My class has now grown to 14 people. Which is good as it gives us more funding, and 2 more people to utilise in the gardens and nursery. This morning was spent going back over the past weeks lessons, propagation etc, and a good refresher. For them as well as me, it gave me a chance to see who had missed my explanations in broken pijin and English. By lunchtime I was happier, everyone knew what we were talking about, and felt confident, me included.
Jennifer came back this morning, without questions, but wanting to borrow my book again next weekend. Good luck to her, I have to find someone over the next 2 years to take over the nursery, if the past month is anything to go by, she’s so far ahead of everyone else it is no contest. I’ll wait and see, if the funding becomes available I’ll try to get her enrolled in Brisbane or Melbourne for an Advanced Cert Horticulture course.
We spent 4 hours with Kiethe this afternoon, going over Botanic Gardens plans, future work, funding, sources of revenue we can try for.
I’d really like us to be free of Aid Agency funding, but at the moment, that’s supporting the crew, the Gardens, and it’s getting an education to a lot of people that would otherwise miss out.
We’ve another meeting with Heritage Hotels tomorrow, trying to find out how much they have budgeted for the landscaping. If it’s not enough for the entranceway to be spectacular, they’ll get a load of plants and I’ll try for a 10 yr maintenance contract from them to ensure a steady flow of money.
My yoghurt experiment worked, so I had kumara curry with rice and grated coconut, and cucumber and yoghurt riata. I ditched the flour, weevils left in it or not. I’ll try again this weekend to find some that doesn’t try to climb out of the bag. The Bulk Bin Shop fills the bins out of sacks that are stored in the back room, roller door that almost shuts, sacks stacked on pallets, tin roof etc. So I might have to resort to paying a few dollars more for sealed bags of Australian imported flour from the supermarket.
I’ve mentioned the proximity of Rove Prison before, it backs onto our northern boundary, all razor wire, mesh and concrete walls. Last year there was an Aid Project going that gave the prisoners work for the Gardens, making park tables and seats. The first stage of that finished and we’re waiting for the second stage money to come through now. The Prison Superintendent called up to the Gardens today, and asked if we could run a basic landscaping course for up to 12 of the trusted prisoners to do, so they have some skills to help them find work when they are released. It’s more money for the Gardens, and a bit more work for me, but worth it. It’s just a basic course, paving, planting etc, so it should be fun. Probably 3 afternoons a week, I can work that into the programme now I have everyone sorted and know who will get the work done if I’m not there.
My job description is so far out the window now, it doesn’t really matter. But it’s all good, I’ve got work I love doing, a great place to work in, and great people to work with.
It will all look great on a CV, pity I’m nearly 60, about the only place that would take me on now after this is VSA, so I’ll be a bit of a gypsy for a while after this contract finishes. Go to exotic locations on a pittance, join in the local community, and have fun and work. I could get used to this lifestyle. As Steve told me last week, I’m one of the most low maintenance volunteers he’s worked with so far.
Once I have another camera I’ll be really happy, I’ve almost convinced my sister to call up here in April, while she is in Sydney, and bring the camera with her. It’ll be safer that way, and there won’t be the duty to pay on it either.
I went looking for thumbtacks/pushpins today, the plastic headed sort, to pin up some flags and stuff in the house. I’m getting really frustrated with the cheap shoddy crap here, ok, I know I don’t really need the push pins, but I’m not paying $25 for a packet of 20 that look like the heads would break off in your fingers if you pushed them
When I’m King there will be a lot of people up against the wall for sure
Our trial of putting the coconut husks through the shredder is a bit of a disaster. They are too rotted and wet to go through without clogging the exit vent, we’re going to get the fresh dry husks from the Central Markets and try them next, and I’ll come up with a different method for breaking the old husks down. We get paid to take the husks away from the markets, so it’s got all the things I like about it. Not only are they free, we get paid for taking them. Our potting mix gets cheaper to make by the day.
Pic for today is our shade house and tray of bougainville cuttings
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