Building communities

What a wonderful day I had a couple of weeks ago
A new resident in town, has blown in and bought with her a change, it may be wintertime down here but she has bought warmth, friendship and inspirational personality, (and that is only through reading her blog and a couple of emails) before we actually met, all this had me a little in awe.  (the awe inspiring kind!)

Just some happy snaps of flowers in our garden this autumn/winter

After receiving an email inviting me to a Home Gardeners Group, I went to Kate's   There were quite a few women and we sat around Kate's kitchen table and chatted sharing such warm, and amazing conversation.  A eclectic group we were but all have in common a love for our gardens, and desire to be more self sufficient and less dependent on oil.  In the process reforming the traditional sense of community.  Mind you we traveled to be together, and we will meet up once a month. Car pooling as we can.  Meeting sharing food, seeds, plants, knowledge, support, books, recipes, ideas and friendship.

Community what does that mean to you?  For some community is family, with a few friends.  The interesting thing we found in our discussion and sharing yesterday is that most of us had moved to the region recently. (12 years me)  other 3months.  Only one person had grown up in Tasmania, and after many years away had returned.  When I first moved here to Tasmania, I found it hard to meet people, especially since I had no children. Children open more doors in new places. 
The locals  were friendly very friendly but invitations to people(Tasmanians) homes never came. Of course this could be more about me than the locals..lol   All my friends seem to be like myself migrants from the main island north or from overseas.  This situation repeated itself with the group yesterday.   In our discussion we discussed how it is more that locals have family, friendships already established, lives that need no one new necessarily to be included.  They are warm friendly and established.

My chooky girls Lovely Barnevelders

 This is my hen with the green blue eye

This is one of the other 3 all who have orange eyes.

So newcomers may find it hard and why newbies meet with other migrants.  Not always but often.  It may have more to do with Tasmania being an island, a biggish island but still an island with a small population. 
In saying all this.  I love Tasmania.  You can tell that because I was not born here but chose to move here, and have chosen to remain here!  (okay local people love the place too I know.)

When one looks at my library of self sufficiency books, vegie gardening, poultry you would imagine that I had the most amazing vegetable gardens.  They are a work in progress more in my head at present but the concept is being established.  Fruit trees, nut trees, chickens and some vegies are all here.
Extra water tank is here.  I may not be the most successful vegie grower but things are happening and I am willing to give it a try and try again.



One is led to believe Winter,  is a quite time in the garden.  It seems a tad deceptive to me, mine is a  very busy time when establishing one or maintaining one.  Planting, pruning, building, creating, and so very tiring all the planning.  I have paths to re-establish, holes still to be dug.  The ground is a little hard still recent rains will help.  Plants to move, and dreams to dream.

A photo of our cat he is normally very hard to get a full face shot, he is not happy~!

Worm wee to make my vegies grow 

as you can see they need all the help they can

But why are my raspberries now flowering?  I know we are past the winter solistice here but it seems a bit too early or late whichever way you look at it.