There really was only one cottage coming in today but there were still three cottages to clean. So I cleaned the one that was coming in and took a more leisurely approach to the remaining two. At least that was the plan. Firstly, as I was cleaning the first cottage a couple of tourists stopped in to check them out, enquire about prices, etc. This was ok, but first the wife would ask the question while the husband was looking at something else, then he would ask the same question - and so it went through all three cottages. Then as I was finally seeing them off the premises I spotted a cute puppy belonging to a friend was blithely strolling across the street unescorted, so I took him home and spent some time making the obligatory polite chat, then as I got back to the cottages another friend closed in and sat and chatted with me for another half hour, then I checked my phone and it seems that two more parties had booked in for the cottages tonight which means we once again have a full house. I made it plain I would not be available tomorrow as I have other things to do, so if her next door pulls a sickie he is on his own. Seven beds twice in two days is too many for me!

Home once more clutching my packet of frozen crumbed fish (found in the freezer of one of the cottages)  I walked the dog and gulped down a few cups of tea then walked the dog again. One arriving at the gate at the bottom of the lane after our walk I discovered some child had decided to padlock it. Fortunately there was someone at the fire shed so I borrowed the bolt cutters and cut off the padlock (only a flimsy cheap job fortunately), returned the bolt cutters and proceeded home once more.

Once again I am rather weary so will be glad to head to bed tonight! The weather is warming up so I should at least be able to get the washing done on Sunday and get it in dry.

Well, today was not quite as planned - I only got home from cleaning cottages at 4:30. The boss told me there was only one cottage coming in tonight and to prioritise it, which I did and cleaned the other two (seven beds in all), but in between times, I stopped for lunch, chatted to some passing friends, took some tourists on a tour of the cottages, dropped into sewing etc. Then as I was finishing off the last cottage I checked for the name of the person coming into the cottage I had prioritised and discovered that while I had no name for that cottage, I did have names for the other two. This included the half-cleaned one I was sitting outside while eating my lunch at 2:30 (checkin is 2:00!!!).

This resulted in a long edxchange of texts with the boss who apologised for forgetting it is Wednesday then went on to discuss multiple maintenance issues with me - by text. When I am sitting outside a halfcleaned cottage with imminent guest arrival .......... sigh.

They did arrive before I was done but were  a lovely young couple and completely relaxed about it - I sent them up the street to check out various eating options as they were wondering what to do for dinner.

Of course the cottage I had prioritised is not to be occupied till six this evening....

And then there was a mega-load of linen to stack (all done) and small children underfoot (nice children, but not when you are busy).

I collected the prospectus for the cottage but as I suspected there are a number of constraints and expectations that would need to be met so I am proceeding with great caution. My enthusiasm for a b&B has been somewhat dampened by the boss's assertions about overheads and the non-profitability of singe unit accommodation (insurance, registration, fire security, council compliances, taking credit card payments etc).

So maybe that is to go on the back burner at least till I have a moment to scratch myself.

So I finally made it home at 4:30, took Seb for a walk and am now inhaling several gallons of tea before heading out once more to clean the bank. Since i had little sleep last night I imagine I will be quite keen to hit the hay tonight.

My plans for today were thrown into ruin by the advent of Heather with yet another brilliant idea for spending my money for me (money I do not have yet!). She had been contacted by Council to advise her that a wee cottage beside the Lake in Oatlands is up for tender. It is tiny. I mean TINY! One of the front rooms barely has space for a single bed. Basically a two room cottage with a skillion out the back that has a large chimney. But it also has over 2 hectares of land with it.

So of course we went to have a look and realised it would be easy to subdivide it into three blocks (because there is an undeveloped road easement along the back of it), build a house at the end close to Oatlands, graze sheep over the middle block and use the cottage as a two-person bed and breakfast arrangement. It does of course lack any plumbing at present but is on town water. The rest of the site is not on town water, sewerage nor does it have electricity (the cottage has been rewired but does not have a fuse box installed yet).

So the latest fantasy is to buy, subdivide, do basic work to the cottage, build a shed and then sell my place, live in the cottage while the new house was built and be in town. I suspect I would be short about $20,000 to achieving that, but it is worth exploring. The expectation is that tenders will be considered more on the basis of your response to the heritage values of the cottage rather than the monetary value of the offer.

Spoilt for choice now.

The bad news is that her next door has had aspirations of grandeur inspired by the sale of the house over the road for $190,000. She is asking $185,000 for her place. The one over the road has seven bedrooms, has all new wiring, plumbing, underpinning etc all to code. Her next door has very dodgy plumbing she did herself, old wiring, two bedrooms and a really chaotic floorplan that leaves the house very gloomy (though this is exacerbated by the layers of curtains she has permanently closed over the windows). Over the road has a new bathroom and kitchen, next door has a free-standing kitchen with an upright stove and dodgy plumbing. It does not stand up to comparison. I would have thought $130,000 would be a more realistic expectation. Apparently though she needs $170,000 to achieve what she has set her mind on, so I expect she will be there for rather a long time to come.

Next door's ferrets escaped again - scared their chickens into escaping their run, then wandered up to the other end of the village where they killed several ducks. The ferrets are no more, I gather. Meanwhile they have decided that the best way to get their chooks back in their run is to leave the door open so all the other chooks can get out (apparently chasing the chooks into the run and then blocking the pophole is too complex an idea for them), so it is all back to square one again.

Meanwhile her next door has been having a garage sale which has been well attended by all the locals keen on getting the gossip on the house sale so poor Seb has been driven to distraction by the comings and goings (mine as well as those next door). Heather and I did a tip run which got rid of some more clutter in my yard and I am now very tired, over-wrought and confused.

Guess who I met today! It was EMW who comments here from time to time. She and her lovely husband and daughter stopped by in Oatlands and we caught up for lunch (lovely lunch EMW - many thanks for that!!). I love the internet and the way you can meet and get to know so many people who you have never met, develop friendships, share ideas and so forth. It is even better when you get a chance to meet face to face! We took photos, but we also agreed not to share them online, so you will just have to take my word for it. Earthmotherwithin and Hillybilly Girl have finally met!

It was a day of fun surprises - I have been offered a consultancy to do historical research on a property in Oatlands - it is actually one that I eyed off when it was up for sale. Basically just a corrugated iron shed to live in and a number of other larger sheds surrounded by drystone walling. It is part of the original property of Thomas Burbury so should have some interesting history and archaeology. Fortunately the deadline is not till April so I should have time to get into the research once the owners have provided the information they have so I have something to start with.

Meanwhile I have been filling in forms for the solicitors in the UK to be scanned and sent off tonight after I get back from cleaning the Bank, and have had Seb out for a few walks as well as chatting to Heather, dropping off a pipe to my new neighbour down across the railway line and so forth.

Not much to report here today - I had three cottages to clean which just about did me in, and then popped in to visit a friend, then to a new neighbour down the road as the bloke up the road told me he had built her a chook house. It is well constructed and was not expensive so I may just get him to build me one rather than mucking about building one for myself. I would only need one half the size so that will reduce the price a bit more - all good!

Cooler weather prevailing for the next couple of days which will be nice - it was quite fresh at times today!

This year just gets better and better! Psychoneighbour has a 'for sale' sign on her front fence!! Amazing stuff. Of course it remains to be seen if she can sell - she is doing the marketting herself (home made splatter board on the front fence, nothing on line at present, her own inability to stick with an agreement for more than five minutes).

But if anyone wants a nice bungalow with some land in Tasmania - nice neighbours (me and an underused community hall on the other side) then I will post a link when I find one!!

Buying the house myself is attractive if I had the funds as that way I could determine who my neighbours were, but I can think of nothing worse than having tenants next door knocking on the door at three in the morning because a fuse has blown in the kitchen, lol.

This information came to my attention while I was escorting the real estate agent back to her car after she had a look at my place. She is going to provide me with three price options - one being as is where is, another being 'new roof and window in the side where the hole is at present' and the other being once my work is completed as proposed. It will give me something to play with.

Also today I cleaned two cottages, spent some time with Heather (catching up on gossip - she absorbs it like a sponge), and walking the dog. It is much cooler today and a welcome relief from the heat, but it starts to warm up again from tomorrow.

On closer inspection my pine chests of drawers are completely unsuited to having the treatment I had in mind as the detailing on the drawers is far too fussy and it provides no plane surfaces for that lovely fall of leaves. But .... thinking of pokerwork and such like, the convolvulus flower could be adapted to the bigger drawer immediately below the two smaller drawers - done in sepia ink with thin colour washes as is done with pokerwork it would be very subtle and, I think, rather nice. Particularly if  I also 'antiqued' the details of the mouldings as well. So that will be something to think about.

It was very hot last night so I actually did see the New Year in, and a couple of hours after that as well. This meant I finally got to see and hear what the rest of the neighbours complain about which I usually sleep through. No idea what the fuss is about. One over-revved car at 12:30, one screaming fire rocket at 1:30 and that was pretty well it. I guess some people are too easily upset.

I had two cottages to deal with today and the guests in the third cottage wanted advice on where to eat tonight.... always a tricky one as I have yet to dine out in Oatlands and the scene at the local pub is not something I would be comfortable inflicting on tourists. Then I noticed them draping damp washing around the place and suggested they might want to use the clothesline in the back paddock - they were worried the sheep would attack them or eat their clothes........... sigh. That sorted out I came home, had a walk with the dog and am now wondering what to have for dinner.