It's a rainy day, but a good day! We finally had time indoors since heavier rain kept us from the building site today. This is where we stand today: Power pole installed and power connected to building site 4 weeks ago. Building permit approved about 2 weeks ago. We had our first concrete pour 4 days ago for the footings... and launching ECOHAUS website!! Things are going well, we just need more sunny days...

Now what have we been doing this month? The long version - We’ve been busy working on the block and with all the things that come with daily life (shopping, laundry, vehicle registrations, etc.). We did finally get our final “building permit” for the “granny shack” house phase on the property - before we build the main house - if there’s any money left! This week, we poured the footings for the cottage - the next 3 days we have to lay concrete blocks up to the floor level and then pour the slab for the whole structure (with help from Robbie Page, a local contractor). Then the steel framing should be delivered in about 20 days from now and we’ll start erecting it. We hope to have most of the work done in the next 2 months!!! Prior to this, we were digging the trenches for the footings and building the forms for the pour.

Meanwhile we’ve been also filling “mountains of forms” for Troy's application for permanent resident status here in Tasmania - looks like it should go smoothly, but some months until we get the final approval. It seems like each day is going faster and we try to keep on top of the building process. There’s always a decision to make or change based on what happens that day. We’re working out the plumbing and the kitchen layout of the cottage - where the doors go and how they open and to where - what windows to get and how to fit out the interior.

We’ve had minor delays the last week or so, because of the weather - seems to “shower” more than rain - which makes working outside messy and slow. We start and then have to cover everything up to protect from rain, then the sun comes out again - then shower, sun shower, sun, shower... the pitfalls of building in winter. It’s been cool, but not too cold - some frosty mornings, but if the sun comes out, it warms up enough to work comfortably. We managed to clear most of the blackberries and areas we want to use for livestock, then things got too wet to burn. The dam is slowly filling up with water and last night we got about of 1 inch of rain in 24 hours ( the most so far since we’ve been here).

When we’re not too tired from working and designing, we rent DVD movies and watch them - finally saw the “Constant Gardener” - great! - and in the theatre saw “Romulus, my Father” - kinda sad. Our outings to the big city of Hobart generally are to see distributors of building materials we need. We did go to the Palais Theatre in Franklin for Sunday movie night, and saw "Captain Blood", starring Tasmanian Errol Flynn - great fun and good food brought by locals to share. So, we ended up staying in the apartment - rather than move again - and again into the cottage - but our neighbour just got a 30-day notice from new owners to remodel his apartment, so who knows?

Our designer Guy Greener, who was putting our drawings of the design into working drawings for the Huon Council, was out cutting down a tree on his property 3 weeks ago and it fell on him. He ended up in the hospital - requiring back surgery and stayed there for 2 weeks! Sad news, but he was very lucky that it was not more serious. He returned home early this week and is walking with a back brace. He’s in better spirits now... not working at the moment, but we hope in a few months time after he's cleared his urgent jobs, he'll help us finish the main house drawings. But for now, the focus is getting into the cottage… stay tuned for the next update!