I apologise for my lack of activity this last week. I’ve been rather busy with a house move. They say every house move takes a few years off your life with the associated stress. I don’t believe that. I think its an opportunity to start fresh.
We moved into what is possibly my favourite home ever. It’s a dream place, out amongst the paddocks, surrounded by nature, close to all my favourite hunting and foraging sites and the house itself is a character filled building, an old school house converted into a home. Cosy fireplaces warm us on cold nights, the afternoon sun sneaks in via the kitchen and the sun rises directly outside the bedroom window. In the morning the song birds embrace the dawn and the evenings they flutter with frenzy from branch to branch settling in to roost in the 100 year old pine that reside on the north end of the block.
There is enough land on the house block for chooks, a decent veg garden and room for my new buddy, Henry (an English Pointer) who will be joining the family when he’s 8 weeks old.
The downside is that it’s only available for us to rent. Maybe one day it might go on the market. I’d be inclined to make an offer. It’s almost like fate has dealt me a good hand here. And for that I guess I have to thank my lucky stars. Sometimes in life you get thrown some real doozy curve balls and I reckon I’ve had my fair share of late, so this new home is a welcome reprieve.
Tomorrow I plant my first winter veg, along with a good deal of garlic. In the meantime we’ve been getting to know the new oven. A few banana cakes and a few tortilla. Tomorrow I’m cooking trout arabiata. Live is grand in the country.
The view across the road…
I should also mention that as I type this post I’m sitting on a large sofa in front of a roaring open fire toasting my feet and warming my soul.
Peace.
Whole Larder Love 
Oh, how great is that kitchen. To come home to a kitchen like that with its washed shelves and and its freshly-baked cake!
What a dream house! I would seriously love to live in a house like that!
Love love love. This is why I dream of moving to the country everytime I do the drive from here through Ballarat to Penola. Where we live in the Dandenongs isn’t exactly suburban, but look at that wonderful space you have to calm the mind…
I love the Dandenongs!! But I have to admit it’s great to have less people living right on top of you out here.
Amazing house, I can see why you’re enamoured with it.
What sort of chooks are you getting?
A few different types. It will be a surprise!!
I love your new home. The light in the kitchen, the fire, the garden outside, the view, the fresh air. It looks like it will be a happy happy home.
Looks like Paradise to me. Enjoy.
I love the house, especially those kitchen shelves and one thing I miss about living in the country is seeing cattle in paddocks. I don’t miss the snakes though!
Bliss. I am so glad that I found your blog, I just love it. You’ve inspired a bigger and better veg garden this year, thanks!
See Rohan, plenty of room to home brew there
Of course I do!!! ;-)
get brewing then!
Absolutely stunning, Ro! So thrilled for you xxx
DUDE!!!! You must visit us one day!
For sure! You can take Liam roo shooting :-) xx
Boom!
It looks lovely, definitely soothing to the soul. I am sure you will be happy there!
Already starting to feel that way!
That house is awesome. Seriously. :)
The place looks like heaven, I’m sure is will be the backdrop to many happy memories. A x
Beautiful home.
In love with that sink! (And the rest of the house too)
Moving is hard! Must be rewarding, though, when the end result is so lovely. Good luck. Thanks for the wander through with all your beautiful photos!
It all looks amazing. How exciting about the puppy, we have recently welcomed a 6 month old english pointer into our family who is also called Henry.
It seems that this is the perfect place for you. It is absolutely beautiful (love love love the kitchen!). I am sure that you and the girls will be very happy there.
I can feel the productive energy and the relaxation…what a great balance!
So here’s the thing. I want to tell you what a beautiful place you’ve moved to, but I know that you have this uncanny knack for making any old thing look beautiful in your photographs. Still, your house looks beautiful.
And I wish you a comfortable, constructive, interesting new start in it.
You’re too kind! It’s a beautiful little place. Sweet things will happen here. I hope.
I hope you are very happy in your new home.
Best,
Conor
Cheers Conor!!!
So, when do I move in?!?!
Fresh start indeed!!! Can’t wait to see what you’ll do with it. Wow truly inspiring.
Always look forward to your blog, I would like your lifestyle, I am working on it but I can barely manage to grow a carrot at the moment.
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Great move, lovely house. Are you going to train/work Henry?
Yes he’ll be a bird dog for quail and duck
good luck, look forward to seeing how you get on with him and what he adds to your adventures.
I also moved into an old schoolhouse recently and LOVE it! We are only renting as well…Enjoy, I know I am!
Oh my, what a dream house! Your kitchen looks amazing
saw the first photos and thought it was beautiful. Saw the kitchen and thought it was AWESOME!
Wishing you the best of luck from the comforts of my 100+ yr old Hobart cottage!
What a great place. If you find the time, please snap some photos of that lovely leaded glass window with some of that beautiful late day sideways light filtering through it.
God bless you all in your new home. and may your garden be filled with wonderful things that you can enjoy together in your lovely kitchen.
what a sensational place. the feel reminds me of places i lived in when i was at ag college. such a good vibe. hope you’re truly happy there.
Let me know how you go with the pointer/chooks combo! We have a setter and a spaniel and I would love chooks but I think they would soon be ex-parrots with the dogs. But interested to see if you raise a gun dog with chooks from a young age, if that makes a.difference. Good luck!
Apparently they work well, as I’ve been told from the poultry farmer who sold us the fertilised eggs. It turns out they own an English Pointer and they raised chooks for a living!!
Wow, what a wonderful home! I especially love the kitchen and that kitchen window over the sink. Makes me miss the place we rented for a year in the Rocky Mountains where I had a kitchen window to watch foxes, deer, and even coyotes pass through.