One Pair, Two Pairs, Three Pairs, Four...

Which are your favourite shoes?

In fact, how about this question… if you were only able to have one pair, which would it be?

Several years ago, whilst talking to an ‘unnamed gentleman’ at a medical appointment, I mentioned that I only had four pairs of shoes and that if my clothes didn’t go with a pair of work boots, UGG boots, knee-high boots or sandals I couldn’t wear them because they were all I had. He responded with a great bout of laughter, which surprised me, but… well… there you go. The world is full of interesting people.

I found out later, that he thought I’d been joking!

No matter how many pairs of shoes I’ve had I’ve always had a favourite pair of shoes, even if that preference has changed from one year (or even season) to the next.

I certainly have a favourite pair now. Not that it’s a particularly hard choice to make since I only have two pairs in total. Yep, two pairs - four shoes - total! Doesn’t really fit the concept that most women have a wardrobe half full of shoes, does it? Not that it was my original intention to only have two pairs of shoes.

No, when we started out on this adventure, I had a whole four pairs! But my UGGs got worn out over the last winter season, and my thongs (‘flipflops’ to my non-Australian speaking friends), well, they were accidentally left unattended around cute, but nibbling puppy with a shoe fetish!

All of which leaves me in a new house-sitting dilemma, because, believe it or not, my current favourite pair of shoes are just about to die and I don’t know what to replace them with. In most situations this wouldn’t be too tough a decision (just nip down the shops and buy something similar,) but, in this case, there are a few extra things to take into consideration. Things beyond the fact that I’m trying to minimalise and carry less, and that we’re currently in a rather remote and picturesque part of WA where solid footwear is essential, but not easily available.

My first choice would be to buy a pair of work boots (along the lines of those that are dying). After all, they’re great to wear when feeding the chooks, traipsing through cow paddocks and gardening. However, not so good (since they have no tread) when out exploring the outback, climbing hills or walking the dogs. Not particularly flattering with a summer dress either, come to think of it…

So what about a pair of runners? They’d be great for climbing hills and walking dogs, no chance of me falling flat on my face (or butt) with that kind of tread. But again, imagine that kind of tread after having just stomped through a cow paddock or veggie patch. I wouldn’t be able to wear them in the house for a while!

Another concern is that I really need to make a decision pretty pronto because I will, imminently, be down to one pair of shoes. Imagine that, a vision of me trudging through the cow paddock - in late autumn - in a pair of strappy sandals! I’m sure that would really have the pre-mentioned ‘unnamed gentleman’ laughing.

So…

In two weeks time, when we’re back in built-up civilisation, I’m going to have to overlook all the work I have to do and simply go shopping for a new favourite pair of shoes! Imagine that… me having to go shopping! Oh darn! I might even have to go more than once. What a tough life I lead!

Let’s just hope my boots last that long otherwise I can imagine Steve having no end of fun taking photos of me whilst I’m feeding the chooks and cows, and doing the other farmyard chores.

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No Phone Reception And...

Living in the country is different!

This thought has kept surfacing over the last few days - and was, in fact, only enforced a day or so ago when we had a power cut. Yes, no sooner did we move to this picturesque and rural sit - where I get no phone reception (as mentioned in a previous post) - than we get no electricity too! What are the chances? Especially after I’ve been telling everyone that if they need to contact me urgently they can do so by internet!

Also, believe it or not, no power for a wooden ‘hobbit’ house on 27 acres of native bushland is different from none for a house in the city. For example, did you know it means no flowing water? Yep, since water here is from tanks - not scheme, it has to be individually pumped around the house using an electric pump. This in turn means, if you have no power when you turn on the tap no water comes out, so… no cups of tea! It also means no refilling cisterns, so no flushing toilets! And that’s just for starters.

However being the ingenious couple we are, and since we were in the middle of a torrential rain storm (probably the reason for the power cut in the first place), we did consider simply doing what they do in the movies. However, here’s a useless piece of information for you, no matter how heavy rain looks, amazing little water actually gets caught in a row of saucepans lined up by the back door.

Thankfully though, in this instance, there had been some preparation. So we put on our waterproof jackets, and stomped out over the paddock to start up the generator. A generator, which in turn started the electricity, which in turn started the water pump, the lighting, the electric fences around the cows’ paddocks, the internet and who knows what else.

Still whilst everything caused by this lack of power might force the average city dweller to pause and think twice… one thing didn’t… and that was the no heating!

Why?

Because heating here is from a wood stove! Therefore all the heating here requires is a match, an old newspaper and a few blocks of wood. Add to that the fact that ever since childhood I’ve been a bit of a firebug, and you can see the highlight of my evening. Yes, for some reason, stoking the stove to keep our kitchen (and rapidly-emptying kettle) warm was a little more appealing than relying on our weak torch to avoid cow pats as I clambered through a cow paddock to get to the generator.

By morning, though… thankfully… power was back on, meaning no more concerns about the water pump, cow fences or internet. Instead, we were faced with the exciting opportunity of furthering my previous evening’s introduction to using the wood stove. So yesterday it was pizzas, today’s it’s roast, and tomorrow…

And this is only one of the many events we’ve enjoyed during our first few days here. Who knows what’s to come.

Hopefully, not too many storms… although they do mean the veggies don’t need watering, the tanks are getting filled, and the forests are look especially bright as we go for our regular strolls through them.