One year on: remembering, and a new spirit in Steels Creek!

This will be the last entry on our Spirit of Steels Creek blog. Thank you to everyone who has used it to keep up to date with where we've been at, been so kindly interested, and kept in contact via it.

The one year anniversary - 7th February - of the fires is coming up next weekend.

The past nearly 12 months are difficult to describe: going from a daily to do list and plans for the years ahead to being not on top of anything at all, and unsure about any next steps. It's been a belittling, sobering experience which has made us stop in our tracks. It's forced us to really, really stop still and absolutely depend on people around us to help us back on our feet, and harness energy (and humour!) to face the trials and tribulations – and opportunities - with moving forward again.

The generosity we have received has been truly amazing: entirely moving, even overwhelming… and sometimes, strangely, a little hard to take. But the wonderful thing about it all is that it is so sincere and very thoughtful and deeply caring. As a result, we think we're sane, not angry or upset, and we're feeling quite equipped for the future.

Coming up to the New Year we were quite contemplative. Particularly thinking of those who’d lost loved ones in the fires and would have likely struggled through the Christmas period and the hot windy weather at the time, and those who don’t have people around who continue to care and encourage them. We thought about all that we’ve learned this year: from destruction, fear, anxiety, frustration, through to appreciating relative simplicity, quiet spaces, and prophetic resilience and regrowth of nature. On New Year’s Eve, we enjoyed a low-key small gathering with local friends in Steels Creek. We watched the impressive storm roll in across the ranges, the lightning bolts, and the reappearing of the blue moon. We chose to stand out in the downpour and experience cleansing of 2009 and being nourished for a new 2010!

The pending arrival of “Bernie Ash” [relax, yes, a code name] will certainly herald a new 2010 for us. Due this coming week; probably just a couple of days before the 7th February anniversary. We're optimistically wondering if we might be able to make it to the Steels Creek Community gathering on Sunday still!

Thank you to all of you who have supported and helped us in so many ways. We wouldn't have made it to this stage without you.

Very best wishes for a successful 2010; in whatever form success for you may take. So much can happen in a year, we hope it is a great one for each of you.

From JB and E-M x x

Fence us in!

We've had another bout of volunteer help with the fences; we're very fortunate to have them do a great job. Led by John the fencer from South Gippsland leading a band of Conservation Volunteersm and students from Korea!

And we had another little guy trying to help. Well, help with the ants...

A bit of a Goose

True. He was just kind of hanging with the duck family. Looked confused but happy!

Article in The Age about Steels Creek

Read this with some trepidation - but was so pleasantly surprised - it's a great account of where it's at in Steels Creek at the moment.

Hat tip to Gary Tippet indeed - and our neighbours for their honesty - nice work.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/black-trees-red-dreams-20091026-hfmi.html

AI: Abode Ideas

We’re starting to short list our options for rebuilding.

We’d love your help with any recommendations for architects and builders.

Also, your “best tips”: what you’ve seen really work, what you’ve seen really not work.

Just the highlights would be very much appreciated, if you have time.

You could post them here or email them through to erinmarieoneill@gmail.com

And whilst you’re at it, please send birthdays and snail mail addresses...? JB has a new Palm Pilot and E-M is angling for one  And we know we’re about – hmmmm – 8 months behind with thank you notes! Do you know what that does to a virgo?!

Thanks in advance everyone.

Love from us X X

Planting and Planning Progress

Here are some pics of our latest planting propagated parties. We still have dear friends coming up every weekend with gloves and spades in hand to help. They usually leave not complaining at all, but we *know* it’s hard work and that they’re champions to give us their time and encouragement vibes.

Mum and her lovely friends have brought up many plants: from grasses and flax right to herbs and a lovely little crepe myrtle. We’re so lucky to have so many people who are keen to help us get back on our green feet.

All the gardening has really helped us see that the place will be beautiful again. It’s encouraged us to think about in (kind of) sections, and phases, rather than a whole canvas of mess and complicated decisions.

Visit from Sunshine Garden Club Volunteers!

On sunny Saturday 3rd October, a bus full of volunteers arrived in Steels Creek to help with gardening at Denise's, Malcolm & Jane's, and E-M & JB's. They enjoyed a quick morning tea before purposefully heading off to the different properties to help.

E-M and JB in particular would like to thank the 12 hard workers from Sunshine Garden Club who put in almost 2 hours worth of extreme gardening: from planting, to weeding, pruning and clearing, to even digging 2 circular trenches around garden beds. It has really helped with being able to envisage what a lovely garden 916 will hopefully look like again one day. Thanks very much to Jane Calder for organising.

Thank you to our dear hard working bees!

Pruning and pulling out is complete for 2009. Fifty six fabulous friends and family arrived on Saturday morning from near and far to come and help.

So much effort was made to travel, arrange babysitters, pack secateurs, gloves, and the occasional puppy dog.

It was difficult for some to see how much had changed since their last visit, but everyone put on their bravest faces and did such a marvellous job. It really was a wonderful effort.

We’re very grateful and appreciative for all the help and ongoing support that everyone gives us. It’s truly amazing.

Thank you very much.

X X

After effects of all hands to the vine

What a wonderful experience to have been able to lend a hand and some blood, sweat and even some tears to help rejuvenate (hopefully) the vines...great day out in the 4 seasons. Here's to the revival of the Pinot and new life into 916. Certainly have a whole new appreciation for wine and what goes into the makings of my consumption! 

I only took a few snaps after we'd worked our magic - http://picasaweb.google.com/lisacams/916SteelsCreekWorkerBeeVinePruningSession#

If others took any pictures please share here too.

Take care,

Lisa

2009 "Pruning" @ 916 1-2 August

Hello everyone!

We found out last week that 90% of the vineyard is not viable due to the extreme heat and or/being burnt during the bushfires in February.

We're not making any rash or hurried decisions about what to do short term (or long for that matter!) and have been advised that the best we can do at this stage is is prune back the north and south rows of vines to the crowns. The west block of vines (in front of the house) might have survived. We'll be more certain in Spring.

So, a Pruning Working Bee it will bee. 1st - 2nd August. Depending on how many workers, we're thinking that the plan will be to arrive around 10am and work until about 5pm with a break for lunch and then celebration (very casual) barbecue dinner. Everyone is welcome to camp over! Friends' friends are welcome. We're casting the net wide figuring that many hands make light work... and the more the merrier. We're figuring that if we have about 30 people we might be able to complete both the north and south blocks in the one day.

The work will be basically 2 main jobs which you can easily switch between to relieve monotony: Wearing gloves and using secateurs, to cut the vines right back to the knobbly bit (crown) just snip snip snip and/or pulling out last year's vines which is more like yank snip pull. Clearly very technical instructions. Can bring headphones for entertainment, or, from personal experience, I happen to know it is possible to talk the whole time whilst working :-) Seriously, we'll brief onsite. We're keen to be as sympathetic as possible to the vines, but it should not be too difficult or tedious. On a good day we've thought it therapeutic!

We'd ask you to BYO secateurs and gloves (if you have them, if not, we will source) and drinks (soft for day, as hard as you like for night). We'll work out crowd pleasing catering for lunch and dinner.

You've all offered to help, and you all already have in so many, many ways, so please do not feel pressure or compelled at all.

If you're free and willing, we'd love you to come up and snip yank pull bee @ 916.

Ideally, please let me know by next Friday 17th July what the likelihood is of being able to make it? Then we'll be able to estimate more accurately how many hours we'll have to work and what catering will be required etc.

Thanks again... and in advance! We really do so very much appreciate all your encouragement and support.

Love from E-M and JB x x

P.S. Thought for Saturday 1st August: "There is always some worse off..."

Back in da 'hood

This week was an interesting week. We moved into (we're guessing)the 12-18 month rental accommodation we'll have whilst we rebuild.

Rather than "moving", we unloaded a container of someone else's furniture and appliances into a house that we had not seen until an hour or two earlier that same day. Quite strange really. We had very kindly been given the container load of goods by a friend in Sydney who was going back to the US to live - what timing and what an amazing generousness?!

We will be officially moving this weekend and we're looking forward to being back up close to our property so we can start taking care of our place more frequently and move ahead as quickly as possible with the significant task of rebuilding.

JB is both excited and a little terrified that our new place is between the local pub, the local hardware store and a tractor shop. He asks "What's a man to do??!!". Like, really... no fear, E-M has a list ;-)

We have had so many generous gifts and offers of assistance - and they just keep coming. Thank you to you all. We'll be organising several events for working bees of various sorts over the next few months. There's plenty of work to do including chain sawing, pulling out the pruned vines in late June, gardening through winter and especially spring, and possibly even some vineyard reconstruction work (we're still working out how much damage has been done to the vineyard itself).

Spring will bring mowing and more pruning, planting and ridding of *%&%#^ weeds and blackberry. Don't worry if you've offered some assistance and you haven't heard anything yet - your names are all on our hit list and you will be called upon - we are working out which things are priorities dependending on availability of time, skills, equipment etc.

Right now we are actively looking for someone who can build the kind of home that we'd like to live in, and one which would best reflect the qualities of the area. We're considering everything from kit homes, modular homes to custom built. If you know of someone you think might be good for us to talk to, please let us know?

We'll take some photos of our new abode and locale over the weekend and update more next week.

Thanks everyone for your continued messages, thoughts, concern and generosity. We know the best people in the world. And we've (more) sane and comforted minds and about 10kgs weight gain to show for it so far ;-)

Misty (views and eyes a little bit)

Here are some pictures of after clearing. We took these last weekend when leaving early in the morning.

The place looks a little strange but we're looking forward to becoming used to the space again.

The demolishers accidentally took the lady in the bath, but did a good job to work around the surviving/coming back garden beds.

Here's looking down to our school convertible. The foreground is is basically the space where we're thinking we'll rebuild:


We're planning to rebuild to take advantage of the southern view down the valley and incorporate the remaining veg/ornamental garden which is faring well all things considered!

And this will be a lovely welcoming rose corner at the end of driveway one day soon-ish:

Thanks everyone for keeping on thinking about us and asking about the Working Bees. We're thinking probably mid-late June now. To help with "pulling out and tying down" after we've had the vines pruned. Stay tuned.

There will be a *big* B when Spring comes. The Garden Rennaisance project in full swing; we'll make it a celebration of planting. Can't wait.