towing the line

We can haz a draw bar and tow-hitch!

Now in most people's universe that is not a stellar event. But when you're trying a high level of self sufficiency, it means you have scavenged a tow hitch from the tip, and got a friend to do a spot of welding on it. It's a major step as the trailer exists, and will now go through the hoops to become street legal (which won't be quite as cheap as the tow-hitch, but will still be maybe 150 dollars - which ain't bad for something that will allow us to cart stuff around - much more easily - including the boat.) Officially this is the Zoo's carrier, but I am already planning on using it for the large supply of tree debris from the storm, a load of wood, and a load of sheep manure. Not sure if it would do a load of horse poo, or cow,(it's a very light trailer) but sheep is light.

Years ago, when we were young flat-dwellers, newly together, and Barbara's family still owned the farm in the Drakensberg from whence the family rock comes, we were industriously, every weekend and holiday, trying to fix the old place on every trip we did up there. Purchases on not very much spare cash (Yes, we have practice)of various tools and bits of kit for the farm became pretty important to us. The Robin brush-cutter with its delightful Japanenglish instructions 'If you fell your leg in a hole, place blade in earth to stop revolutions' was one of our first, and did tons of work (all of which has now returned to bramble and invasive wattle after the place was expropriated by the conservation authorities... because of the wattle :-( It's now FAR worse than it was). We asked an engineer friend what bit of kit we needed most, next. His answer was 'off-road motive power.' Something to carry big loads from A-Z. I didn't really get it, then. We had strong backs and the volumes we were dealing with and distances we were moving stuff was small. I've learned since how right he was, and how this can multiply what you can achieve. A trailer and a two wheel drive ute isn't enough, but it's a big step up on a sedan car, or your legs and back.

And we work towards bigger steps.

Onward!