So I think I’d mentioned at some time or another about building our new home. And man, has that been a protracted process!

Lots of hurrying up to wait, especially on tradies who say that they will get back to you… only not to. Lots of well-meaning advice on striking out on our own to get the best deals, only to discover later down the track that the best deals were under our noses… Changes of heart, changes of convictions, more waiting, getting stalled by council approvals…

For ages, we would drive past our sloping block of land and watch as the grass grew. A stack of time later, we noticed a small pile of dirt on the side. Then a pile of bricks with the builder’s signage. And still the grass grew. A former colleague told me that his neighbours down the street — who might be Indian, he wasn’t quite sure — would regularly picnic on their vacant block of land. Like, the whole jin gang just sitting on their dirt, surveying their land, and having a feed while they’re at it.

I had been working myself up to such an endeavour when finally, the first digger landed on our block and Started Proper Work!

Behold… activity.

Front view of block
Lots of dirt piled on top to form the first floor. Garage downstairs, rest of house upstairs.
Front view of house
Where ute is, there will our garage be
Dirt foundation and digger
Looking towards the precipice that will eventually be our study and guest bedroom
View of block from first storey
The view from the back of the block. Work not completed yet – still maybe a foot more elevation to be expected. Hard to relay size of block from this angle. It looks so small!

Big digger claws

Arddun standing across road in front of digger

Close up of Arddun with block and digger in background

Black and white shot of Arddun blowing dandelion with digger behind
Oblivious to the significance of that pile of dirt behind her, Arddun blows out a dandelion.