Game changer

Momentary pause - Willy-Wagtail

I promised to share some news, David and I have been sitting on, for some time. It's part of the reason, I chose to shut down my property website, too. A series of events took place, which were innocuous at the time - but soon gathered momentum. Until they demanded nothing short of some life changing decisions.

The first issue, was the hardest to process. Because we left suburbia twelve years ago, in order to live closer to nature. No idea, what that would entail - we soon came to love the migration of wild animals, onto our land. That's what defined Gully Grove. Interaction between us, the landscape and native animals. Together.

Fast forward, twelve years later, and suburbia eventually caught-up. New sets of neighbours, with new 4WD's, SUV's and ATV's. New infrastructure, and domestic pets too. The need for fencing became more apparent. Not because our neighbours were unwelcome, but it was now a suburban outlook, more than a natural one. Fencing helped everyone. Except the native wildlife.

Yard maintenance

Something else was developing, on the periphery too. David sustained a shoulder injury. It started with an uncomfortable ache, and led to not being able to put his shirts on (or off) without assistance. The GP said it was a leak in his shoulder joint. Fixable, with physio and regular exercising. The bad news is, because it originated from a posture issue inherited from his family, it required lifelong changes to his activity.

Namely, he had to limit operating machinery, carried on his shoulder. Like the brush-cutter, he uses to mow grass on the top slope. Those places, can only be maintained with a brush-cutter. If it wasn't obvious before, it was time to seriously consider, selling our property.

When I started my property website, late last year (releasing it, early this year) I had every intention to continue living on our property. Only furthering our integration with the native wildlife. That's the direction, I was planning on heading. But then things happened out of our control, and forced us to reassess.

Effectively, we had two choices:

• Sell the property and start again (with all sorts of unknowns)
• Flatten more land (enabling the use of ride-on machinery) and fence 

It was a fifty-fifty split, both ways - causing indecision. Either, was going to be difficult, and likely cost more money than budgeted for. It's a good thing, we like to finish what we started. Which is why we could only choose the last option. But there is a price for staying. It meant segregating ourselves from the land bound, native wildlife - like mother kangaroos and their Joey's.

October 2018 ~ just metres from the house

This was perhaps the hardest reality to accept, than selling. For in the twelve years, we've been here, the many generations of kangaroos, have become part of our story. They've helped us, shape the land. Reminded us, of their significance in our endeavours. And above all else, shown how resilient they can be - which has only encouraged us to keep going.

What has made this fencing prospect, easier to accept however, was the immediate death-toll of mothers and their Joey's, this winter. From zero in 12 years, to 3 pairs of mums and their Joey's, within a few months. One set was killed just meters from our driveway. They would have been eating from our land, beforehand.

When David took them down the backyard to bury them, we realised progress had caught up to our once peaceful, cul-de-sac street. Whether we put the fencing up, or not, progress was already squeezing them out of existence.

Something more palatable ~ Sourdough Cinnamon-scroll

It's rather, an unpleasant pill to swallow. Squeezing the budget and our stamina, to change a beautiful integrative landscape, into a more segregated one, too. All we can really do, is accept and continue the privilege, of being landowners. Whatever else happens around us, change is inevitable. All things considered, we were fortunate to have those twelve years of wonderful evolution, away from progress. Although it was creeping into the picture, more with every year.

So our story at Gully Grove continues. What will unfold, is the next big adventure. Maybe more livestock? Thanks to all our readers, for continuing along with us - despite the twists and turns. Your support is part of the reason, I keep finding words to describe our journey.

I'm sure you all have struggles of your own, which forces you to make compromises with the world, around you too.