Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 22nd June 2025

 
A common problem for writers!

We started our week slowly with a quiet Sunday after going to the Market. I visited our neighbour, Glen, who has been resting since her first cataract op, and had a lovely catch up with her, and her daughter, Sarah, who is my remedial masseuse. Sarah's son, Matt, had played his first footy game for Daylesford Seniors, coming up from the Under 18s & it was great to share the family excitement at this milestone. 

Wes was very disappointed with Carlton's effort that night against West Coast in Perth. They played like winners in the first half, and then settled back & watched the Eagles try to catch up. Collingwood had a bye, which is always strange - rusted-on supporters like me aren't sure what to do!

On Monday, it was freezing cold in the wind, but Morse was more than ready for a run around the Cemetery. Afterwards I did the supermarket shopping, and then we settled down for a serious School chat covering a few topics - our insurances, MyMedicare & questions Wes had to ask Mazda when he took Snoopy for its 1,000km service on Wednesday.

Morse getting back to normal Winter behaviour 

Our home insurance had gone up by $1,000 because of our broken water pipe damage last year, and nobody seemed to want us even though the issue appears to be fixed. The car insurance had also gone up by $200, but we are insuring a more valuable car, so that was to be expected. As far as MyMedicare is concerned, I had registered 12 months ago, but with Wes's doctor, as mine was on maternity leave; and Wes couldn't get into the relevant site on MyGov, so took the plunge and rang them. He fluked a very helpful person, who told him to unlink Medicare and start again. That worked, and now we are both registered correctly with our own doctors!

Next morning, while Wes & Morse walked in light rain, I chatted to my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, where the temperatures are very warm, and then to my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, where rain is falling, much to everyone's delight. Then it was time for my appointment with the bone scan bus, where a very friendly young woman from Thomastown, put me at my ease, asked questions, and complained about the cold & wet in Daylesford. 

We had ordered bare-rooted roses from Spring Park Nursery earlier this year, including an extra Golden Beauty to give Glen, as she has admired ours so much. Chris delivered them on Sunday, and Wes planted ours out the front in the strawberry patch. He had hoped to do more gardening, but the rain came down, so he had to be content with doing that much. 

We look forward to seeing our new bushes looking like this in Spring 

On Wednesday, Wes took Snoopy to Ballarat Mazda for his 1,000km service and learned a few more tricks with this lovely car. I got to walk to Mah Jong for a change & as the rain had stopped it was quite enjoyable, although I was feeling sad as it was the first Anniversary of Dot Smith's death, and I do miss her after playing Mah Jong with her most Wednesdays over 24 years. Judi & I had a good morning - we both played our favourite games & didn't try anything new. Wes arrived home just as I did and he had plenty of supplies - spirits, oysters, fish & new clothes - a very successful visit to Ballarat.

We continued our busy week on Thursday after giving Morse a really good walk at the cemetery. Wes had agreed to be part of a Heart Check Up Study at Springs Medical, which took the best part of two hours, while I had a lovely Zoom with Kathy, Karen S & Joyce, mainly catching up with Karen & Malcolm's recent cruise and visit to Greece. Then I got a lesson in using some of Snoopy's tricks, before Wes had a coffee at Blake's with Bob White, who has lost two very good friends this week. 

Bob & Wes at the Pig & Whistle Hotel earlier this year

Wes arrived back home with yummy bread & an ash brie to accompany the cauliflower soup I had made while he was away - not quite the standard of the previous night's meal of oysters, following by Atlantic salmon & steamed long beans.

Meanwhile, Jody, from Ballarat Mazda, rang offering to quote on our car insurance as she is an agent for Suncorp. We were delighted when her identical policy was much cheaper than our current cover, and even more thrilled when we got a Home & Contents quote with Suncorp, that was much closer to what we had paid last year. It's good to have our insurances sorted, and to have saved $1,500 on renewal by shopping around reputable companies. 

Unsurprisingly, I found myself spending Friday in bed, after what has been busier than usual for me. It was exactly the right thing to do & Wes very kindly served drinks & meals, while I read, did crosswords & logic problems and rested. I woke yesterday feeling much better and ready to tackle all the emails that had built up while I was offline. 

We had different fortunes with our footy teams - Carlton were jumped by North Melbourne, and looked very ordinary for three quarters before they slammed on 5 goals, 5 behinds to nothing, but it wasn't enough to beat the Kangaroos. We had lit the fire as it was a very cold day, and I stayed there watching the next game, where Port Adelaide were expected to beat Sydney and didn't, before retreating to bed to see if Collingwood could hold off St Kilda. It was a very even game until the last quarter when the Pies were finally able to get a break on the Saints, who had played out of their skins, but couldn't finish us off. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 15th June 2025

 
Poor Charlie Brown!

We started our week with a wet visit to the Daylesford Market, where we were the second car parked at the entrance to Yvonne's stall. Everyone was thrilled with the rain, but not so happy about their chances of selling all their produce. Morse was given two pears and was beside himself with delight. On our way home, we stopped at Baker's Delight to collect scrolls, which we enjoyed after Wes had reset the fire and I'd put away all our purchases.

We enjoyed listening to Day 2 of the ABC Classic 100 Piano, and ended up with most of our selections being part of it, although neither of us voted for the number 1 - Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. Along with quite a few other listeners, we were watching the footy with the sound down so we could keep up with the latest piece of music. That night, Carlton & Essendon played a game that looked like being one-sided at half-time, but turned into an exciting contest at the end with the Bombers coming back from 38 points down to lose by 8 points in front of 74,000+ on a cold, wet night at the MCG. 

I had planned to go to the footy on Monday, for the annual King's Birthday clash with Melbourne, with Big Freeze 11 (the fund-raiser to fight MND) the pre-game highlight. However, it was so cold, and I was still not 100%, so decided it would be best to stay home & watch in comfort with my boys. I did miss out on a most exciting match that the Pies won by 1 point. The Dees threw everything at us and were unlucky not to be able to win after getting ahead in the last quarter.

Tuesday arrived without any rain, which meant Wes & Morse could have a long walk in the cemetery - it was still too cold for me to venture out, and we then tackled packing for Barwon Heads where the temperatures were expected to be at least 5℃ higher than here. We had an easy drive and arrived there in plenty of time to collect bread & vanilla slices before settling into our holiday home on Golf Links Drive.

Wes admiring the full moon & pink sky while keeping an eye out for Morse

Late in the afternoon, so we took Morse for a beach walk, which went well until other dogs arrived! We managed to escape without too much difficulty and came home to poached salmon & vegetables, with a lovely bottle of Wangolina shiraz.

We took Morse back to the beach early on Wednesday morning, where the tide was out and we were the only ones around. There was a sign warning us about horses, but none turned up. Back home to eggs on toast & The Age newspaper.

Morse reluctantly posing on the sand with Wes early in the morning

We had a very relaxed day and I went for a walk around lunchtime, remembering places from when we used to visit Barwon Heads frequently, courtesy of Libby's kind parents, Doug & Bell, who allowed her friends to use their holiday house. We were very grateful and headed to 25 Margate Street to see if their house was still there, and it was - looking much the same as it did in the 70s. 

These delightful painted bollards are dotted around the streets making everyone smile!

We lasted until lunch on Day 1, at the ICC World Championship Test at Lord's - Australia was in trouble, but rallied to make 212, with Beau Webster the top scorer on 72. Then we had South Africa 4/43, which was a big relief. It's obviously a bowler's pitch!

On Thursday morning, we took Morse back to 13th Beach, and he got braver in the water - skipping along the edge of the waves and chasing birds. He was really loving the beach, but missing the routines of home, especially at night. There is no dog door, so we were leaving a sliding door open for him, but we suspect he didn't dare go out in case he couldn't get back in again. We eventually worked out how to turn up the sound on the TV set and enjoyed watching an episode of The Unforgotten, while we ate Coffin Bay oysters & prawns with a bottle of Wangolina Fiano for our Anniversary dinner. South Africa rallied in the cricket, then collapsed all out 138. The bowlers took over in our second innings as well & we were 8/144 at stumps. Meanwhile the Doggies made mincemeat of the Saints in a disappointing clash for St Kilda supporters.

We took Morse extra early for a long walk on 13th Beach on our last morning. There was no-one around as the temperature was -2℃. We all enjoyed our hassle-free time together and made the decision we would come home after breakfast. Our AirBnB house was fine, but we found it cold and thought we would rather shower in our own bathrooms where we would be warm. We arrived back just after 10am, and while Wes washed Snoopy, I got the first load of washing on, unpacked everything else and waited my turn for a shower.

This full moon was still shining brightly as we left the beach

Our decision to come straight home was a good one, and we realised that with all the chores done, we could visit Leanne yesterday, a much overdue visit. South Africa got on top of Australia in the Test with a wonderful century by Markram and they needed only a short time last night to win. 

Our visit to Leanne went well - Wes planted a magnolia and sorted out some computer problems, while I helped with Kayo and mobile phone issues. We drove in heavy fog until Woodend, and it was still foggy & cold when we were coming home 5 hours later.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 8th June 2025

I'm sure he does!

We returned from our trip to the Daylesford Market last Sunday with one thing in mind - cleaning our bathrooms before we sat down to tea & toast. We have been doing these chores on a Monday, which is already busy, so tried moving to Sunday, and it worked well. Wes very kindly did both shower recesses and I looked after the flat surfaces in return. Although it had been cold & frosty for our walk, by the time we sat down, it was sunny and warm in the lounge and we took our time over the Sunday Age, listening to Martin Buzzacott on ABC Classic FM, as he played endless beautiful piano music to tempt those listeners who hadn't yet voted in the Classic 100 Piano. 

On Monday, after our walk & supermarket shopping, we headed to Cliffy's for breakfast to chat about our upcoming Dog Holiday to Barwon Heads. We leave on Tuesday morning and return on Friday afternoon, and are hoping to find a piece of Thirteenth Beach that we can let Morse run free. Wes enjoyed the porridge, while I went for poached eggs with tomato & greens. 

Later, while I had a massage with Sarah Hunt, Wes got the mower out & made a start on the grass. He also did some tidying up in the front yard & planted some Golden Oregano near our Golden Beauty roses. 

Tuesday was one of those days where the temperature doesn't vary much and it was too cold to do anything outside, so we both resorted to indoor jobs. I had my usual fringe trim a day early as we were off to Parliament House the next morning for a reception for ALP Life Members, which we were thrilled to have received invitations to attend.

As our friends, Karen & Malcolm have been in Malta recently, I thought I would revisit our photos from our unforgettable trip to that beautiful country in 2010 - from the top - cousin Leigh, Karen & Wes in Gozo; Greenpeace Warrior in the harbour, Wes & Karen in the fishing boat, and Wes with his catch

Sadly, we both woke the next morning with head colds & coughs, not COVID, but not worth infecting anyone else with, so had to forego our visit to Parliament and spent a very quiet day inside, with lots of hot drinks & panadol. 

Fortunately we both felt much better on Thursday and Wes was able to drive to Camberwell for lunch with the Jackson Group members who live in Victoria - Graham, Rod & Jim. I was pleased to have another quiet day at home, although Morse isn't too happy when Wes disappears and needs constant TLC & reassurance. 

The rest of the week has passed by very quietly - both our colds freshened up, and we spent Friday & yesterday with the open fire going all day as it was chilly & wet. The rain is so very welcome here in Victoria and we have our fingers crossed that it is getting to those farmers who are so desperate. We had to postpone our visit to Leanne, and hope to do it next Sunday.

We've been listening to ABC Classic where we voted in the Top 100 Piano - so far Wes is winning with 3 of his 10 picks in the music played yesterday, while I only have 1. It's been fun seeing what choices other friends made and shared on Facebook, as well as knowing that the whole of Australia is enjoying the Countdown at the same time. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 1st June 2025

 
More from the wonderful Peppermint Patty

After our visit to the Daylesford Market last Sunday, we came home to do a few more chores. We moved the bar fridge from under the house back into the study, which gives better access to cold water & milk; positioned some mats in the kitchen, study & at the bottom of the stairs, and put the chess table into the study where it is in sight & can be used as desired. Wes then spent a couple of hours in the back garden, making a start on pruning and cleaning up, while I watched the second half of the Collingwood vs North game that I had missed the night before.

We decided to look at our Executor Dossier for School on Monday, as there have been a few changes lately and it's an important document to keep up-to-date. It was sunny, but windy, so Wes spent time tidying up under the house, rather than in the garden. The wind was so strong that it blew down all the red & green bins waiting to be emptied the next morning. The second time I picked them up I moved them back to the retaining wall of #77, where they stayed put until Wes moved them out again on Tuesday early before the garbos drove up at 6.30am.

I missed walking with him & Morse on Tuesday, as they were able to manage without me, and I could catch up with my aunt, Jeff, in Torksey Lock, Lincolnshire. It was lovely to chat together and hear her news again after 6 weeks' break. Then I Zoomed with Leanne, who was suffering from a head cold that one of her NDIS visitors had given her, but she was keen to see Morse and chat with me, so we persevered.

Lovely recent photo of Jeff in her yard

While Wes pruned two rows of roses, I visited Juls in Hepburn, where it is usually a little warmer and less windy, for my regular manicure, as she had graciously changed all my Thursday appointments to Tuesdays without complaint.  

On Wednesday, Judi & I played Mah Jong, where the main topic was the cold wind! We each tried some interesting hands and went Mah Jong often enough to be happy with our form. Wes vacuumed & washed the floors while I was away, leaving the study clear so that Morse didn't have to be outside. 

We both had Zooms on Thursday morning - Wes was part of the Jackson Group discussing the topic "What is Truth?", while I chatted with Lib & Joyce about the incremental losses of independence we are all experiencing. The wind died down, so Wes could get into the garden, and I did some cooking! 

That afternoon, Wes saw his GP - Dr James - who was pleased with how he was going and asked him to be part of a heart check up study next month, to which he agreed. On his way home, he bought a baguette and aged cashew cheese at Blakes, to accompany the pumpkin & coconut soup I had made. This meal was a big success, so I've been enlisted to make another soup this coming Thursday.

These beautiful Asiatic lilies were a thank you from Wes for the past 6 weeks & are much appreciated

On Friday morning, it was frosty at Daylesford Cemetery, but there was no wind for a change, so we were most appreciative. Afterwards I Zoomed with Leanne and then headed to Springs Medical Centre for my quarterly podiatry appointment with Peter. When he hadn't arrived by 9.30am, I questioned whether he was coming, and all the indications were positive. He was another 5 minutes and very apologetic. He had forgotten he was meant to deliver the dog to Doggie Day-care, which wasn't on the way to Daylesford from his home in Castlemaine, and hadn't allowed enough time. 

That night, after fish & chips, we settled down for the Collingwood vs Hawthorn match at the MCG, which attracted over 83,000. I was very nervous as the Hawks had completely smashed us when we last played, winning by 11 goals, and they looked determined as they ran out. Happily for Pies fans, we looked the better team most of the game and were able to win.

It was such a late night we cancelled our early morning walk, and slept in until 7am, which Morse was quite happy with. He had breakfast and then a long overdue bath and settled down in the sun with a bone as his reward. Carlton had a bye this weekend, so we have been able to watch the rest of the footy without stress.