Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 29th January 2023

Once again, we started our week with a lovely visit to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne had everything ready for us to collect, and Jeff, the dog treat man, had found the special bones that Morse enjoys and had a packet of them for me. Afterwards, Wes & Morse went fishing at Newlyn Reservoir & had the place to themselves for a couple of hours, which meant Morse could frolic in the water.

I'm not sure Morse grasped the purpose of the fishing rod!

We've had a busy week again - lots of Zoom chats with family & friends; brunch at Pancho cafe with Di & Jeff; a visit to Glen at St John of God Hospital in Ballarat (just me as there is a COVID limit of 2 visitors per day); a visit from our old neighbours, Rob & Dene, to collect various items they left under our house (and to play with Morse, who was over the moon to see them again), a visit to the vet for Morse, and quite a few phone calls catching up with local friends. 

This stunning sunrise greeted us on Tuesday at Lake Daylesford

Wes has been watering Glen's garden as well as our own while she is in hospital, and I think he is enjoying looking at different plants & getting ideas for improvements to our place. It will be lovely for Glen to be able to look out at her beautiful garden when she is home recuperating from her operation. 

I ran out of energy on Thursday afternoon & had to rest, which wasn't too hard with the latest Vera to read - The Rising Tide - by Ann Cleeves, which is set on Lindisfarne aka Holy Island, in Northumberland. We spent a day there about 6 years ago & I am enjoying being transported back to that time. 

This week's vase of fragrant pink & red roses

Our new neighbours finally moved in yesterday. It was a huge day for them as they packed everything in their large Strathmore home to be delivered to two places - their unit in Docklands & their home here in Daylesford. James arrived with the removalists at 5pm, directed the positioning of items, and then drove back to Melbourne to stay overnight there. We kept Morse inside with us, as large trucks are not his thing!

We are off to visit Leanne after the Sunday Market, to implement Stage 2 of her new garden. Once again, it is only a small patch, but she is excited, and enjoying the changes. After the very hot day yesterday, we hope it will be cooler in Strathmore, although they may not have enjoyed the light rain we woke to this morning. Wes took Morse for a lap of Lake Daylesford, which will tire him out and hopefully he will sleep while we are away.

We now have a ferocious owl scaring away the cockies on our main decking

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 22nd January 2023

So very true!

We started our week with a lovely visit to the Sunday Market, where Yvonne had a sliced pear waiting for Morse, and a cuddle when he was finished eating. Then he & Wes headed off to Jeff, the dog treat man, for some pigs' ear strips and a dozen eggs (I don't know why he sells eggs as well, but he does). It was so good to be cool, but there was a strong wind, so we opted for a quiet day inside, reading, and listening to Greta Bradman's choices of music on ABC Classic radio. 

Glorious vase of pink, peach & yellow fragrant roses

As it is School Holidays, Daylesford is very busy, and most locals get their shopping & other chores done early as it is almost impossible to get a carpark from late morning onwards. We are glad that we are a destination & that so many travellers want to visit here, but it will be good when February arrives, and everything quietens down again. So many people arrive here because it is a popular & well-known place, but they don't always know what is available for them to do and the Information Centre is flat out advising on walks, Markets, shops, cafes, galleries & picnic spots. We are very fortunate to have Botanic Gardens, a weekly Sunday Market, a tourist train, two man-made Lakes and free mineral water pumps.

This week, we varied our early morning walk & visited Jubilee Lake for a change. We were the only walkers and Morse enjoyed all the new smells & sights - fortunately, the peacocks were still sleeping & didn't cause him distress! All other mornings were at Lake Daylesford where Morse spotted black wallabies, ducks, runners, joggers, other walkers & other dogs.

Wes & Morse on the old railway underpass bridge

I've had quite a few appointments, starting with a remedial massage from Sarah, which always leaves me feeling much better & with more movement in my neck & shoulders than before I visited. My fringe needed a trim, as did my nails & now I should be OK for a while as far as repairs & maintenance is concerned.

Our Monday School was choosing which footy games we would each attend & planning a short trip to Canberra in June, which will give Morse another opportunity to mix with dogs at Eureka Kennels. We are planning to drive to the ACT and catch up with my sister, Paun, and her husband, Brian, while we are there. 

We had been wanting to spend time with our dear friend, Gillie, and her sister, Wendy, who has been visiting from South Africa, and finally managed brunch on Wednesday morning at Pancho Café. Everywhere was much cooler after some very welcome rain and we snagged the one outdoor table that was completely covered by umbrellas, where we enjoyed yummy meals, good coffee & excellent conversations. 

We were very shocked when Sarah rang on Thursday evening to let us know that her mother, our neighbour, Glen, had slipped on fine, loose gravel & twisted her leg at Lake Daylesford. Glen is in St John of God hospital in Ballarat & had her big operation on Friday. We are so very sorry for her & what it means for the next few months. Fortunately, her sister, Anne, lives in Trentham, and took the dogs, Nellie & Willow, to live with her. Over the weekend, Glen's younger daughter, Jess, and family drove up from Bentleigh to stay in her cottage, and visit her. We will do whatever we can, which, at present is looking after her mail & watering her garden. 

Lovely rose garden in the middle of our back lawn - Pumpkin Patch at the back & Kindred Spirits in front with various pink & purple petunias & a pink rosemary

Our new neighbours on the other side have been busy, even though they haven't moved in yet - James has been painting, and various workmen have arrived to do different things, all of which cause Morse much anxiety. He barks furiously, but his tail is wagging too. The biggest cement mixer we have ever seen arrived to concrete under the house, so it can become a storage area. It must have been fun reversing that out of our narrow street. 

On Friday, I had planned a trip to Ballarat in the morning, but delayed it as my energy levels were low. Instead, Wes & I rejigged our pots on the main decking & are very pleased with the result. We have purple & blue sage, Winter & Summer savoury, marjoram, parsley, mint, French tarragon, pink thyme, chives and oregano in the orange pots, and cucumber, basil & coriander in the long cream containers. Fingers crossed that everything likes the change of scenery. 

Yesterday we spent in the garden again - Wes gave everywhere a good soaking & we were delighted that all our plants seemed to be happy, especially the transplanted cucumbers, thyme & sage. And if you are wondering why there is no rosemary in pots - we have three kinds in the garden - blue, pink & Gallipoli - some prostrate, some hedging & some companion planted. 

It's another perfect morning here, and we are back from our walk, and getting ready for the Sunday Market. Afterwards, Wes & Morse are planning on going fishing for a couple of hours.

I couldn't resist sharing this wonderful cartoon from Facebook

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 15th January 2023

Last Sunday, after the Market, we set off to Strathmore for Instalment I of Leanne's new garden. We started small with the section by her main entrance, where her lemon tree had been living in a pot. Wes broke up all the soil, added new garden soil and chicken manure and planted the lemon tree into the ground. My job was to add the Tuscan rosemary and pink groundcovers we had bought and cover it all with sugar cane mulch. She is delighted with the result and understands that getting the garden back on track will be a gradual process. 

We arrived back home that afternoon to find Morse had been sound asleep and not bothered either of our neighbours while we were away. It was the 5th day of the Sydney Pink Test, and we watched South Africa put up a great resistance in their second innings, leaving Pat Cummins with no option but to shake hands with the batters & accept the draw. 

On Monday, after I had been shopping, we decided to hold School over breakfast at Muffins & More, where we chatted about keeping my Dispatches on a disc, as they are a diary record of our life here in Daylesford. We also talked about getting to more footy matches this year and worked out how we can do that. 

After doing some chores, we came back here in time for a Zoom catch up with Mike & Linda Kirby, as it had been a couple of months since we had managed to chat. We all enjoyed the get-together and will make sure it happens more regularly. Even Morse got into the act, climbing up on my lap to say hello & get a treat reward.

Morse, the stare bear, watching me as I delivered books to Judi & Michael's front door on Monday morning

I was back in the swing of Zoom chats on Tuesday with Leanne, followed by Terry Borg. There was plenty to discuss and in Terry's case, we needed to share our Christmas day experiences. Wes spent the morning in the front garden, working wonders as usual, while I prepared a vegetable bed for zucchini seedlings.

This week's selection of roses

Judi & Michael's much-loved dog, Maddy, had to be put to sleep on Monday, so I invited Judi to breakfast at Pancho's on Wednesday morning to reminisce about Maddy, who has been a lovely companion for 16 years. She was a rescue dog, and we were lucky enough to meet her the week she arrived, back in June 2006, in Sydney, where Judi & Michael were then living. 

Judi & Karen on Maddy's first bay walk

That afternoon, Wes attended the Memorial Service at the Lake House for Allan Wolf-Tasker. We had been delighted to be invited personally, but I didn't feel I was ready to mingle with a big group of people. Wes was pleased he went & enjoyed listening to the seven different speakers, who each gave a different eulogy of Allan to the 120 people there. Sadly, no-one mentioned the excellent work that Allan did locally, being involved in many community projects, for which we are all grateful. He will be missed.

On Thursday, I drove to Ballarat to see my dental technician at Ashmore Dentistry, where I got 9/10 and made another appointment for the same time next year. Afterwards I went to Myer Ballarat to spend $100 Gift Voucher that Leanne had given us and stocked up on underwear, socks & night attire for both of us. Meanwhile Wes spent the morning in the back garden, mowing, weeding & watering & our roses are particularly grateful for his care. 

After Zooming with Leanne on Friday, I had an excellent appointment with my podiatrist, Peter, at Springs Medical, where he had some suggestions to my exercise programme, that will make me use right side leg muscles more than I do. Afterwards, I went to our pet shop to buy a harness for Morse, as he gets very difficult to control when ducks, runners, walkers, other dogs etc are on the pathway around the Lake. 

Morse not entirely sure about his new harness!

Glen invited us to sit under her cherry tree that afternoon & we enjoyed a bottle of Peter Rumball Sparkling Shiraz together. It is a beautifully cool spot on a hot day, and I sent the photo below to Dene & Rob, who can't wait to be living close to Daylesford again & enjoying spending time in Glen's garden as well. 

Wes popping the cork & Glen looking forward to her glass, as was I, but I was taking the photo!

Yesterday was a stinker - Wes bathed Morse early after our walk, which cooled him down, and we all stayed in air-conditioning once the temperatures had risen. Today is much cooler, and I will pick a bunch of roses after we return from the Sunday Market. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 8th January 2023

Our New Year started well - hope yours did too. We finally gave in to Morse's urgency and drove to the Sunday Market, which was very quiet early that morning. Morse demolished his pear, I collected fruit & vegetables, Wes bought eggs, and we gave Jeff, the Dog Treat man, a belated Christmas thank you from Morse, who loved all the treats he was given!

Back home and while I washed everything & put it away, Wes got his fishing gear in order & set off for some serenity at Newlyn Reservoir. He got that, but no brace of fish accompanied him home. Meanwhile I filled a vase with roses, which didn't live very long in the extreme heat, but filled our lounge with beautiful perfumes.

We got back into the swing of School on Monday morning with quite a few things to plan. Number one on the list was the rejuvenation of Leanne's garden, which is our main Christmas gift to her. We made some sensible & workable plans, which will start today. Next was comparing our Calendars and after that we chose a date in February to see the Rone installation at Flinders Street Ballroom. Finally, we chatted about another dog holiday this year, which has to fit in between footy games for both of us. 

On Tuesday, I was back Zooming - first with my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock, Lincolnshire, where it is quite cold & she is recovering from a wonderful, busy family Christmas. Then Leanne & I chatted & discussed her week, as well as things to be done when we visit. Afterwards, I went to the Post Office, bought some cards at the newsagent, thanked the Pet Shop for their gift suggestions this year and bought a couple of items I had forgotten to purchase when I did our grocery shop the day before. 

Fishing at Newlyn Reservoir on a perfect day

Meanwhile, Wes took Morse with him to collect roadside bags of manure, fill the car with petrol, check tyres & get a container of petrol for the motor-mower. Morse arrived back very excited and had obviously enjoyed his trip and all the sights of the Shire. 

By Wednesday we were back in the swing of things - I did deliveries of newspapers to Spring Park Nursery and jars & magazines to Nick & Robyn Massaro. Meanwhile, Wes vacuumed & washed the floors early in preparation for the start of the Sydney Test @10.30am, a Test with lots of highlights, but too much play lost to bad light & rain. 

Wes had a wonderful day on Thursday - he started with an interesting Zoom chat with his Overseas Friends, and finished with a stimulating Zoom with his cousins, where the topic was DNA. I even made dinner, which doesn't happen very often - special fried rice with Istra bacon in his serve!

Judi had invited me to breakfast on Friday and we met at 9.15am at Muffins & More, for her favourite, French toast, and eggs Royale for me. We enjoyed catching up before the café got too busy. Wes spent the morning in the front garden, weeding, pruning & watering, while I washed, ironed, made potato salad and prayed for the rain to stop & the cricket to start again. 

Lovely photo of Judi with her colourful & yummy French toast

Yesterday was a perfect day here and we both enjoyed it, although it would have been good if the cricket had started earlier at the SCG. Wes trimmed and mowed & snipped in the back yard, while I took Morse with me to pump mineral water at Leitches Creek. 

Great Christmas Day photo of my younger sister, Paun, with her men - Brian, Warwick, Rohan & Liam Fell

Now it's Sunday Morning again, and we've had a good walk around Lake Daylesford, fed Morse & the birds and are resisting all Morse's efforts to get us into the car and off to the Sunday Market, which will only be setting up & not ready for customers yet.

Daylesford New Year Dispatch - Sunday, 1st January 2023

I'm sure Morse feels the same way

What a wonderful Christmas we've had & so have most of you if all the messages of goodwill are any indication. We spent the early morning ringing family & friends, before heading off to Strathmore to share lunch with Leanne. She had decorated the table beautifully, had bought thoughtful gifts & we three had a lovely time together. Our contribution was a platter of King prawns & the Christmas pudding, both of which went down very well.

Afterwards Wes dropped me off at The Hotel Windsor where I was given a quiet room on the third floor - no view, but very comfortable. I asked about the radio in my room and was rewarded with a new one tuned to ABC Classic when I returned from Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test. 

Boxing Day started beautifully with breakfast in the dining room with David Lazzaro. We had a great catch up & walked through the gardens to the G together. I was able to get a seat in my favourite bay on Level 2, put my bag down & went to find old friend, Gayle Gibson, for our usual catch-up. As we were talking, she pointed out to me that someone in front of us was in trouble as paramedics were in action. For the next 30 minutes, we saw just how well the MCC springs into action. I learnt later there were 5 doctors helping the paramedics, who performed CPR for 20 minutes. The doctors basically performed a small operation on the spot before removing their patient by stretcher. The supervisors were brilliant - they cleared all the seats within cooee of the situation, arranged for screens and made sure a path was clear to the lifts & no doubt on the ground. I learned from Gayle on Day 3 that the patient, who was 70, had survived & was recovering.  

I was able to return to my seat in time for the pre-match Welcome to Country, celebration of Warnie by the wearing of floppy cricket hats and the Anthems. It was a brilliant day, hugely entertaining, and we were thrilled to see Cameron Green take 5 wickets for the first time. I was sitting close to the MCC Committee lunch guests & was pleased to see Melbourne Premiership Captain, Daisy Pearce, and some of her teammates, were there. Daisy was in her element, chatting, laughing & enjoying being spoiled.

        Too hot to go out for dinner so I had room service - yummy salad Nicoise 

On Day 2, I hosted breakfast for Kathy & Ged, Karen & Malcolm & Danny. We caught up on each other's Christmas Day, and all the stories were very positive. It is lovely to sit at a big round table, nowhere near any other tables & chat without feeling you have to hurry. Ged & I walked to the MCG together - I went into the MCC & Ged went to Gate 3 into the Olympic Stand, where he was meeting up with friends. 

From the top - Ged & Kathy; Danny & Ged; Karen & Malcolm

I was lucky enough to get the last seat in the back row of my favourite section on Level 2, right in line with the pitch, never dreaming we would see David Warner hit a double century before retiring hurt, his whole body experiencing cramps. An old friend, Brendan Wilkinson, spotted me & we enjoyed catching up at lunch, as we haven't seen each other since pre-COVID. He lives in Morwell, catches the train to Melbourne on Boxing Day morning & stays with his brother-in-law in North Fitzroy for the duration of the Test. He sleeps on a camp bed in the lounge & often falls briefly asleep during the cricket.

38° is just too hot for anyone & the air-conditioning in my room really struggled to get down to 18°. However, it was better than outside, and, after a cold bath, I had room service again, watching the T20 game at the Sydney Showgrounds.

On Wednesday, there was just me for breakfast, so I took The Age with me & did the crosswords while tucking into granola with fresh fruit & yoghurt. As I left The Hotel Windsor, I spotted Kathy & Ged sitting outside at the café nearby. They were looking out for me, and we enjoyed an unexpected catch up, before I headed off to the G & they went shopping. It started raining as I walked and the start of play was delayed by 15 minutes. Brendan & I sat together listening to the ABC radio coverage on our trannies. It was wonderful to see Alex Carey get his maiden century - like Warnie, he wanted to play Aussie Rules, but was too slow & now he is Australia's wicket-keeper & a very handy batsman.

Beautiful colours in the Fitzroy Gardens near the MCG

Play finished early when the rain came down again, and I decided to eat dinner out for a change. I found a little Chinese restaurant in a Bourke Street Arcade & tried their salt & pepper squid & whitebait, with a glass of shiraz. I was back home relaxing before the city got too busy with diners.

Day 4 was much cooler with a top temperature of 20°. Once again, I had breakfast with The Age, before heading to the G, dressed much more warmly than previous days. Brendan & I sat together and enjoyed the radio commentary as we watched the South African tail-enders take the score to over 200, in spite of a couple of run-outs. The match was over before tea and David Warner was a well-deserved Man of the Match, winning the Johnny Mullagh Award. 

I dropped my bag at the hotel and walked down to Myer & David Jones in Bourke Street, where there were too many people and nothing I wanted or needed. On my way back, I tried to eat at two restaurants, where I was refused service, even though there were empty tables (single female syndrome). Finally, I struck gold at Chine on Paramount, where the staff were lovely & the food was special. I enjoyed prawns cooked in coconut & cream with steamed rice and a glass of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - heaven!

As there was no play on Friday, I went for a long walk through the Exhibition & Carlton Gardens, before breakfast. Then it was time to pack, check out & be ready for Wes to pick me up out the front. When he arrived, he was driving Sammy, and had Morse in the back. Morse was thrilled to see me and couldn't stop smiling & licking me. We arrived home where the roses were stunning, the grass still green and everywhere looking wonderful. I unpacked, did three loads of washing & relaxed before we had fish & chips for dinner. There was no Blue Grenadier available, so Wes ordered Butterfish and it was yum!

Yesterday, Morse had his fortnightly bath and settled down with a dog treat kebab from Auntie Leanne, which he enjoyed so much, he buried the stick when he was finished. Wes worked on the front garden, and I did more washing & plenty of computer work, getting ready for end of year back-ups. 

Wes went back to our fish shop & bought a brace of Rainbow Trout, which he baked last night for dinner & served with a garlic butter sauce & salad, while we watched the Melbourne Stars finally have another win, this time at the Adelaide Oval. We were wakened at midnight by fireworks, which didn't bother Morse & we all turned over & went back to sleep.

This morning we've had a lovely walk around Lake Daylesford, which is usually a mess after New Year's Eve celebrations. We were delighted to find it relatively tidy & I only filled two plastic bags with rubbish. We're about to head off to the Sunday Market and Morse keeps reminding us that it's time to go!

Thanks to Facebook for this delightful cartoon