Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 25th May 2025

I suspect most kids have been through this - I know I did! However, I am sure I knew more than Peppermint Pattie!

We enjoyed a quiet start to the week last Sunday. Wes & Morse were greeted well at the Daylesford Market, and we came home laden with produce. I caught up with the weekend copies of The Age newspaper, but didn't have much energy, so watched footy all afternoon. There were three close games with all three having unexpected results - West Coast had their first win, North their second, and Melbourne hung on to defeat last year's premiers, Brisbane, at the Gabba. 

After our early morning walk on Monday, which was freezing, and  supermarket shopping, we discussed the garden as our School project. We agreed to replant the strawberries in wheelbarrows, and reuse the strawberry patch for Golden Beauty roses with Golden Marjoram as ground cover. Wes bought me a polytunnel for my herb pots that live on the decking, so I am going to give them all a facelift before we put protection on them from the cockies & possums. As well, we decided to move our bar fridge back into the study from under the house, as we often need milk for visitors, and water for us, when working downstairs.

This stunning maple at the front door is always the last to turn in Autumn, but it is always worth the wait - the top photo is taken from underneath

Wes was able to walk without the aid of a crutch early on Tuesday morning, where the weather was -3° (felt like -7°), but it wasn't windy like the day before, so we coped. Afterwards, when the sun came out, he cleaned both our cars after we emptied them of all their possessions in preparation for collecting Snoopy the next day. 

We were very excited heading off to Ballarat Mazda the next morning and even more excited when we met Snoopy for the first time. It is 4 years since we bought Pearl and the changes to the safety of the car and the ease of driving were immediately apparent. Andy spent ages showing us how to use Google Maps, how to lock & unlock the car without the key fob, and heaps of other useful pieces of information we hope to remember. I drove the car home and couldn't believe how comfortable it was and what a difference a bigger maps screen made. 

After we had a cup of tea and a chat, we opened Morse's new dog hammock and put it in the back seat. Amazingly he was very happy to hop straight in, and had to be persuaded to come back out again. Everything fitted perfectly and all we had to do then was check our diaries and change anything that required two cars!

Everyone's happy - Us, Andy the salesman & Morse!

Thursday mornings are now Wes's time to drive Snoopy, so I've spent some time changing the eight appointments I had on that day of the week for the remainder of the year. While I was Zooming with Terry Borg and catching up on her news; and later with Lib, Joyce & Karen S, he took Snoopy out for his first drive, adjusted the seat to his liking and added his mobile phone. He also returned Glen's crutches to her and gave her a beautiful country garden bouquet of flowers to say thank you. It was 5 weeks on Friday since his fall, and we are so grateful to Glen for her loan of the crutches, as well as her lessons in how to use them. 

We were thrilled with some overnight rain on Friday and even a few drops while we were walking Morse early in the cemetery. After I had a good Zoom with Leanne, I set off in Snoopy to pump mineral water, buy some herbs and get a lettuce for lunch. I forgot the lettuce, but did everything else, and Wes & I had a productive morning in the garden. He swept up all the Autumn leaves in the front, did some pruning & watering, while I refreshed our herb pots on the decking and added rocket seedlings to our greenhouse. 

Yesterday we woke to discover we had enjoyed 6mls rain in the last 24 hours, the best for some time and weren't the tanks & the garden pleased. We decided this was the best time to install the new greenhouse to cover the herbs and we started with some trepidation, but were very excited to find easy, clear instructions. This meant we did the construction with no arguments and a minimum of fuss, although we do have 4 cords left over with no idea where they belong!

The finished product - thanks to Wes & Morse for my Mother's Day gift - I love it!

Yesterday was a mixed bag in the footy - Carlton went down to GWS at the Docklands. Both teams started well, but the Blues didn't put in as many second efforts and the result was a big disappointment. Last night, Collingwood lost Pendlebury & Hill before the game started, and Maynard in the first 3 minutes, which had us out of sorts and enabled North to be ahead at half-time. We got our act together in the second half and managed to win. I'm looking forward to watching the replay, as we were too tired to last beyond half-time. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 18th May 2025

Everyone was very excited to see all three of us arrive at the Daylesford Market last Sunday, and Morse loved seeing Yvonne and getting his cut up pear from her. On the way home, we bought scrolls to celebrate another step forward on the way back to normality.

On Monday, after walking Morse and doing the supermarket shopping, we sat down to School to discuss 4 important topics - most to do with getting older and making decisions going forward. So we have chosen to be buried at Daylesford Cemetery; to add some of the facets of the Advanced Care Directive to our Executor Dossier; to abandon Skype and not progress to Microsoft Teams; and to download the Uber app and make ourselves familiar with it, as we will probably need taxis and/or Ubers occasionally with only one car. 

An unexpected late burst of colour in a dark corner of the back garden

The lovely Autumn weather continued through the week with cold, frosty mornings and sunny days. We seemed to spend much of our time chasing up people who had promised to get back to us, and, when my phone suddenly misbehaved, getting a new one in a hurry!

On Wednesday, while Wes washed the floors, I drove to Castlemaine to deliver surplus toys, old towels and sheets to the Mt Alexander Animal Welfare shelter. They were very grateful for everything and I was pleased that these things were going where they were immediately needed. The drive there and back was delightful with Autumn leaves still around and in beautiful colours, even though we only have a couple of weeks of Autumn left.

We were inspired to go for a drive to Maldon on Thursday morning, and took Morse, hoping to find a café without dogs, and sit outside in the sun. Sadly that didn't happen, but we did enjoy driving around, admiring the Autumn colours and finished our trip with a visit to Cairn Curran Reservoir, which is a beautiful place, although the water level is down at present.

On Friday morning, Dylan from Taylor & Stirling Blinds arrived to install our additional blinds - 3 x blackout and 1 day blind in the study, plus one day blind for the only uncovered floor to ceiling window upstairs. He worked hard & well and we are thrilled to bits with the results. I think we first decided this about 12 months ago, and it seems to have taken forever, but we made the right decisions and should be cooler in Summer & warmer in Winter. 

As well, my new mobile arrived and I spent a couple of hours transferring everything from the old one. It was seamless and I didn't lose anything, which was a big relief. It is exactly the same model so I haven't had to learn anything new either. 

I've finally been able to knit again and delivered this small bundle of beanies & a beret to the Salvos - thanks again to Kathy Lazzaro & her friend, Maree Littlepage, who keep me going with colours & varieties of wool that I can't get here

That night Carlton played well at the SCG until they were overrun by the Swans in the last quarter. Wes was disappointed, but the Blues have not found the SCG a happy hunting ground for many years, which probably gave Sydney the edge at the end.

Yesterday, I went to see Collingwood play Adelaide at the MCG, where I met my footy Mate, Danny Millman. We had lunch first at the Hugh Trumble cafe, before taking our seats on the second level under cover in the 50-year Member bay. It was an exciting, close game with intermittent heavy rain and we were lucky to hold on and win by 10 points. Wes & Morse dropped me off & collected me from Ballan Station & we drove through rain both times, but Daylesford didn't get anything more than light showers. It wasn't enough to register on the rain gauge, which was disappointing. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 11th May 2025

After visiting the Daylesford Market last Sunday, pumping water at Leitches Creek, filling the car with petrol, and buying us Apple Danish for breakfast, we had a quiet morning watching The Insiders discussing the repercussions of the Election result on ABC TV and then a mini of the exciting Collingwood game, which we just failed to win. Our neighbour, Yoko, came in to see how Wes was going and Morse was in heaven, as he particularly loves her. James, her husband, had spent the day running the Glenlyon Polling Booth for the Australian Electoral Commission, and after leaving home at 6.30am, got back again at 1am, and was still in his pyjamas as she set off back to their apartment in Southbank, where she had corrections to do for her Year 12 students.

On Monday, after walking Morse, putting out the bins and doing the supermarket shopping at Coles, I came home to find Morse waiting anxiously at the front door. Wes had gone to Ballarat in Pearl as we needed a new windscreen and he felt OK to drive that distance. I was going to collect him & bring him back home rather than have him sitting around waiting, but he packed a bag & thermos and was heading for the Library to wait while the job was done. It was done much more quickly than we expected and Wes was home before I returned from my 11.30am monthly massage with Sarah Hunt.

Another stunning early morning sky - this one lasted the whole time we were walking in the cemetery

The next morning Morse & I had an unsuccessful walk at the cemetery as there were no bunnies to be seen anywhere. He ran around looking for them, but they didn't oblige! Afterwards I had an excellent Zoom with Leanne and we confirmed plans to visit her yesterday. Wes was sore after his time in Ballarat, so took it easy until his knee felt better and he could come downstairs. We've been blessed with beautiful Autumnal days but would love some rain as everywhere is quite dry.

I thought we needed some Christmas lilies to cheer us up and these are looking & smelling wonderful in the lounge these past two weeks

As Judi was unavailable for Mah Jong on Wednesday, we made another trip to Ballarat, this time to see the film The Penguin Lessons, which started slowly, but finished very well. It is based on a true story of an Englishman teaching English at a posh boys'  school in Argentina during turbulent times in the 1970s. He adopts a penguin unexpectedly and it has quite an effect on him and everyone around him. Before the film we went to Wen & Wear café for hot drinks and toasties, and after the film, we stocked up on Atlantic salmon & gummy shark fillets from the wonderful Ballarat Seafood Store. 

Wes suggested we have breakfast together the next morning to chat about our cars, so we went to the Glenlyon General Store as we knew it would be quiet & we wouldn't be hurried away. We had a good discussion about downsizing to one car and both agreed that the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages. We would trade our current Mazda 2 & Mazda 3 on the newest 3, which has even more safety features than the 2021 model. I left that to Wes to negotiate with Ballarat Mazda.

Collingwood played Fremantle in Perth that night - I lasted until half-time when we were 10 points ahead and woke on Friday morning to find we had slightly increased that lead. In spite of resting 4 senior players, we were still the oldest team playing this weekend, and I suspect Freo was the youngest and one of the least experienced, so they should be pleased that they kept in touch and it wasn't a rout.

On Friday we had a delightful catch up with old Daylesford friends, Susan & Jamie Walker. Susan ran Hill End Café & Gallery for some years and it quickly became a locals' favourite spot. After some years away, they have returned here and have a new home close to Lake Daylesford. Lunch at The Convent was most enjoyable, especially as they were so busy we were given the table in the parlour and were able to spend two hours together.

That night Carlton just beat St Kilda in a good, close game of footy that honoured the memory and legacy of a much loved St Kilda player, Danny Frawley, affectionately known as Spud, who suffered mental health challenges. There were 80,000+ at the MCG, which was a wonderful tribute.

Yesterday we visited Leanne, caught up on each other's news, watched a mini of the Collingwood vs Freo game as she had missed seeing it live, and belatedly celebrated Easter with a cake Leanne had bought. Afterwards we drove home via Ballarat Mazda and signed the contract to trade in Sammy and Pearl on Snoopy, who will be available in a couple of weeks' time. 

Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 4th May 2025

 
Sally is priceless!

After my solo trip to the Daylesford Market, I stopped at Baker's Delight and got a couple of apple Danish, which we just what we needed. After everything was put away and the treats eaten, Wes and I tackled our bedroom which desperately needed me to dust & polish & him to vacuum, which he did very well. We were both exhausted afterwards and needed to rest, but very pleased we had removed a bag full of dog hair!

That afternoon, Carlton unexpectedly beat Geelong in front of a big crowd at the MCG. Wes was absolutely delighted, as all Blues fans were, as it was an exciting close game of footy, and the team managed to hold its nerve when Geelong were throwing everything at them. Needless to say a glass of red or two were consumed in celebration!

Carlton's enigmatic full-forward, Harry McKay played his best game ever, much to everyone's delight!

On Monday, after I walked Morse and did the supermarket shop at Coles, we had School, where we talked about locking in some small holidays in Victoria that are manageable, as overseas trips are off the agenda at present, and maybe forever. We've booked three nights in a dog-friendly house in Barwon Heads in June, and two nights at Hotel Windsor in Melbourne in August, to enable us to attend the Annual MCC Bradman Lunch. We've agreed that I will continue to go to Melbourne for the Grand Final, staying two nights; as well as the Boxing Day Cricket Test, where I stay 5 nights, both of these at Hotel Windsor. We've also pencilled in Gather Round in April for as long as it stays in Adelaide.

Wes had an early morning Jackson Group Zoom on Tuesday, where the topic was Ukraine - Three Years On. Morse and I enjoyed our early morning walk, with five bunnies presenting themselves for the chase, and then I Zoomed with Leanne, where we had a good chat about her health and Pope Francis's funeral. 

I don't know the name of this beautiful pink rose, but it has flowered out the front of Maloney Folly since 2004

In spite of power outages in Daylesford, Judi & I were able to play Mah Jong at Muffins & More, where we tried some more different hands and shared the wins. Judi is unavailable for the next three weeks, so we were pleased to have this one last morning together without disruption. 

On Thursday, after an interesting catch up with Old Friends - footy, Vera & the line of Popes being the main topics; I had a manicure with Juls in Hepburn. When I got back, Wes had his first attempt at walking up & down stairs, and passed with flying colours, so he has moved back into his bathroom downstairs.

It was frosty on our early morning walk on Friday, and Wes came with us, but stayed in the car while we walked the perimeters of the cemetery looking for bunnies. Then I had my annual blood test, before coming back home to catch up on paperwork and enjoy the cool, sunny morning. We even had fish & chips for dinner - it's been quite a while since that happened and we enjoyed them very much, especially the grilled butterfish.

Frosted flowering rosemary along our side fence

Yesterday it felt very strange not to be getting organised for one or both of us to be on booths handing out How to Vote cards for the Federal Election. It was frosty again, but turned into a beautiful sunny day, perfect for voting & footy & anything else you felt like doing!

However, Carlton failed to keep up their good form and were comprehensively beaten by Adelaide over there in the afternoon. Wes was most disappointed, but not for long, as the results of the election became clear very early and Labor recorded its best win since 1946. The Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, lost his seat, and gave a gracious speech of farewell as he conceded defeat.

Last night, Collingwood & Geelong played at the MCG. One of our players, Jack Crisp, broke the record for the most consecutive AFL/VFL games, when he played his 245th match in a row. He has played them over more than 10 years and not missed through injury, illness, suspension or form. The previous record was held by the late Jim Stynes, the most successful Irish recruit of all, who died too young, aged 45. It was a stunning game of footy, which was decided in the last kick when Jack took a mark as the siren went, but was unable to kick a goal which would have given the Pies a fairy-tale victory. 

Beautiful sunrise at Daylesford Cemetery this morning