Bella Luna

Life aboard a catamaran – while trying to build a very small house with no money.

251/366 •...petals at @theportholecafe this afternoon ❤️...•

250/366 •...went for a row after dinner - it was a very low tide. It was all fun and games until the sandflies decided it was time to party on EVERY BIT OF EXPOSED SKIN...•

249/366 •...my shackmate and co-conspirator, tapping rocks while singing the @lisahmitchell song ‘Coin Laundry’ on the way through the eucalyptus trees...•

247/366 •...I brought Z to the shack and, after a singularly cutthroat game of Scrabble we went to the beach in order to capture some shots to send TD on his birthday today...•

245/366 •...back to the sand - her hat matches up with the sign showing that seabirds nest in the vicinity...maybe oyster-catchers...•

244/366 •...it is possible I did too much yesterday, although it didn’t feel like it at the time. Today I’ve had a sore throat and the urge to nap and then nap some more. It took significant effort to throw myself into the very cold sea, but I did - and it felt good...•

243/366 •...the beach here was reminding me irresistibly of Wineglass Bay, until we walked around to the next cove...•

242/366 •...DB has been so happy having some one-on-one hang out time...•

241/366 •...a big day today; long, sun soaked... I collected a trailer load of mulch to try and give the seedlings a better chance of surviving the heat, and covered the garden beds and around the fruit trees... spent a few hours at @billyhillorganics and then DB and I made an escape and ended up here, with the sound of the waves smoothing our way to sleep. Thank you to the stars and back @artwinecircus xx •

240/366 •...DB. Cuddle time with orphaned baby wallaby. She was asked to name her - she chose Layla...•

238/366 •...you think roosters have image problems? If peacocks weren’t the most weirdarse beautiful thing composed by nature, they would be made into soup with frightening regularity. It’s not a ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ - more of dystopian wail, one you might hear just before all the lights in the submarine begin to flicker...•

237/366 •...am obsessing over the colours and demeanour of Mr Fancypants...•

236/366 •...two blissful nights at the vineyard - it’s me, the Smalls, two dogs (!), one cat, two rats, several chickens, a peahen, and this guy - Mr Fancypants...•

235/366 •...grey skies - does anyone know what this vine is?...•

232/366 •...yesterday on our walk, crunching bark and twigs underfoot...•

231/366 •...hanging out with all the other catameringues in the Duck Pond - it feels like a holiday...•

230/366 •...the joy of waking up SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT!! Headed out of the Huon River yesterday morning (no offence Huon River, but a change is long overdue) and sailed (we really did) around to Cygnet where we tied up to this jetty and walked into town to meet Zoe at the bus stop. Hooray for the getaway! Very tempted to keep sailing and abandon all the land based requirements of money, energy and bullshit admin...•

229/366 •...the beautiful ’Nancy’ at 9.41am this morning on the river. She has an electric motor which makes her perfect for river explorations on sunny days; people often book in at the Living Boat Trust to do exactly that 😍...•

228/366 •...these flowers grow out of the wall near the bus stop - 8am - I want them for the garden!! Anyone know their name?...•

227/366 •...I’ve not been to the block early in the morning - 6.30am - went to donate some scraps to the compost bin and check on the seedlings 🌱 it was lovely 😊 ...• .

226/366 •...Huon River at 5.49am this morning; I was heading to the LBT to make a quick cup of tea with the electric kettle and then to Huonville to fill a couple of fuel containers with juice for the journey...•

225/366 •…Margaret’s awesome socks - made by Margaret...• . [...and the two front legs of Swanee the dog.]

224/366 •…I always go to the sad plant corner at nurseries - yesterday I got a punnet of tiny half-dead basil seedlings and this afternoon I made each of them an anti-snail/slug wall. DB thinks I am ridiculous. No pesto for her...• 🌱 .

222/366 •…so it feels like this was someone else’s life...🤦🏻‍♀️• . [July 2019]

221/366 •…this is at Tony and Margaret’s house 😍 Last night we were invited to dinner and almost passed out in grateful delight - didn’t need to worry about being #coeliac because they’re across it 🏆 - we had shepherds pie with roast veg and some insanely good spinach/feta combo followed by rhubarb with cream. They are the bomb 💣- sent us home with cuttings from their garden that I planted this morning ❤️🌱...• .

219/366 •…her first time pushing the mower - smartening up the block • .

217/366 •…a chai at @the_french_raccoon after we rode our bikes all the way down New Road and never pedalled once. • .

216/366 •…a ray of sunlight shone over the top of the hill as we were in the carpark- I had a moment long enough to take one picture and say, “Wow - this light is amazing!” - and it was gone.•

215/366 •…today DB achieved a long-standing wish - we went to visit the cats at @tenlives.com.au We took towels, a woollen blanket, a FlatOut bear and some toys that DB crocheted. We met four cats, Bonnie, Poncho, Evie and Unknown Name Black & White cat. DB used her money to buy them a toy each. She wants to make it a weekly thing 🐈💖 •

214/366 •…yesterday was full of showers and slanting sunlight - a photo dedicated to the beautiful Duck we rescued two days ago - thank you @candlestick_farm for your help xx So sad Duck didn’t make it, but at least her journey wasn’t cold and prolonged 😔 •

213/366 •…yesterday, in the sunshine, we took the opportunity to rejig the shipping container. Inside was a dire and depressing mess. M built shelves using three doors from the tip shop - I pulled everything OUT and once we got the shelves in, M took the Smalls to rollerskating and I put everything back in. And it was good. This is a toolbox that M had picked up somewhere and abandoned. I emptied it of rubbish and spiders and lined it with some random pictures drawn by Zoe that were floating about and unloved...• .

212/366 •....these are the chooks who live over the road - they hang out in the front garden and on the footpath. We were gifted a dozen of their eggs as a welcome not long ago - they were great! At night I lie there and design chook homes in my head...• .

Hastings to Refuge Cove

Cruising

by beth on Wednesday, October 19, 2016

We left Hastings at just before 8am on Wednesday morning – after days of strong wind warnings necessitating remaining tied up to the pier, it was our window of opportunity. It was initially straightforward, the closer we got to the mouth of Westernport, the bigger the swell got – it was like being on a …

Goodbye Manny

Frugality / Tiny Living Musings

by beth on Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Many years ago I bought my car on ebay for $1100 from a guy called Manfred in Kilsyth. He was a very nice man and had looked after the car beautifully. He gifted us $50 for the baby that I was very obviously going to be soon having. We named the car in his honour; …

Hanging out in Hastings

Musings

by beth on Thursday, October 6, 2016

Since leaving the boatyard on 27th September 2016, we have largely spent our time tied up at Hastings Pier – much to M‘s chagrin. We’ve done a trip back to Cowes, which included our first night at anchor… [we were held all night by MY KNOT! I have been put in charge of the anchor …

Rhyll. Our first night at sea.

Cruising

by beth on Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Our first night out on the water was spent pulled up to the pier at Rhyll. It’s one of the places M and I love and have sailed to quite a few times. It was a different dead pulling up alongside the pier in Bella Luna for the first time though! M handled it super …

Out of the boatyard, into the sea.

Cruising

by beth on Tuesday, September 27, 2016

In addition to the rules of ‘Don’t Fall Off The Boat’, ‘Wear Your Lifejacket’ and ‘Put Nothing In The Toilet That Does Not Come Out Of A Human Orifice (Except Toilet Paper)’ there is one other – simpler, but of equal importance: ‘No Deadlines.’ I tired, over the past five years, of telling people we …