When Bec met Bec, their lives took a turn for the better. Out of their urbanized comfort zones, they realised that there was someone else trying to find their ‘way’ in the country. Both recent refugees from the city to their farms, they were also mothers for the first time. Their friendship validated who they were becoming. From learning that ‘slashing’ wasn’t actually about weeing in a paddock (FYI – it’s a term used to describe mowing a paddock in a tractor),  to realising that perhaps their baby should take precedence over the dog after all, interesting times lay ahead. This blog is a record of those times…

A bit more about us

Given we’re both going to be blogging on this site we thought you might like to know a bit more about us an individuals. On the other hand, you may not give a hoot in which case, read no further.

BecH – just a little bit about me (I’m the one on the right in the above pics)

We made a permanent move to the Manning Valley on the mid-north coast (of NSW, Australia) in 2009. My husband (Hubs) and I had always hankered for the quiet country life and we didn’t want to end up in rocking chairs in a retirement home somewhere wishing we’d given said quiet country life a go. So when an opportunity arose to buy the neighbouring property to my Mum and Dad, we jumped at the chance. Well… jumped at the chance to have a place in the country, not necessarily to live next to my parents (I think I’m safe, am fairly sure Mum and Dad won’t read this? I’d hazard a guess that Dad doesn’t even know what a blog is). We live on 100 acres. We have an 8 year old son, The Kid and a Jack Russell terrier, whose name  is Jones.  And that’s our family.

I run my own business from home which requires me to travel and wear fancy-pants work clothes, a far cry from my everyday casual look and the hard physical work apparel that I don for getting dirty.

I love my vegie patch, my burgeoning orchard and sunsets from our back verandah.

BecC – just a little bit about me too (I’m the one on the left)

When there were just two of us – oh, so many years ago – we made the tree-change move from Sydney to the old family property on the mid-north coast. We had always romantisized living in the country – and after a family reunion, here was our chance. In our old weatherboard farmhouse, my father-in-law had grown up in a family with 10 kids, no electricity. I don’t know how they did it – we have trouble finding enough room for what is now our family of 5 (2 boys age 5 and 9, and Jack the Dog – our first born).

For 6 years I commuted to Sydney to my TV producing job, until I gave it up to have a child. So now, when the car wheels have stopped flying down that highway, and when the rodents (just add ‘bush’ in front of ‘rats’ – makes their presence alot more palatable), the draughts, the weeds, and the blackouts start to get to me, I simply imagine I am ‘a colonial woman’; a pioneer overseeing the land with a bit of help from electricity and supermarkets (let’s face it – we would starve if we were relying on my vegie garden! I like to think of it more as an ‘educational resource’). I would have to say that bar our misadventures, all in all, life in the country is pretty wonderful. I don’t think I will ever stop enjoying its gifts.

Viva the cowpat!

So why read our blog?

1. We’re hoping that for those of you who secretly long for a move to the country, you can live vicariously through us, enjoying our escapades, adventures and successes.
2. For those of you who’d rather eat bark than move to the country, you can read about our mistakes, misfortunes and struggles and use us to help reinforce your decision to stay put, enjoying all that comes with the Big Smoke.
3. If you’ve already made the move to a rural area, but you’re not really sure what you’re doing, you can read and learn as we learn.
4. If you already live in the country and you know exactly what you’re doing, you can read and laugh (at us).

Whichever category you fit into, we hope you enjoy it.