Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 21st April 2024

We just love this cartoon, courtesy of FB

Our first week back after our break has been busy, as they always are - so much to do getting back into usual routines etc. We started on Sunday with a visit to the Daylesford Market, where everyone was thrilled to see us, and Morse was delighted to be back to normal. 

Afterwards, we drove to Strathmore, where we spent a most enjoyable visit with Leanne, arriving back here with a hummingbird cake 6 hours after we had left. Morse had enjoyed a very quiet time with a large bone and no neighbours to bother! That night Wes served steamed shitake mushrooms & bok choi on rice - nearly as good at Chef Dong.

On Monday, after supermarket shopping, we tackled cleaning the lounge & kitchen - a job that is always easier when done by two. Everywhere looks sparkling clean again, and hopefully it will stay that way for the week. I was quite thrilled when we were finished to head off to Sarah for a remedial massage and she freed up my neck, which had gotten stiff with all the driving we did.

It was an early start for us all on Tuesday - while Wes & Morse walked around Lake Daylesford on a nippy morning, I had my first chat for a month with Jeff, my aunt in Lincolnshire. She was able to tell me that she has been able to find new homes for nearly all the possessions she needed to rehouse, and that her house is on the market with a viewing this week. Afterwards, I caught up with Leanne on Zoom, where she was still on a high after our good time together. 

Wes & Leanne having a chat

Then we were off to Springs Medical Centre, where I had an appointment with my doctor, Ellie, who is just back from maternity leave. She had a daughter, Pippa, to join her 3-year-old, Billie, and she looked remarkably well and happy for someone who is getting disturbed nights. I discovered that an issue I have had for 3 months with a very sensitive tongue is called "Geographic Tongue" and should disappear, or may stay for good. I hope the former, as I can't tolerate chillis at present, and the chef is complaining that his dishes are too bland.

We then moved waiting rooms and saw Dr Brad, who had to okay our flu injections, which were delivered very efficiently by Nurse Serena. Neither of us had any reaction and we are pleased to have some protection for the coming Winter ills. 

On Wednesday, we took Morse to Daylesford Cemetery for a run and watched a beautiful sunrise, before going to Leitches Creek to pump mineral water. I then went back to Springs Medical to have my annual blood test, before heading to Muffins & More for a pot of Jasmine tea, while I waited for Judi to arrive from Ballarat to play Mah Jong. Heen, the newish owner of the café, was appalled to discover that I supplied the tea and then paid for it to be served, so she has bought a big bag of it herself - a lovely surprise. That afternoon, Wes headed to Mooltan in Hepburn to chat about politics with Jenny & Eddie Beacham & David Reilly.

This stunning Portland sunrise came from our neighbour Glen's new camera

Wes had a very successful Jackson Group Zoom on Thursday morning at the earlier time of 7am, which meant we had a slightly shorter walk to make sure he was ready. Afterwards, I had a great Zoom with Old Friends - Kathy, Lib & Joyce, where we were able to help each other with issues that have arisen in our lives. Then, in this busy week, I went to EKO for my last facial at their premises. Emma has decided to concentrate on sales of products, which are going well, and have a break from hands-on treatments. EKO will be missed by me and all the locals who have loved going there over the past 10 years. 

On Friday morning, it was too wet to walk, and none of us minded as there was a very cold wind as well. After a great Zoom chat with Leanne, I headed back to Springs Medical for an appointment with Peter, the podiatrist, who I see every three months. We're getting a good relationship going, after a shaky early start, when I discovered he knew nothing about Aussie Rules and much preferred Rugby League. This time, he told me he will be playing in a charity AFL game in Castlemaine where he lives, over the King's Birthday weekend in June! 

Wes & Bob White had a lovely lunch together at Passing Clouds Winery, in Musk, which is about 10 minutes from Daylesford, and 10 minutes from Trentham, where Bob lives. I would have enjoyed spending time with Bob & Wes, but the menu doesn't cater for non-meat eaters at all.

It's been so cold lately we decided to move to our Winter doona cover, so I spent the day washing all our bedding, and making the changes. 

Yesterday Wes & Morse drove me to Ballan to catch an early train to Melbourne for the Collingwood vs Port Adelaide game at the MCG, where we were not favoured to win. I had invited my Mate, Danny, and we met up at the Shane Warne statue before going into the ground and having lunch in the Hugh Trumble café, which has been very nicely refurbished since our last visit. 

We visited the MCC Library, which is celebrating 150 years, and had a chat with Gayle Gibson on our way to our seats, where we were in the back row on Level 2 with a great view of the ground. The Pies started very slowly and we were all worried, until someone flicked a switch (probably Scott Pendlebury) and we kicked 8 goals in a row to take the lead, and were never headed. It was an exciting match to witness and lovely to do it with such good company.

I listened to the Carlton vs GWS match on the train coming home, and Carlton did a similar thing after letting GWS take the lead in the second quarter. Wes & Morse picked me up at Ballan, and we decided not to listen to the game, but watch the last quarter live when we got home. The Blues registered a very important win over the previously unbeaten Giants, and when we heard that Daylesford had beaten Hepburn in the local footy, we had the trifecta of unlikely results!

Needless to say we're exhausted today and it will be a very quiet one after the Market & a trip to Daylesford Cemetery. I've got to get the energy to do it all again this Thursday, when Collingwood & Essendon play on ANZAC Day.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 14th April 2024

 

Life's like that!

We've had a wonderful holiday - one of our best ever, although the last accommodation, which cost the least, was the best appointed! The only place to offer crisp, ironed linen, plenty of space and everything you could wish for, including good heating, tissues, clothes hangers and washers. We had to buy a washer in Adelaide because our expensive unit had none. 

Last Sunday, we had breakfast at The Flying Fig, and although we are grateful for the suggestions for other good cafés, we won't budge. The meals are so yummy, beautifully presented, the staff are friendly and remember us, and the location is easy to reach. After breakfast, we headed back to our St Peter's unit for a rest, before we set off to walk to Norwood to visit their 35th Food & Wine Fair. It was most impressive, with the main street blocked off and lots of food & wine available. We found a beautiful bookstore, Dillons, and we also found the Norwood football ground at the other end of the main street. Richmond & St Kilda supporters were lining up to enter the ground, and there was a wonderful atmosphere.

This dish is called Ottoman - scrambled eggs, pita bread, avocado, smoked carrots, haloumi, spinach & yoghurt

We walked back home for another rest before heading back to the Adelaide Oval to see Collingwood play Hawthorn in a nail-biter. The Pies were well ahead at half-time, but the Hawks rejigged things and came back fighting after the main break. The sole reason we won was our ability to shut the game down, as we only scored 2 goals after half-time, but stopped the Hawks scoring the final goal they needed to win. 

Monday was our last full day in Adelaide, so we went back to The Flying Fig, before driving to Norwood to see Wicked Little Letters at the Hoyts Cinema complex that we had spotted the day before. I bought the tickets online, and we were both amazed to be in Gold Class standard reclining seats with a huge screen. I really enjoyed the film, but it wasn't Wes's cup of tea. It was chock full of good actors, including one of our absolute favourites, Timothy Spall, and a cameo by Dame Eileen Atkins. 

Afterwards we drove to the Pyrenees Wine Region to visit Shaw & Smith, makers of a great Sauvigon Blanc. We were impressed with the stunning views from the tasting room, and were well looked after by Ronnie, a young Carlton supporter, who gave us some beautiful wines to try. We ended up buying a mixed dozen, which should arrive here shortly.

Back home for a rest before dinner at Chef Dong, where we had eaten on the Friday night. We were warmly welcomed back and enjoyed another stunning meal with a suitable bottle of pinot gris. When we got back home again, we did most of our packing so we could get away early.

We set off at 7.30am and made a stop at Coonalpyn, where the Bakery made great sandwiches. There is a painted silo, a large area with picnic tables and clean loos and quite a few drivers were taking advantage of the facilities to have a break. We had tea & coffee thermoses with us, which were perfect with our egg & lettuce sandwiches. 

We arrived at Summerfield Winery in the little town of Moonambel, where we picked up a cheese platter, and were given directions to our cottage in the main street. We were most comfortable there with heaters in every room, a huge TV with more options than we had enjoyed in Robe or Adelaide, continental breakfast provisions and peace & quiet. 

We loved these two chimneys at the side of our Cottage

We spent Wednesday mostly reading and relaxing, although we did start our day with a walk around the township, which has many signs detailing the history of this place, which was started during the Gold Rush. There is no general store or Post Office - only the old pub, which now describes itself as a coffee lounge, and isn't open every day. 

Rather than drive to Avoca or Stawell, we opted for lunch at the winery, where we enjoyed a green salad & a pumpkin wood-fired pizza. There were plenty of more interesting options available, but they all included meat! I had a glass of the sav blanc & Wes tried the rosé, but the real specialty is their reds, in particular their cab sav, which is very yummy. The winery was too busy for us to do a tasting, so we will just have to return there.

The next morning we set off at 8am and arrived back here in Daylesford at 9.30, stopping only to fill up with petrol and check the tyres before pulling into our driveway. Wes unloaded Pearl, then hopped into Sammy to drive to Eureka Kennels and pick up Morse. Needless to say, Morse was delighted to be brought back home, and with a good report from Eureka. I had unpacked everything while Wes was away, and after a lunchtime sandwich, we got stuck into our desktops, where there were lots of things awaiting our attention.

On Friday, we enjoyed a lovely walk around Lake Daylesford and finished just as dawn was breaking. Back home for me to Zoom with Leanne, and Wes to get stuck into the garden. Daylesford had enjoyed some rain while we were away, so all the plants looked happy & healthy, and there were even a few roses in bloom.

Lake Daylesford at dawn

Yesterday we took Morse to Daylesford Cemetery, where he had a good run, before coming home and having another good sleep. Wes washed the cars and collected potting mix & mulch in preparation for some serious work on the garden this coming week. I caught up on ironing, and bought some bright red wool for a new jacket for Morse, as his current one (which was knitted for Frodo) is looking worse for wear. 

That afternoon, Wes drove to Ballan to catch the train to the Docklands Stadium to see Carlton play Adelaide. He was hoping to get there early enough to catch up with Ben Lazzaro & family, so went equipped with Cherry Ripes, a long-time footy tradition. Unfortunately the train was 30 minutes late and he arrived only in time to join the nervous crowds queing to get into the ground and missed out on seeing the Lazzaros. As well, after the Blues led for most of the game, the Crows found some energy in the last 5 minutes & won by 2 points. 

Adelaide Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 7th April 2024

 
Poor Snoopy!

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday, and Morse didn't miss the Daylesford Market at all. Around 9am we drove to Vaughan Springs, stopping first at the cemetery to look for the graves of friends - Danny Spooner & Gael Shannon - see photos, and secondly to find some of Wes's ancestors, the Greenwoods - no luck.

from the top - Danny & Gael's bush grave; their headstone; a plaque commemorating those without markers; Wes opening the door to the portal & seeing himself inside

We then drove to Vaughan Springs itself, admiring all the wonders of this little hamlet - the Chinese cemetery, the model railway line, the long slide, the balancing rock, the houses made from train carriages, and the foundation stone of Ball & Welch. We parked by the water and gave Morse the chance to retrieve, which he hasn't done since Lewis died. Amazingly, he got the hang of it, and enjoyed getting wet while retrieving sticks. 

On the way back, we stopped at Glenluce Mineral Springs, which is definitely off the beaten track. I have very happy memories of walking there with 3 other members of the Daylesford Bushwalking Group, including my dear friend, Annie Smith, who died in October 2020. It was hot & dry there and the mineral spring was out of order - very different from that first visit many years ago which was cool, shady & the mineral water was abundant. 

Wes reading the Glenluce signage while Morse potters, and the refurbished mineral spring area

That afternoon we watched Richmond unexpectedly beat Sydney in an exciting & close game at the MCG. Dinner was toasted tomato & cheese sandwiches done in the Sunbeam frypan - we can't bear to part with it! But, as usually happens when you are about to go away, something went wrong that night after a lovely day. The dishwasher refused to work. I emptied it out and tried again, but to no avail. In the morning we unscrewed the hose pipe and found a small piece of bone wedged in the opening, once it was removed, everything went back to normal.

On Monday, it seemed strange not to be going to Coles Supermarket, stocking up with scrolls and bread at Baker's Delight or doing School. Instead, we started packing after a lovely walk around Lake Daylesford, and Morse got a worried look on his face. 

Latest knitting for the Salvos Op Shop

Wes took Morse to Eureka Kennels on Tuesday morning, where he was delighted to be put next to another lab.  He is really very comfortable as we take one of his beds from home, as well as a pillow, some friends, and plenty of apples as rewards after his daily walks. We got away ourselves around 10.30am with the plan of driving to Dimboola and having a late lunch at the General Store. Sadly, when we arrived there, we discovered it had changed hands and the two bored young females working there could offer us nothing for lunch except a bacon butty! Fortunately I had packed ANZAC biscuits and filled a thermos with Jasmine tea, so we fortified ourselves until we got to Robe, checked into our AirBnB and had fish & chips for dinner.

On Wednesday, we had a late breakfast at Drift, our favourite Robe cafe, before driving to Beachport, where we got the last good-sized lobster. The woman serving remembered us from our last visit and dressed our lobster beautifully, even including two packs of ice to get us back to Robe safely. We picked up a Heathcote sparkling red and enjoyed a lovely meal that night.

Post Office rock, Beachport

The next morning, Wes got up early to start the Jackson Group Zoom and once that was up and running, we went for a lovely coastal walk and ended up back at Drift for granola and fresh fruit, before we made our way back to our holiday accommodation via the beautiful Robe cemetery, which is well-laid out and has an index of all the graves in the historic section. 

After a break, we headed off to Cape Jaffa winery, which had been recommended. Sadly we had a bad experience with very young staff run off their feet, and didn't enjoy our time there. We bought a bottle of sav blanc to recoup our tasting fees, and headed to Wangolina Winery, where we had the perfect introduction to their range of interesting white wines. We ended up ordering 2 dozen to be shipped to Daylesford, joined their wine club and promised to return in December to taste their reds. On our way back, we stopped at the Vietnamese cafe in Robe for a late lunch.

That night, we went early to the Black Swan wine bar, a favourite haunt, where I had a couple of Wangolina proseccos and Wes tried their rose and then a very rich local sav blanc. We indulged in a plate of parmesan chips before heading home to watch the footy.

The next morning, after another walk and breakfast at Drift, we packed our bags and drove to Adelaide, where we spent 20 minutes trying to find our unit in St Peter's. The fence is charcoal grey and so is the number, and we thought it was part of the next door property. Eventually we made our way in, and got settled. Later we went for a walk along the River Torrens and enjoyed the amazing bird life in this very pretty area.

I hope you can spot the flock of ibis in the trees

That night we walked to Chef Dong, about 10 minutes away and had a stunning meal - Wes enjoyed Peking style steak and I had the salt & pepper whitebait. We also had a dish of mushrooms & bok choi, which was to die for. They had Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc on the their wine list, which was the perfect accompaniement to our meal. We hope to get back there again tomorrow night.

Yesterday, we had breakfast at The Flying Fig, our favourite North Adelaide cafe, which specialises in Jewish cuisine. The owner remembered us from our previous visits, and we had a good chat. Wes had a bagel with cucumber & avocado, but I couldn't go past the baked eggs. Then we went to Rundle Mall to soak up the footy atmosphere, bought a few things in Myer, did a walk around the Adelaide Central Market, and came back here to have a rest before the footy.

We loved the footy experience at the Adelaide Oval - lots of families, supporters of all teams wearing their colours and a carnival atmosphere. We could have done without the incessant loud noise from the ground announcers & DJ, but we realise our age group isn't their target market. Carlton & Freo played a very exciting close game that the Blues only won in the last few minutes - Never in Doubt as Wes would say. 

After the game finished, we went upstairs to the top level where there were fewer patrons & much less noise and debriefed over a glass of shiraz - we're in Adelaide so it wasn't a rough red, but an extremely palatable drop! We stayed until half-time of the second match, which was also exciting & close between Geelong & the Western Bulldogs and arrived home in time to see the last quarter, where the Cats hung on by 4 points.

Daylesford Easter Dispatch - Sunday, 31st March 2024

 
Too true!

It doesn't seem like a week since I last wrote, this year is flying by too fast & we're already a quarter of the way through. Last Sunday, after the Daylesford Market, we drove to Strathmore and spent a most enjoyable few hours with Leanne, mostly chatting, and watering the garden for her. 

On Monday we had booked our 7th COVID boosters and headed off to Springs Medical in Kyneton, only to discover when we pulled up that their stocks were out of date and we couldn't be injected. We walked across the road to Little Swallow Café, where we enjoyed breakfast before driving back home. Later that morning I had a massage with Sarah, and as has become the norm, handed over about 4 bags of bottles & cans that attract 10c refunds. Leanne has been saving them for her too, and we usually have quite a few each month. Sarah's younger daughter, Maya, is the beneficiary of the money earned. 

On Tuesday, we had a busy morning. After I chatted with Leanne, I went to Springs Medical, Daylesford, and told Tanya our sad story. She immediately booked us in for our boosters on Thursday, as she remembered that we were keen to get them before we drove to Adelaide for the AFL Gather Round. 

When I returned home, I sat at my desktop for 30 minutes and was successful in getting myself a reserved seat in the 50-year Member bay in the MCC for Collingwood's ANZAC Day game against Essendon, followed by the big game versus Carlton the next week. 

We then drove to Ballarat, where I had a 90-minute dental appointment with Dr Anna to have two very old metal fillings replaced. I was quite nervous, but Anna explained everything as she went along, and I gained an elephant stamp as it only took an hour. Apparently some patients take ages for their mouths to go numb, and others request constant breaks - I did neither and found the whole experience rather interesting, as well as emerging with lovely white teeth. I'm back again next month to have the other two metal fillings replaced. Meanwhile, Wes had used his time wisely in Ballarat - had a haircut, and spent time by Lake Wendouree reading Voltaire.

It was quite a relief to have a quiet day on Wednesday. I drove Morse to Porcupine Ridge to deliver Epicures & The Local, plus some Easter eggs to Nick & Robyn, before we went to Leitches Creek to pump mineral water as I was running out of it. Later Wes took Morse to track down manure for the garden, but all the usual spots were bereft, so he vacuumed the floors instead of gardening. Meanwhile Judi & I met up to play Mah Jong at Muffins & More, where we exchanged Easter goodies and had a fun morning, with her winning all the games except one. 

The next day I had two early Zooms - one with Terry Borg, who was at Philip Island with all her family; and the other with Old Friends - Lib, Joyce & Karen. Both chats were most enjoyable and full of laughter. Wes spent the morning in the back garden, pruning, staking, mowing & watering and, as usual, everywhere looks so much better after he has finished.

Our visit to Springs Daylesford for our 7th COVID injections was a delight. We walked in the door at the same time as old friend, Kim Lyden, who now lives in Ballarat, but comes here a couple of times a week. We chatted with him while waiting to be called, and were quite pleased the doctor was running late. Dr Shashika checked our temperatures and passed us on to Nurse Alex, who was a chatty new Daylesford resident. We hardly felt our injections, and when she noticed that I had a large bandage on my forearm, asked to see it, checked the wound was healing & gave me a superior waterproof covering & a spare. Great service indeed!

That night, Collingwood travelled to Brisbane to play the Lions in the Grand Final rematch. As both teams were winless thus far, there was a lot at stake. The Pies started well, but Brisbane took over in the 2nd quarter & were ahead at half-time. However we kicked 9 goals to 5 in the second half to win by 20 points in front of a sell-out crowd. 

Needless to say we were all tired on Good Friday morning, and postponed our plans for a Vaughan Springs walk to today instead. We slept in, had Hot Cross buns with jam, watched the replay and did very little until it was time for Wes to drive to Ballan to catch the train to the Docklands Stadium to see Carlton & North Melbourne play at 4.20pm.

He had a wonderful afternoon at the footy, sitting with Ben, Leanne, Jack & Olivia Lazzaro and watching Carlton have an easy win against North Melbourne in their now traditional Good Friday afternoon game in support of the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal. There were so many families there it was a delight to see, and such a fuss was made of those who are patients at the RCH.

Young patient & North supporter, Imogen, tossing the coin before the game

Yesterday we both had Zooms we had postponed from Friday - I chatted early with Leanne, and Wes spoke to Barbara in the afternoon. We spent the morning doing chores - I uprooted the tomato & cucumber plants, plus some dead annuals; while Wes washed & vacuumed both cars, and did some gardening. In the afternoon, he did all the end of month computer reports, while I managed to find some footy to watch while I sewed up a small jumper I've been knitting.

I was just about to go to bed after dinner, when I decided to check if neighbour, Glen, had arrived back home after spending a few days in Frankston with her younger daughter, Jess, and family. Glen was out the front watering her sweet pea seedlings and as we chatted, James & Yoko arrived back from dinner at Beppi's and came over to introduce their son, Hamish, and his partner, Sacha. Sacha wanted to meet Morse, so they all came into our place and we sat chatting on the decking for a while, with everyone making a fuss of Morse until he had had enough & tried to climb up on my lap!

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 24th March 2024

I can't resist this series of Snoopy with his broken leg!

What a wonderful St Patrick's Day we enjoyed last Sunday. After the Market, we drove to Brunswick to the old Sarah Sands Hotel in Sydney Road, which is now the home of the Celtic Club. It has been beautifully renovated and turned out to be the perfect venue for a catch up with old friends. There were 10 of us, and we all enjoyed the very Irish breakfast, which was good value at $25 head including tea & coffee. The staff were friendly & caring, and when it came time for us to vacate our table, we were invited to go upstairs to the members' area, where we sat around for another hour or so. 

Gayle Gibson & Squiz Murray

Gerard Lazzaro, Deb Fowler, Karen Stevenson & Tom Tyrrell

Gerard Lazzaro, Deb Fowler, Malcolm & Karen Stevenson

Karen Maloney & Kathy Lazzaro

Tom Tyrrell & Warren Maloney

Warren Maloney enjoying his first sip of Irish breakfast tea

We arrived home to find Morse sound asleep after devouring his bone, and we three watched footy and recovered from our big morning. I took longer than Wes, and found myself in bed early and missed the Monday morning walk around Lake Daylesford.

Meanwhile, Wes decided I needed cheering up after Collingwood had lost its first two games and presented me with the 2023 Premiership Team framed photo, which is now at the bottom of the stairwell, above the framed Nick Maxwell collage from Robert Preston. 

Wes has picked up his new hedge & line trimmers and has been having lots of fun in the garden with his three work-saving garden tools. We've just received our green garden waste bins, and I think we'll be keeping them full for the foreseeable future.

On Wednesday, while I played Mah Jong with Judi, and later had lunch with her and Fiona at Muffins & More, Wes visited Steve, who used to deliver our newspapers, in Daylesford Hospital, where he has been while the doctors try to solve his various health issues. 

We've had a busy week of Zooms & catching up - Wes has spoken twice with Barbara in New Zealand; enjoyed a stimulating discussion with the Jackson Group with a guest speaker who discussed the history of the European Union, and joined my fortnightly catch up with Terry Borg, who has her daughter, Laura, living with her for 3 months from Thailand. Meanwhile I chatted twice with Leanne in Strathmore, and caught up with Old Friends - Kathy & Joyce.

On Thursday, I was lucky that our neighbour, James, was returning to Melbourne in the afternoon, and he drove me to the MCG again, where nearly 80,000 fans gathered to watch St Kilda host Collingwood in the 4th Annual Spud Match, which honours St Kilda legend, Danny Frawley, who suffered mental health issues all his life and died in 2019 aged 56. His family has established a wellness centre in his memory. Once again, Collingwood was no match for their opposition, although we did show a bit more fight than the previous two weeks.

St Kilda & Collingwood players, umpires & reps from all other teams unite in a 2-minute moving tribute to Spud & to raise awareness of Mental Health before the game

Wes & Morse drove to Jolimont that evening to collect me from the match. We had a fairly easy drive home, but it was after midnight before we were in bed. The next morning Morse let us all sleep in until 7.30am, by which time his tummy was missing breakfast!

We had been due to have brunch at The Convent with an old school friend of Wes & his wife, who were in Daylesford for a wedding, but they contacted us to say they had COVID, so we cancelled that arrangement and hope to catch up another time.

This wonderful photo of our friendly juvenile kookaburra was taken by Glen with her new camera

Yesterday we went to Day 1 of the Clunes Booktown Festival, which was first run in 2007. This year there was free entry, and Clunes was full of people of every age wandering around the beautiful wide streets, grabbing book bargains and catching up with friends. We parked near the main area and went into the first book shop we saw, which turned out to be the best we visited, with good quality books all priced at $5. We bought so many that Wes took them back to the car and I wandered on to peruse books on the footpath that were being offered for a donation by the Make a Wish Foundation. By the time he returned, I had more for our library. We didn't find anything else in any of the shops, but there were tents dotted around and we picked up a few more there.

We had booked tickets for two events, both in the beautiful old Clunes Town Hall. The first was titled "Killing Women: Fact and Fiction" and comprised a panel of writers, who each approached the topic from a different viewpoint - policewoman, true crime devotee, teacher & professional moderator. Almost immediately afterwards we were treated to "Let Me Read to You" with Jane Clifton, Wayne Macauley & Helen Garner reading their choice of short story. This was hosted by Jacinta Parsons, who brought a sense of energy & fun to the hour-long event. 

Daylesford St Patrick's Day Dispatch - Sunday, 17th March 2024

 
I've never had a limb in plaster, but I imagine the itching would be unbearable - poor Snoopy!

We enjoyed our visit to the Daylesford Market last Sunday, but it was already getting hot, when we pumped mineral water at Leitches Creek afterwards. We decided to forgo the ChillOut Parade, but Wes drove to Ballarat mid-morning, where he had promised to attend a session on Labour History at the Ballarat Trades Hall, which is a heritage-listed building. He knew most of the other attendees, and listened with interest to a talk from long-time friend, Jenny Beacham. 

It looks as though there was a big enough crowd to watch the Parade without us!

I spent Monday glued to the Test in New Zealand as Australia clawed its way back from 4/34 to eventually win the match. It is what makes Test Cricket so good to watch - the game see-sawed all morning, but thanks to Alex Carey's 98* and contributions from Marsh & Cummins, we managed to survive some great bowling. 

Morse suffering Test match tension!

Wes has been putting his mini-chainsaw to good use this week, and all the buddlias have been chopped back, much more rapidly than usual. He also cleaned out the pond, which is looking much better now it has been cleared of weeds, and I'm sure the frogs will jump back in with gusto. 

We decided to go to Ballarat on Wednesday morning to see the film The Great Escaper, starring Michael Caine & Glenda Jackson, both acting in their final films. We had breakfast at Café Lekker first and explored a few of Ballarat's laneways before making our way to the cinema. We were blown away by this wonderful film, which is based on a true story. The main actors were brilliant, but so were the supporting actors, and even the bit parts were carried off with aplomb. We haven't stopped talking about the issues it raised - love, ageing, unfinished business, secrets & lies etc. Please go & see it if you get the chance. 

We've both had lots of Zooms & phone calls this week - thanks to everyone who participated, and apologies to Terry Borg, who was the victim of a giant upgrade on both my desktop & the laptop, just as we were due to chat. 

Wes was very excited when Carlton held off the brave Tigers to record a second win on Thursday night. I had a reserved seat for the Collingwood game against Sydney the following night, especially because I wanted to see last year's Premiership Flag unfurled. 

Our neighbour, James, came to visit in the morning and offered to drive me to the MCG, as he was going back home that afternoon. I accepted his offer with pleasure, and he dropped me off just before 6pm, which gave me time to spend a few minutes with David Lazzaro, before going to my seat to watch the ceremony. Afterwards I had a good chat with Gayle Gibson, as it was the first Anniversary of her husband, Fraser's death. She told me about three brothers that sit with her in the Long Room - Charles, Harold & José (call me Joe). She asked quite rightly - what was your mother doing or thinking to call you José, for which there was no reply. P.S. They were all born in the Nederlands. 

I was sitting next to a dapper older gentleman on his own, who introduced himself as John, and we got talking. He is 74 and rides to the G on his motorbike from Mornington. Apparently his wife is keen for him to stop, but he's been riding since he was 18 and will consider her request when he turns 80!

The Swans were far too good for the Pies, and ran out easy winners by 33 points. I left about 10 minutes before the end, as Wes & Morse were picking me up outside the ground and I arrived at our spot just as they pulled up. We had a good run home & were in bed just after midnight. Yesterday morning Wes got up at 5.20am to walk Morse, who wouldn't get out of bed, so we had a sleep in until 7am. Win! Win!

We had a very quiet day recovering and I was in bed before dinnertime after watching Essendon record a good win against Hawthorn in a close, exciting match; and North try their best, but fail against GWS. We woke to discover Geelong had beaten St Kilda in another close game, and Gold Coast had recorded their second win beating Adelaide. 

Finally, our friend, Viv, let us know that her husband, Jon, died from a brain tumour 7 years after he was diagnosed and underwent treatment. Viv was so happy with Jon and they did everything together. We only met him once when they visited from Paris, but we warmed to him instantly and are so sorry his life has been cut short.

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 10th March, 2024

 
This is very topical, as so many friends have been in this situation over the past 12 months - I wonder if they were tempted to wield their crutches in the same way as Snoopy 🤣

We had a lovely Sunday morning - there were no other dogs at the Daylesford Market, so Morse was very relaxed, ate all of his pear, and greeted everyone he knew for a change. Afterwards, we met Fiona & Les and their dog, Brodie, at Daylesford Cemetery, for a catch up walk & talk. Morse was thrilled to see all three of them - Brodie just likes to catch tennis balls, and Morse couldn't care less, so they get along very well!

We came home to tea & toast and the last of the 1st Test, which Nathan Lyon wrapped up almost single-handedly, although Cameron Green was Man of the Match for his unbeaten first innings. He also took a wicket, and a couple of catches - the perfect all-rounder. Unsuprisingly, I found myself in bed around 3pm, absoutely spent after a wonderful social week!

Autumn was in the air with cooler nights & mornings, which we love. On Monday, after the Lake Daylesford walk, and shopping, we spent an hour or so cleaning the laundry & hallways as part of our School programme. Wes then tackled the front garden again, while I had a remedial massage with Sarah - always very beneficial.

Another vase of roses - Hot Cocoa, Red Riding Hood, Freesia, Mother's Love & Ashram

One of the things I have been doing for years as we walk around Lake Daylesford is collect rubbish - serviettes, tissues, cans, bottles, clothing etc. With clothing & beach stuff, I usually put them somewhere visible, and if they are still there three days later, they go into the bin. However, since the Victorian Government finally re-introduced 10c refund on bottles & cans of soft drink, the amount of rubbish we find on our walks has greatly diminished. The Council has put a few more bins around the area, and that has helped as well.  

We've both had lots of interaction with friends & family this week - Wes has chatted twice with Barbara in New Zealand; with his Godson, Danny, in Fortitude Valley, Qld; with old friend, Helen Hanrahan in Lower Plenty, and with the Jackson Group scattered around the globe. I've caught up with my sister, Leanne, twice; with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, and with Old Friends, mostly in Victoria + Queensland. 

As well, we received sad news that old friend, Margo Prophet, had died of cancer last Saturday. We spent many happy hours in her company with her former husband, Ron, especially when we shared a holiday home in Blairgowrie with Paul & Sherryn. She was a star in our various Murder Weekends, and we will miss her in our lives. At Christmas, she was making plans to visit us, but that didn't happen.

A lovely photo of Margo in 2015 with her daughter, Lauren, and son, Andrew

There was no Mah Jong on Wednesday, so Wes & I visited Dot & John Smith in Hepburn Springs. I've been playing Mah Jong with Dot for over 20 years, but she hasn't been well enough lately, so we thought we would catch them at home. It was a lovely visit, and we chatted about lots of topics. Meanwhile Liam Malone and his team were busy removing the dangerous split in one of James & Yoko's oak trees, and we came home to find Morse sound asleep and the job done.

The end of the week has been very confusing with Aussie Rules footy starting (only in NSW & Queensland), while Test cricket is still being played in New Zealand. We have been glued to the TV morning, noon and night as a result. The Swans opened the season with a good win over Melbourne at the SCG, followed by Carlton with a stirring 1 point win over Brisbane at the Gabba. Yesterday, Gold Coast were too good for Richmond & last night, Greater Western Sydney were clinical in their demolition of Collingwood, winning easily. 

With all this sport to watch, I've been busy knitting and took quite a few items to the Salvos shop yesterday, where they were very grateful and gave me some navy blue wool in return. I suspect Carlton beanies might be in demand after their amazing win. 

After the beautiful Autumnal days at the start of the week, these very hot days have been a shock. Fortunately our air-conditioning keeps us cool upstairs and we have a fan downstairs in the study. Today we are expecting 36°, which will not be pleasant. The Annual Moomba Parade in Melbourne has been cancelled, as have quite a few other outdoor events. We're off to the Market early and I'll be staying put once we return home.