Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 1st November 2026

 
Charlie Brown's been listening to Snoopy!

Last Sunday was very wet - the perfect day to worry about Morse! He wouldn't eat or drink until late afternoon, when he sipped some water. We kept giving him the antibiotics & anti-nausea tablets, and he seemed very happy to go to sleep in his bed in the lounge, where he stayed overnight.

When we woke on Monday, having checked frequently that he was still breathing & comfortable, he seemed pleased to hear the alarm at 6.30am and wanted his harness put on. Wes took him to Daylesford Cemetery for a short walk, and then they put out the street's bins together. When Morse came inside, he finally had a good drink of water, and although he wasn't interested in his usual breakfast, tucked into some dry dog food that I always have on hand for emergencies. Such a relief! 

I went and did the shopping and various other chores, including posting Jane Knox's completed Fair Isle jumper, that I finished knitting before my arm was wounded. I had been able to sew it up on Sunday, and was pleased to get in the post back to her.

First roses of Spring - not a lot but the perfume is magical

Meanwhile, Wes received the sad news that one of his schoolfriends, Geoff Dillon, had died in palliative care on Saturday. Wes was glad to have been in touch with him via texts during the week before he died. That afternoon, he had a welcome catch up chat with old friend, Terry Larkins, and they discussed politics very broadly. 

On Tuesday, Morse was a little better, and Wes took him for another walk which he enjoyed. I had a Zoom chat with Leanne and let her know what had happened. Then it was time for my annual eye check up with Sarah Bibby at George & Matilda Eyecare in Vincent Street. I spent 40 minutes with her and was delighted to get a good report as my eyes had barely changed in the past 12 months. 

That night, when I went to sleep, it seemed that the South Africans were invincible in Cape Town, and I was relieved to discover the next morning that we had bowled them all out for 329. Starc took 6 wickets, which was wonderful. We are still amazed that Scott Boland was dropped for this Test after taking 5 wickets & scoring 40 runs as the night watchman in the second Test.

Morse was definitely better on Wednesday morning, and was happy to eat his usual breakfast food. He still slept for much of the day, but his eyes were brighter & he was more responsive. We had hoped to travel to Sandringham for Pam Mitchell's Celebration of Life, but, apart from not wanting to leave Morse for 6 hours+, I had to attend the Urgent Care section at Daylesford Hospital to have my wound inspected and dressing changed. Both the nurse and on duty doctor were pleased with the progress, and we go back again this morning for another inspection.

After chatting with Old Friends - Kathy & Karen S on Thursday morning, we were getting ready to drive to Ballarat when there was a knock on the door. Rob Griffin had arrived with a lovely bunch of baby gladioli for me - much to the delight of Morse, who wore himself out in excitement! 

We had a good run to the Ballarat Base Hospital, where we were guided to Grampians Health by a friendly volunteer, who used to teach at Hepburn Primary School. The receptionist was friendly and helpful, and Dr Gerardo saw us about 5 minutes after our appointment time. He was very focussed and explained as much as he could about bronchiectasis. He is referring me for chest physio at the hospital, ordered a blood test, and has put me on a waiting list to have a camera sent down to inspect my lungs more closely. We couldn't have been happier with the service offered.

When we arrived back home, we woke Morse up, as he had fallen asleep after exhausting himself with Rob. I went next door to visit Glen, who had also been in Ballarat that morning seeing a specialist and we swapped information. Meanwhile, Wes enjoyed  a good WhatsApp catch up with Maureen & Graeme Dean, who live in Hepburn. 

Morse that afternoon enjoying the sunshine & looking much more like his happy self

On Friday, after chatting with Leanne, I had a blood test at Springs Medical, and did a few more chores. Wes spent the morning in the garden, and enjoyed chatting with the lovely owners of #77 Duke Street. They have the house on AirBnB, but are very careful about who they let rent it, and we haven't had any problems at all with their short-term tenants. They keep the garden looking good & I'm sure the house is the same. They are grateful to us for putting out their bins, which is such an easy thing to do for someone else.

Yesterday, Wes & Morse fitted in a walk before the rain came down. We decided to go to Bad Habits café for brunch and were given the table for two in the quiet parlour, where Marija joined us for a catch up chat. Brunch was spectacular - we can't fault the meals or staff here and always feel very cared for when we visit. While we waited for our meals, we consulted the form guide for Derby Day and made our selections.

About to tuck into French toast & poached eggs with smoked salmon & mushrooms

A crowd of 88,000+ turned up at Flemington for Derby Day and there were some stunning black & white outfits as well as excellent racing. We had a few collects, but were down $30 on the day. The cricket was at an interesting stage when we turned out the lights. We had dismissed the Proteas for 387 in their second innings, which left us with a total of 288 to win on the final day. Sadly we collapsed to be all out for 111, with Nathan Lyon the top scorer on 33 not out. Congratulations to the Proteas.