I actually did a double-take as I drove into the service station and saw that the "E10" fuel (10% ethanol-blend, normally 3c per litre cheaper than regular unleaded) was $150.4 per litre. At the bottom of the cycle.
It cost me $99 to fill up. Ouch.
I must have still looked a bit pale and shocked as I walked in to pay, as the lady at the register looked at me sympathetically and said "Did you ever imagine 5 years ago that you'd be now paying $99 to fill up your car? My car is diesel, so it's even worse!". I mentally added - "Yep! And it's not going to get any better!!". Good Lord, what will it be by Christmas?
I had to make myself a cup of my favourite chai tea when I got home (I wonder how long it will be before I can't afford to add imported cinnamon quills to my grocery list?), and take it outside to contemplate quietly for a while. Mostly, I don't feel I am doing enough, fast enough, but frankly, I don't have the energy to do any more than I am. Hopefully that will change once I have treatment for my Graves' Disease in July. Until then, a bit of a wander around my garden, taking note of the autumn sights, helped improve my mood.
The last of the "Lazy Housewife" bean pods, fat and heavy with seeds, are browning on the vines, and will soon be ready for harvesting for their seeds. This is my first attempt at deliberate seed saving, as opposed to just letting plants to go to seed and hoping they come up as volunteers.
My "Misty" blueberry bushes have begun flowering, with berries starting to form on one branch of one bush already. The "Sharpblue" blueberries won't be too far behind I suspect, as their branches are covered in swelling buds.
Despite losing it's leaves for winter, the dwarf mulberry is throwing out some last sweet berries:
The English spinach seedlings are coming along nicely. It won't be long before baby spinach leaves are on the menu again:
The carambolas are getting fat on the trees; they should start to yellow and ripen soon.
Despite low overnight temperatures (including getting down to 2'C/ 35'F one night this week), this cherry tomato seedling is flowering and developing lovely trusses. Although small, the tomatoes are actually ripening :-) The plant is growing in front of our rock retaining wall, so I suspect that enough warmth is radiating back from the wall during the night to allow flowering and fruiting.
With some help from low-toxic snail bait, my pea seeds are all shooting this year, unlike last year when they were all nibbled off as soon as they popped out of the ground:
The yacon (Peruvian Ground Apple) is starting to droop and brown off, and the large tubers are starting to push out of the ground. Am very much looking forward to our first taste, they are supposed to taste like a cross between an apple and a potato:
It might not be "enough", but it's progress :-)
10 comments:
I agree, I too feel like I'm not doing anywhere near enough but also not really sure what else to do, nor do I have the energy to do much more than I'm already doing. I guess I'll be forced to find that energy in the not too distant future though, maybe it will be easier when everyone is forced to do more?
cheers Lenny
Hi Lenny :-) I suspect that by the time everyone is forced to do something, we will at least have a good basis to work from, if that makes sense? I mean that what is (by then) routine to us, will be "extra" work for newbies, so the extra motivation we will have to find will at least see us in a much better position to cope.
I see people around me now under a great deal of stress over the same prices rises, but not knowing how to deal with it, and being in a tenuous financial position as well. I've never had a more receptive audience when I mention meal planning or cooking from scratch at kindy as I do these days...
I also suspect that it will be easier to live the way we do, when it becomes necessary, because we will get much more support from the community? Unlike now when mentioning "global warming" or "peak oil" gets dismissive looks (at best). So maybe it will be easier for us to find that extra motivation?
Cheers, Julie
Yes, we're all feeling the pinch. There's never been a better time to grow your own food. I'm still just a beginner but I'm glad I've at least made a start. Every little bit helps.
I've never heard of those yakon's before (did I remember the name right?). What sort of climate do they grow in and where did you find them?
Yes Julie I sure do hope that it works out that way. I get the strange looks too when I tell people that I think it's time we started to pay the real price for petrol and as such the flow on effect for so many products.
I'm sure that we will get more support from the local community, it's already showing for you by the interest you see kindy. I guess I can only do what I can do and keep pushing my boundaries. Sometimes though it just feels like I'm not doing nearly enough and other days I get struck by the 'what's the point no-one else is making an effort' thoughts. They soon pass though when I visit blogs like yours or ALS and I'm reminded that I'm not the only one doing my little bit. And I guess that's what it's about all of us doing our LITTLE bit.
cheers Lenny/Kate
I'm sick of being Lenny I'm gonna be me from now on.
It looks good - I'll be interested in what the yacon tastes like (and what you do with it!)
Hi Julie,
Diesel hit 1.805 here yesterday.I am two hours up the road from you. It is surreal. I have read so much about the changes that are coming and read a lot about people's stories living through the depression. I am really starting to come to terms with the reality of what it will be like. I think if it wasn't for credit cards and interest free loans we would actually be exactly as people were in poorer times. Credit gives the illusion of wealth.
You are doing such a wonderful job of 'offsetting' the impact as much as you can. You are an inspiration to us all.
Julie, I also have Graves disease and just wanted to tell you to be gentle with yourself.
Your garden is looking fantastic and will only increase in yield and love as time goes by.
Check out Nature Witches post today. Very timely and encouraging for us all.
Hi Lightening,
There is some great information on Yacons here, at Greenharvest.com.au. I bought mine as a small plant from Daley's Fruit Tree Nursery.
Hey Kate! I like Kate better than Lenny ;-) You might like to have a read of this post by Pat Meadows on her "Theory of Anyway", I used to find it great motivation when the "why bother when nobody else is" attitude got to me.
Hey Kez, Yeah I'm pretty keen to taste it myself! They reckon you can eat it raw, and that it's sweet, so kids usually like it? I might bandicoot one soon.
Hi Busy Woman, Ouch on the diesel price. I love your statement that "Credit gives the illusion of wealth". That is SO true. If we had nothing but what we earn each week, I'm quite sure that as a society we'd be FAR less wasteful.
Hi Lara, You *so* have my sympathy. It's hard to manage littlies and household whilst feeling so ordinary isn't it? Thanks for the tip about Naturewitch's post, I haven't gotten to it yet, but I will now :-)
Cheers, Julie
Your garden looks fabulous and very productive. Even though there are a lot of people doing little or nothing for the future, it seems from the blog environment at least, that there are a quite a few who are already trying to be prepared. That is good to know.
Hi! Just found your blog - love it! Yikes is right about the petrol..I filled up Wed night and the attendant told me he was about to put it up by 13c - I personally have never seen it jump by that much in one day! And you are so right about people being more receptive to change - my best friend who is a real consumer has converted to monthly grocery shopping, bulk cooking and didn't blink today when I mentioned that we should be growing our own food lol! I myself have only just started on this path but feel the urgency to get going.
Thanks, Tamara (Looking forward to reading more of your blog!)
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