a gentle scoop here, and gentle scoop there, and then toddle off to the fence between our neighbour and us to relocate the newly up-rooted trees.  
The relocated tree site
I hope they take.  Time will tell.  Two Black Wattles were left in front of the house, and one next to the grey water reed bed.  Until the other trees we have planted grow enough to fulfill their function, the Black Wattles will remain.  When we cut them down a couple of years in the future, they will become very important firewood :)


When we left for the farm on the Friday lunchtime, it was pouring with rain - and it poured most of the way.  Recalling the wet, soggy clay mess of my veggies patch last year in August as the beds were being prepared, I asked RMan to stop at the local Co-Op in order to see if they had any wellies in stock.  I mean, what is a farmer's wife if she hasn't got any wellies?
A pair of Wayne's Wellies for RMan,
and a pair for me :)
We were in luck!  And, although they only had black wellies, wellies is wellies - no? :)  A pair for RMan and a pair for me.  At R54.00 (£4.09 / US$6.28) a pair - I reckon they have to be the bargain of the century.  But, not only that, we finally found something that is Made in South Africa - a low transport footprint!  Now - eat your heart out, China :)
Wayne Wellies, Made in South Africa.
They even have Wayne's V.A.T. number printed
on them LOL
RMan looks very dashing in his new wellies.
I reckon RMan looks quite sexy in
his new Wellies LOL
He didn't do the dirty work that I did that weekend, so he didn't use his.  But I did.  Don't tell him that as they get covered in more and more wet clay, the wellies get heavier and heavier - so much so that just walking becomes a chore in itself LOL.  Never mind the contorted, inelegant walk that develops as a result!


But, the clean trouser bottoms and socks are worth the extra exercise my legs are going to get!  And every time I need to nip inside to make a cup of tea, taking the wellies off is a breeze!


Happy Days :)

24 comments:

  1. Great price for those wellies! I think I paid 19 USD for mine and was happy with the price. But then, they're a must have.

    I so agree about the digger/loader. What a handy thing it would be to have. Actually any heavy equipment had great advantages. Sorry about that washing line. We're finding that no matter how well we think we've got a thing planned out, there's always something.

    Hopefully your transplants will do well. This is certainly the right season for that.

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    1. Leigh - Not too sure - know Black Wattles don't like being moved - we'll have to wait and see.

      Yeah - am very happy with my wellies :)

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  2. I find my hubby quite sexy in wellies and working boots too LOL glad you could get SA made ones, very cool :)

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    1. Astra - Who knew we'd love our men in wellies LOL

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  3. I guess I didn't realize other countries had the problem of being flooded with cheap Chinese goods. I thought it was just us. What a great bargain finding those "wellies" (boots!!!)
    :D

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    1. Sue - Flooded doesn't begin to cover the invasion of Chinese goods on our market. Finding something Made in South Africa is a rarity indeed!

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  4. Your plot is stunning! Love the mountains in the background. Its going to be like you are on holiday everyday.

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    1. Crystal - Thank you. Yep - a real working holiday :)

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  5. Nice boots, I need to get a pair of those. Hope your trees transplanted OK and thrive in their new location.

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    1. Mr H - They really are perfect for their job ahead LOL

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  6. We all need a loader. If I had one I be digging and scraping everyday!

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    1. tami - A digger / loader, brush cutter, chainsaw ... the list is endless ;)

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  7. Ah, boots are my one weakness. And to find a pair made in your own country is wonderful. It seems that gets harder for us all these days.

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    1. Jane - LOL - I KNOW :) But, in your honour, I am hoping to get a feminine pair at some stage in the future. Don't know if I'll ever get "them" dirty, 'cos they'll look too good, but at least they'll be there as back-up...

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  8. Talk about a deal. I would have snatched up a few pairs of those boots at that price.

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  9. OK, I'm going to have to be the newbie and say "what's a wellie?" OK, I get they are boots, but what is the history? Sounds like I might need some for the farm! I assume they are waterproof? Thorn proof? Inquiring minds! :-)

    And I don't even need to get started on a loader! Oh how I'd love one of those!!

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    1. 1st Man - LOL Wellies are an abbreviation for Wellington Boots and they are named after a Duke of Wellington of years gone by. They are definitely waterproof - RMan reckons they will also protect against snake bites ;)

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  10. Wow - you have a lot going on. Exciting to get the foundation for the garage going. And bonus ++ to get a few trees moved too.

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    1. emily - It's all happening - at last LOL Very exciting :)

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    2. Where can I buy them? I need a pair of wellies and want to buy ones made in SA.

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  11. Anonymous - I found them at our local Co-Op (SSK) in Swellendam. Either give them a call or Google Wayne's Welllies and see if the factory info appears :)

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  12. Hmmm, I'm in Cape Town. Would it be possible to get them here? I tried google. It wasn't very helpful :(. Anywhere in Cape Town you know of?

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  13. Anonymous - Maybe try Builders Warehouse? Or call the Co-op (028 514 8600) and see if they will give you the contact details for the manufacture

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