Last weeks photo shows our new stable and tanks looking fantastic until you get close and see that there is still a mountain of landscaping yet to be done.  Our easy peasy thinking months ago was that we’d re-fence half the property and build a 24mx7m shed at the same time.   One week in and those rose coloured glasses shattered when the first problem arose – the pad needed more cut and fill than first advised – solution (agonising, measuring, fretting) move the entire shed 8m further down the slope.  This small incident heralded the beginning of oh so many similar “negotiations” over these past 5 months.  

So, leaving these new found experiences behind us, the present moment sees the property fencing almost done (some welding & gate hanging to go), the 2 x 20,000g tanks are in and collecting water, the 24m x 7m stable/hayshed/tack room is also done and the solar gate is working perfectly.  Now “all we need to do” is complete the mountain of landscaping: insert drainage trenches, topsoiling, spreading sand/gravel inside shed, place rocks around the tanks’ circumferences and levelling piles of rubble around the shed pad.  It’s going to take many weekends to get these “all we need to do” tasks done…. sigh… there is always heaps to do and with Pearl and Rebel due home soon the rush is on…..

Despite the challenges it’s satisfying to see our plans become a reality and we are so looking forward to using the new facilities.  Of course our new found experiences will never be utilised again as we aren’t about to build/fence any time soon!!  My advice, if you are planning to commence major projects, is to do them one at a time if you want to enjoy family time, weekends or holidays with any sanity.