Forest bathing

On Easter Monday I went for a rather long walk. More than 25km, according to Runkeeper. After weeks of being cooped up in 'iso', like (almost) everyone else, I was desperate for a leg stretch and some forest bathing, as I believe the Japanese call it. I turned left after leaving our front gate, then left again and just kept walking, up into the hills. Up and up, past the houses and fields of cows and chooks, to the land of wallabies and lyrebirds. Ah, the smell of fresh rainforest air.

I visited the Old Mill site in the forest for the first time since the surrounding coupe was logged a few years back. Then hiked down some forestry roads, in the hope of finding my way through to the top of a different road to return down the hill. However, it has changed a bit up there, and I got stuck and had to return the same way. It's been more than a year since bushfire roared through some of these lands, and I was a bit surprised how little has grown back in places. I was expecting much more green regrowth and undergrowth I guess. Next time I'll try the walk in reverse to see if I can work out how I got through last time. I love exploring the hills of the Huon.

Let it rain

The forecast dump of rain over Easter has arrived, and we're not unhappy about it. For one, it's a stay home weekend anyway thanks to the coronavirus crisis. Two, we got a new rainwater tank this week! It's right at the back door and we're looking forward to collecting rainwater from the large roof area for use in the garden, for car washing and more. It seems a waste to use town water for these things, so even our small stainless steel tank will be very useful. Plus the tap on it is right at the back door, and I reckon we might drink some of it too. We got a bit spoiled living off rainwater tanks up on the hill for nine years, and the taste of town water is, well... no comparison. We've bought a water filter jug that sits permanently at the kitchen sink for our drinking water.

#quarantinebaking

We're not in official quarantine or self-isolation anymore. We stopped receiving the daily text messages from the government after our 14 days were up. But we are still isolating at home like pretty much everyone else right now. And like many others stuck in their homes, I've been doing a fair bit of "quarantine baking" or "iso baking" as it's now known. Bread, apple cake, choc chip cookies... and now my very first attempt at home made hot cross buns, using a recipe delivered in a timely email from Provincial Home Living during the week. If you want the recipe, scroll through their 2020 Easter catalogue here. I omitted the fruit peel (husband not keen on it) and didn't have the right attachment for my piping tube to get the crosses as flat as I'd like, but who cares. They tasted brilliant, plenty of cinnamon and spice and all things nice. Just add (lot of) butter and a hot cup of tea. And don't look at the scales, it's only bad news.