Self sufficientish 2020

[Weedo]

You have my sympathy GA - the NSW Govt has Wagga actively targeted for a population of 100,000 (currently 64,000) It now takes me twice as long to get to work and parking in the main retail area is impossible. Quality clothing (Gentlemans outfitters) are long gone - green grocers and butchers relegated to a couple of shops on the outskirts; chased out by the Big 2 multinationals - most of the central shopping are is now full of high turnover bling shops (how can a shop that sells nothing but covers for mobile phones make money?)

Farming land is going under Millenium Ghettos to meet the expanding population and the surrounding villages are now under pressure to "develop". Our local store / fuel stop / paper shop / cafe is about to be converted to a huge truck stop able to cater for interstate transport with parking for 25 plus B Doubles (25 m long); the Pub has halved its opening hours in order to keep operating

The caravans, campers and boats are becoming a real nuisance; none have the least idea country roads, trucks and Ag machinery. Google and a couple of Apps informs them that there is a a crown reserve on the river on my property and public road through my property leading it; all it really leads to is arguments as I turn them back (I, luckily, still have Old Title and own to the river bank and to the centre of the river in a few places.

Selling up and moving is becoming more attractive by the hour - Gasadalur looks peaceful

[Green Aura]

Well, it's a glorious morning here and it's reminding me why we live here.

After my last post, during the 2 hour trip down the road we did some serious talking and have come up with a short term plan. It won't resolve most of our issues and, longer term, we're still moving but it will hopefully make the interim better.

In the meantime we're going to do a little bit of that "walling ourselves in" - well fencing anyway. Just a short section across from the house to the lane which will give us sheltered space for a couple of raised beds and a small greenhouse. On the weather side of the fence we'll broaden out the drive so we can get two cars side by side. We currently park nose to tail but it's already quite tight and we'll be fencing off a bit at the top for the garden.

It should mean we can get back to growing more veg and somewhere to sit in the evening with that G&T - we seemed to barely set foot out of the house last summer it was so windy. I think it will also make it attractive to potential buyers for fairly minimal outlay.

[Viper254]

Well, it's a glorious morning here and it's reminding me why we live here.

After my last post, during the 2 hour trip down the road we did some serious talking and have come up with a short term plan. It won't resolve most of our issues and, longer term, we're still moving but it will hopefully make the interim better.

In the meantime we're going to do a little bit of that "walling ourselves in" - well fencing anyway. Just a short section across from the house to the lane which will give us sheltered space for a couple of raised beds and a small greenhouse. On the weather side of the fence we'll broaden out the drive so we can get two cars side by side. We currently park nose to tail but it's already quite tight and we'll be fencing off a bit at the top for the garden.

It should mean we can get back to growing more veg and somewhere to sit in the evening with that G&T - we seemed to barely set foot out of the house last summer it was so windy. I think it will also make it attractive to potential buyers for fairly minimal outlay.

Best of luck :) I think the parking thing is astute. Apparently the house we now live in was unattractive due to a narrow driveway, despite the fact you can probably get 5 cars in it - just not side by side. People are weird.

Being Cornish, I very much understand the tourism issue, and in my time there it became something of a drag. In-country holidaying only seems to be getting more popular, so I can't see it getting better soon

[Odsox]

In-country holidaying only seems to be getting more popular, so I can't see it getting better soon

It has just occurred to me that things MIGHT get better.
My main gripe is huge campervans crawling along our narrow roads in no particular hurry to get anywhere. But .. thinking about it, I would say it's probably impossible to make an electric powered campervan and probably difficult to get an electric car capable of towing a caravan.
As many countries are banning petrol/diesel cars in the near future, maybe that will include campers?
Maybe there is hope.

[Green Aura]

As many countries are banning petrol/diesel cars in the near future, maybe that will include campers?

Oh, I do hope so. In the meantime do you think we could get compulsory "how to drive on single lane roads and use rear view mirrors" training. I followed one car (not camper) along for ~14 miles, regularly beeping and flashing my lights after it was obvious they hadn't noticed me. They were obviously enraptured by the views and probably listening to music, so were oblivious to me - trying to get my OH to a physio appointment in the next village. When they eventually heard me they pulled up short to allow me to overtake - on a blind bend.

It makes me feel awful. I want our visitors to enjoy their holiday, as we did not that long ago, but just a little consideration for other road users would make all the difference.

Before I finish my rant I have one more complaint. Some bright marketing spark, came up with the idea of the North Coast 500, much like Odsox's Wild Atlantic Way, which is hugely successful and responsible for this mass influx of tourists. For the first few years it was busier, but bearable, mainly extending the season rather than flooding it and mainly cars. Then some other bright spark bought the "brand" and started merchandising the NC500 - hats, t-shirts etc and a book that you can get stamped at various places round the route, to prove you've done it. That's when all hell broke loose - the camper rentals are raking it in, as are the big supermarkets in Inverness, where they stock up for their trip. Many are now hurtling (very slowly ) round the entire thing, only stopping to get their stamps and not really benefitting the remote economies the whole thing was set up to boost!

OK, I'm done, you can have your thread back Flo.

On another note, my peppers and tomatoes are looking pretty good.

[ina]

I'd always meant to come back up to your area - had a very short trip quite a few years ago... But as soon as I heard what's happening with NC500, I'm thinking no thanks.

[Flo]

OK, I'm done, you can have your thread back Flo.

On another note, my peppers and tomatoes are looking pretty good.

Dunno - if you can't get the homestead right because of traffic there's no likelihood of proper self sufficientish. If tourists are stopping you then - well it's a healthy rant and something to consider.

When I moved off the main road up hill within walking distance of the meagre selection of shops which aren't the most useful down to the present bungalow then it was certainly off the beaten track for such things as tourists/heavy traffic. Cyclists are a pain in various parts of the anatomy as we are next to a national cycling route and the end of the round the estate road road gets blocked when there's a funeral at the cemetery (next Thursday I suspect). Suppose we are self sufficient in cyclists - just don't try to cross the road when they are coming. There's a cafe stop in village up road and a meal stop at the village pub so we do get them.

[Weedo]

In the nearly 40 years I have been working and studying invasive species and the natural environment I have been able to find a natural purpose and role for every nasty gribbly, weed, disease and bitey - they all have their place and reason being (even though that may conflict with mans desires at that time and in that place) Left to themselves, every invasive will eventually find a balance and place within the ecosystem; populations will level out to suit and other species will "learn" to live with them and even make use of them - invasion and adaption are natural evolutionary processes. However, I have not yet found a purpose or role for the highly invasive little naked ape that now dominates the earth.

Sorry, feeling more than a little maudlin this morning.

On an Ishish note - looks like we may get a few inches of rain on the back of the northern tropical storms - most production in the patch is finished for this year (last onions and spuds dug this week) apart from a few toms and peppers - may be time for a last quick bean and pea crop. Just starting to redo the beds pre autumn planting, pushed a few extra eggs under the broodie chook and restarting the compost after the baking hot dry summer (temps down to a balmy high 20's - 30 ish now) Winter cereal (we sow early autumn and harvest late spring here) will go in dry ground this year in the hope we get enough rain later to germinate and carry the crop through - we will try multi species crops in a couple of patches which year.

[Viper254]

However, I have not yet found a purpose or role for the highly invasive little naked ape that now dominates the earth.

That's because there isn't one - but here we are, I guess.

[Flo]

Well the virus scare is certainly showing up some strange habits with regard to self sufficiency. Complete and utter chaos - I mean, toilet rolls scarcity? Don't we buy newspapers anymore?

[Viper254]

Not many, no!

[ina]

Don't we buy newspapers anymore?

Most people read them online. And a smartphone is good for many things - but maybe not all...

[Weedo]

Remember the nappy bucket in the laundry? This will be our fall back if the idiocy continues - cotton cloths, then into the nappy bucket with sanitiser and then the washing machine. Actually, with just the two of us now, this may work as a permanent process.

[Green Aura]

That was my plan. Not on a permanent basis though. I know it makes sense but as I'd be the one doing the washing, I'm not sure I could handle it on more than an emergency footing.

[Flo]

Give me some lessons on how to be self sufficient if the government asks all of us over 70s to self isolate at home for up to 12 weeks in the near future. That's going to wreck the allotments in the growing season. The back garden may produce a few tomatoes, aubergines and peppers in the longer term.