One Step Forward...
by Linda Johnson
14th November 2003Our regular readers may be wondering why we haven't written, and what has happened to these two people who escaped the city. Well, it's amazing how busy you can be doing nothing!
Apart from the one month we have spent so far driving around with our caravan, selling crystals, visiting places and collecting records from the earth, our time has mostly been spent parked on a mountaintop with relatives. Until we get the power put onto the site ($11,000 thankyou!) it's difficult to build or live there. At this time the electricity people appear to be still growing the trees for the power poles.
The land we will be building on is a couple of acres at the bottom of the mountain near a little 'creek'. I use the term loosely as there is no water there any more due to the drought, and the eels have a tendancy to jump out of the mud and surprise you when you least expect it. In fact, our creekbed has now become a thoroughfare for the local cows who have snuck under the wire looking for a drink.
We knew when we moved to the area that there was a waiting list for builders. We did not realise there is a waiting list to get a quote. Back in July we made a 4 hour round trip to a builder in Gosford who makes pre-fabricated homes and transports them to site. We were told we'd get our quote in 4 or 5 weeks. It's now been 5 months without a word. A week or so later we went to a locally recommended builder to get a comparative quote to build on site. He said he would have our quote in 2 to 3 weeks. We're still waiting.
Next we talked to another local builder who suggested we Owner Build and hire people to help as required. We were hoping not to have to do this but to keep costs down and in the abscence of anyone willing to build our house this millenium we started working towards this option and had a locally recommended man take our rough sketches to draw a proper plan to put into council and that we could use to get quotes on materials. A week later he sent back all our information saying he'd decided not to do it! So after the third housing setback we've e-mailed a kit home place and have spent a few days so far waiting for reply. Hopefully they will reply before Christmas. Oh, to be able to instantly manifest!!!
So before we've even started the dramas of building a house (with nobody to advise us what to do, but everybody giving us advice) we have already wasted a fair bit of time and the novelty of living in a caravan is beginning to lose it's attraction. My advice to others moving to the country would be, unless you are a builder or a masochist - if you have a choice between buying a vacant block to build your dream home in the country, or buying an existing home with exising water tanks, electricity etc. do this. You can always brighten it up later.
Having said that, we have already committed to our little block and love it and the area. There is an abundance of wildlife here including wallabies and kangaroos, echidnas, bandicoots, bush rats, possums, bowerbirds, koalas, kookaburras, water dragons, and an abundance of birds, lizards, frogs (and snakes). We have lots of insects including fireflys, but I must say the blowflies are getting a bit too abundant in these dry conditions. We have a resident python called 'Monty' who likes to hang out in the grapefruit tree - he thinks he's in the garden of Eden - or hang off the roof of the house and play in the gutters (good for giving you a heart attack).
We have started putting in a few patches of well covered veggies and herbs on our block as our first step to self sufficiency. At first we would put our watering can in the creek to water them but now there is no water. Fortunately we had pumped some water into a small tank before the creek ran dry which has done us the last week but we don't expect that will last much longer.
Our next plan is to run a lot of hoses together to try and syphon some water from a 'dam' at the other end of our block and into the garden tank. Again I use this term loosely as the dam is more of a swamp full of frogs, algae and reeds, surrounded by swampy snake-filled grass. However, the swamp has not so far run dry and we suspect it may be spring fed and will give us ongoing water. Unfortunately the path between the swamp and the garden tank is uncharted rocky bush at an almost vertical slope and crawling with things that rustle in the grass. So far we have beaten our way through about half of it before running out of hose and hope to finish that project in a few days before the little bit of water left in the tank runs out. Fingers crossed that the water comes out the other end as I for one will not be sucking it through!
Meanwhile on the ascension front, moving to the country has had some ups and downs. I had known for some time through my guidance that my vibration would rise as soon as I left the city and my old job, and indeed it has. However a rapid rise in vibration highlights parts of self that are out of balance or not as thoroughly ascended as other parts.
The first thing I noticed was being frequently ungrounded by earth. This turned out to be excess electricity in my field which I had needed for holding the space in the city but not in the country. It was too much for the earth's vibration in my new region and this took some weeks to reel in and bring down and bring my whole field into balance with my new surroundings. On the positive side there is far less interference out here in my field as we are so far from other people and can release karma with the few neighbours we have. One doesn't need to consciously hold such a big field and boundaries and check for damage constantly.
The country town is nice and friendly and there are few multinationals - we don't even have a McDonalds which is nice to see. Mostly just local shops run by local people. Some shops have been run by generations of the same family. There are far fewer spells pulling you in than in suburban malls.
On the downside of my rapid rise in vibration, all the metal fillings in my teeth have been disintegrating and the teeth around them have not been ascending. One even infected a nerve so I was in a lot of pain for quite a few weeks. I went for years without a problem and then they all went off at once. There is only one dentist in town and he has a 5 week waiting list, although he will fit you in if you're in pain. So far I think I've spent more money at the dentist than at the supermarket since I've been here. So there's another lesson before moving to the country - get your teeth checked and change out those metal fillings for the white ones which don't seem to hold so much electricity.
Before coming here so much of my time and creative energy went in to completing where I was and fuelling the dream of getting here. Now that I am here it's like I'm poised in limbo waiting for the next phase of the dream to become something more solid I can concentrate on. There have been days I wondered what I've gotten myself into - going from an old but comfortable home where everything I needed was at my fingertips, to living in a caravan with everything I need stored in a box in some inaccessible location and unable to see the light of day until we have a house... which isn't going to happen any time soon.
However, it looks like we are being guided to build the house ourselves and no doubt that will be the source of many stories. In the meantime we'll see if the nature spirits can pull in some rain.
Take care....
Linda
Copyright 2003 Linda Johnson www.newage.com.au