The fog begins to clear

Into the second week here I begin to feel as though I can think straight again.
After such a protracted and exhausting period of preparing for this move and then the emotional parting from Sydney and adenaline rush of the journey south.. I really felt so tired and muddled last week. Having to pick up the business here first thing Monday morning kept me focused but was quite challenging.

This week, being onsite in the flat..(albeit incomplete with Mark the Builder and Vivian the cleaner here everyday at 7am) I feel much more relaxed.

Phillip is lovely company and we enjoy walks or drives each day before and after work.

Phillip's favourite possie

The really amazing thing is that even though we have made such an incredible move, the continuity of our work holds everything together. It is such a comfort to be speaking to my regular mail order customer friends over the phone and filling orders as usual.
Its like stepping through a looking glass into another life virtually overnight.. I feel so lucky that we have achieved such a life changing move..yet we are not having to start up a business from scratch.
I had my first walk in customer today. A local who had see an Antroposophical doctor in Sydney and had a script to fill.. There are a number of customers of ours that live in Tassie..I suspect we may see them when the shop doors open in a few months.

View out front window looking across to St James (School behind church)

Our week has turned out to be a very busy one with orders (big and small) coming in every day.
Phillip has been diligently stoking up the fire in the shop throughout the day and getting the flat fire going at night. Really amazing the difference in temperature in the shop...its very cold and is not heating up quickly.I imagine once we have books etc in it will warm up a bit more. The flat in comparison, is beautifully warm due to the high north windows catching the light and sun and the double glazing and insulation.

View out North facing windows

One big step forward this week was the installation of the washing machine...Crazy to think that such a thing could give me such satisfaction and cause to celebrate...I felt like I was now home!!

Had a bit of excitement during the week with an ambulance pulling up out front to tend to someone at the Lotus eaters..thought of Jess of course.



On the days Lotus Eaters is open, we have enjoyed ordering luscious lunches which the lovely women delivered to us cutlery included....beautiful curries, dahls, tarts and soups..all served with their trademark baguette..so amazingly yummy. On Tues and Wed , Phillip had lunch at the Red Velvet while I manned the shop.. (enjoying my homemade soup and a YoYo Bakery pie)
It has been quite a cold week after the mild weather we had last weekend. There is snow on the mountain (Mt Wellington in Hobart) and I noticed snow caps on Hartz mountain on one of our drives.. you feel it in the breeze.

We have walked down to the Port, up the hill of cemetery to view the town centre..walked some back streets discovering the medical centre and health centre, a bike park(mounds of dirt in a paddock), the local oval etc.
During the week we drove over Nicholl's Rivulet Rd to Ye olde Oyster Bay store then to Kettering to view the marina and see where the Bruny Island Ferry leaves. Then on to Woodbridge to see Ryan's (our architect) place and over the hill again via Woodbridge Hill Rd....the most spectacular views on this road looking across the Hartz Mountain Range.

Another afternoon we drove from Cygnet around the foreshore of the Huon past Lymington, Petchy's Bay and Glazier's Bay then back home again...a lovely circuit.

I have been missing Hannah's lovely camera (and Hannah too of course!!)..so on Thursday we went in to Hobart and I bought one.. very happy with it...just so many beautiful sights to capture.
We enjoyed a bit of a walk around town..sorting out some computer issues ( Thanks to Phillip my no. 2 techie) then had a lovely meal at Smolt..a seafood restuarant at Salamanca Place...very enjoyable. The drive home gets more familiar every time I do it...even at night. Getting to know the road and its landmarks.

Friday..at last John and Tom are on their way down...yay..enjoyed updates from them as they journeyed to Holbrook for the night

Our day ended up well with a couple of large orders almost completed...but awaiting some stock that we hope will arrive in the 2nd load from Sydney on Monday. (Unfortunately delivery was held up as the driver injured himself and replacement drivers are currently on the mainland...) Really a great feeling to deliver the orders to the Post Office then call it a day. These are the sights I see on my walk up the street.

Had a simple toast and cheese meal before heading next door to Town Hall supper room for a film screening night..Cygnet Cinema.. A beautiful French film "Winged Migration" about the migration journeys of numerous species of birds..astoundingly stunning photography.
Such an enjoyable night. Not a big turnout though. (It was cold and rainy) We took our blankets.
Just Phillip and I, and the two women from Cygnet Arts Council (Anna and Louisa) and their partners plus Anna's young son.
They are trying to get the Cinema event going again..one Friday/month.
Its gold coin donation and they provided tea and coffee plus homecooked cake for intermission.
Next month they hope to have a French animation film "The Illusionist"...and are open to suggestions for further nights...they want to have a varied range of films (I suggested I had lots of "Fred and Ginger" movies..but they didn't seem to want to go there..can't think why..maybe they're not 'arty' enough)
Saturday...had a lovely slow start compared to our 6am's..wandering up the street about 7.30am for milk then just unpacking some boxes and generally pottering. Enjoyed getting more updates from the boys..breakfast at The green Zebra, within sight of Melbourne, getting ready to board the Spirit and more!! So exciting.
Phillip and I headed over to Franklin leaving Mark the builder working on the flat/shop. (one of his jobs today is completing a self imposed top secret project...inlaying the Dead Cat logo into a tabletop in store room as a surprise for John...such a fun thing to do...Mark is such a nice bloke)

We had hoped to look at the Wooden Boat Museum but it was closed ..so we strolled along the river enjoying the sights ( in the bracing weather)...and oh look...a cafe!!! We had a lovely lunch at Petty sessions Cafe with a window table look out to the river. Beautiful food...I enjoyed a wallaby burger with beetroot relish and salad..Phillip had a crumbed fish on couscous pearls..looked pretty good too.
(am I talking about food alot??? Hmm must be the cold climate makes food more enticing)

 

Drove around to Port Huon the look across the Huon to our land up on the hill. Bit hard to work out its position but I think I could see our boundary line of trees. Continued on to look at Geeveston then headed back home.. (Mark still hard at work .. the tabletop looks great)

I strolled up the street to do a bit of grocery shopping...hope to bake a cake for John and Tom's homecoming tomorrow..
Pottered about some more then Phillip and I enjoyed dinner at the Red Velvet..I'll spare you the details but just say...YUM!!

Here are some more photos taken out the back and one of Phillip enjoying homemade soup for dinner one night

 

Looking forward to the next phase beginning when the boys arrive tomorrow