Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 11th October, 2026

This week started very quietly. Wes & Morse walked, did the Market shopping and brought it home for me to put away. That was enough activity for me and I went back to bed to cough & splutter & blow my nose, hoping it would soon be over. That afternoon, the Collingwood AFLW team was beaten by 21 points by Melbourne, one of the best teams. There is light at the end of the tunnel for us. Meanwhile, the Carlton women are playing out of their skins and beat Hawthorn in appalling conditions at Princes Park. 

On Monday I cancelled or postponed everything for the next three days in the hope that I would start to improve once the antibiotics, which have caused this, finished. My doctor, James, thought this was the best way to flush out the lung cavities, a condition called  bronchiectasis if I understood him correctly. It was a lovely day, and Wes was able to potter around in the back garden. Now that Glen's pine has gone and there is so much more light, he is finding it easier to clear ivy from the metal fence we share.

Beautiful red camellia & tree fern under the decking

The birds haven't given up on me. Both the magpies & the King parrots come frequently to the sliding door leading to the decking, and sing or whistle to me to give them cashews, which they love. Some birds are slow and some are shy when I strew the lawn with oats, seeds & nuts, so I am very sympathetic to them. 

Later in the week, Wes took me shopping at Coles supermarket, at Baker's Delight, and then at Tonna's, so we are up to date with all our food needs. I had cancelled my Thursday WhatsApp chats as I still couldn't speak without coughing, but decided to try and chat with Leanne on Friday, as it was a fortnight since we had spoken. When we did catch up, I was pleased to discover that her support worker, Bec, had changed her holiday dates & Leanne had been seeing her regularly.

Four of the six King Parrots who regularly appear to eat cashews on our decking

Telstra Boy doing the same after the parrots have finished

On Thursday morning, Wes drove to Bendigo to visit our friend, Cliff Talbot. It was a perfect day for a drive and everywhere would have looked beautiful with all the Spring blooms out. Our camellias are still flowering, the lavender & lilacs are looking & smelling lovely, and we still have the roses to come. Wes arrived home very happy with his visit. He & Cliff had enjoyed a very good chat, and he had dropped in on John Hungerford in Campbells Creek on the way home, only to discover John had left for Queensland that day.

Meanwhile, there is progress at #80, where James & Yoko's carport is finally underway. The concreters arrived at 7am and worked hard until early afternoon. The next step is Powercor, after a couple of weeks, to put the electricity underground, and by October, there should be a carport. 

On Friday, there was cricket to watch - first the women playing an ODI against Bangladesh (their first visit to Australia) at Allan Border Oval in Brisbane. Our team played well, bowling the visitors out for 166 & matching the target in their 25th over. Then the men were playing their first Test against South Africa in Durban, where the South Africans bowled very well and had us 6/187 at stumps.

Yesterday I popped into Daylesford Library to collect a book and discovered there were at least a dozen cars in our little street. It was not easy to get in or out - more like a Christmas or Easter crowd than a weekend in October. Our AFLW team played against St Kilda, in a game that celebrated our first 100-gamer, Sabrina Frederick. Her father flew over from the UK to watch her live for the very first time. Sadly, we lost by 2 points in a close, thrilling game, but the Saints won their first match, which was their last under their popular coach, Nick dal Santo.

Wendy Owen contacted us to let us know that her husband, Roberto, had died. He had inoperable brain cancer & had been in palliative care for some time. We are very sorry for Wendy - Roberto was the love of her life, and they spent about 20 years together, the last 10 here in Victoria where they were married in 2016 at Point Lonsdale. 

Last night, Matt Renshaw played the game of his life to score 190 & give Australia a good chance in the first Test. Our score of 390 was much better than we could have expected on Day 1, and South Africa is 1/27 at stumps. Can't wait for tonight's play to see how our bowlers go. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 4th October 2026

Joe overusing metaphors 🤣🤣

Last Sunday, I walked to Flinders Street Station from my hotel, immediately caught a train to Southern Cross and was able to board to 9am Bendigo train, which delivered me an hour or so later to Woodend, where Wes & Morse were waiting for me. Morse was very relieved to see me, and Wes confessed that he hadn't created breakfasts the way Morse prefers them, but thought he had gotten dinners right!

We arrived back to a busy Daylesford, with hundreds of cars parked around the Sunday Market. I unpacked, then had a late breakfast of tea & toast, before sitting down with the weekend papers & the GF replay. In the afternoon, the Collingwood AFLW won their first game of the season, with an exciting come from behind win at Victoria Park over GWS.

On Monday, we were back to normal - both of us walked Morse, then we pumped mineral water at Leitches Creek, before Wes & Morse put out the bins for the street, and I headed to Coles for the weekly shop, returning with an apple scroll for me and a coffee scroll for Wes. After breakfast, I went back out to get some stuff at Tonna's and delivered foil packaging to Bloom's the Chemist. 

Meanwhile, Wes grabbed an empty green bin, and filled it with weeds & clippings from the front garden. We are very lucky - there are still some daffodils flowering, as well as hyacinths, and our daphne hasn't died off yet. We're enjoying being able to see into Glen's beautiful garden at the back, especially her weeping cherry, which is in blossom. Morse is delighted with the added exposure and will no doubt let everyone know if there is anyone in her back yard. 

And then everything changed! I woke at 2.30am on Tuesday feeling very unwell, and have been in bed ever since. I suspect the intensive antiobiotics have been to blame, as I have symptoms of bronchial asthma with lots of coughing, nose-blowing & phlegm to cope with. We're hopeful that after the course finishes tomorrow, I might go back to normal.

Wes has been wonderful, as usual. I get up with him each morning, get Morse's breakfast ready & feed the birds. Meanwhile he was been walking Morse, looking after me, and keeping the house clean & tidy. I've not been very hungry - vegemite toast in the mornings & steamed fish at night with a vegetable or two. We've had lots of good rain, which now seems to have finished for a while, and the garden is looking much better for it.

Obviously I have cancelled everything I had planned this week, including chats, Mah Jong & attending David Reilly's 80th yesterday afternoon. Wes went along & enjoyed catching up with lots of friends, some of whom no longer live here in Daylesford, but travelled some distance to be there. He's also chatted with Terry Larkins, and Barbara Simpson, and participated in a Jackson Group session devoted to the three members who have died recently. As well, he participated in the Family Tree Maker User Group, where he often picks up good hints & help.

I found voting for the Best 100 Australian Books last month made me nostalgic for books I had enjoyed many years ago, but not read recently. I have made a start by devouring "A Horseman Riding By" the wonderful trilogy by R F Delderfield about a Devonshire farming community; followed up by "God is an Englishman". I then read "All The Rivers Run" by Nancy Cato, based on the story of the first female riverboat captain in the 1900s. Now I'm crying my way through "My Fortunate Life" by A B Facey, which traces his very tough beginnings & gives an insight into the way children were thought of & treated in the late 1800s-early 1900s. 

Daylesford Grand Final Dispatch - Sunday, 27th September 2026

 
Still relevant 30 years later!

We found last Sunday too hot for comfort, with the temperature reaching 25℃ in the afternoon. We had to use our air-conditioners for the first time in months, and were very relieved when Monday had a top of 11℃, although the wind was icy. We set off for our usual walk and just as we turned out of Duke Street, the rain started. We kept driving and it kept getting heavier, so we gave Morse a trip around Daylesford and brought him back here for breakfast. He helped Wes put out the bins, and got a bit of a run around the street instead.

I had lots of food shopping to do, as well as pharmacy items, library books to return & collect, and Turkish sea-salt sour dough bread to buy when it was cool enough to be sliced. I had ordered a 4.5mm circular needle to knit the yoke of a Fair Isle jumper that Jane Knox had started and wasn't able to finish. She posted the back, front & a sleeve to me and I had knitted the second sleeve and joined the raglan edges. I had plenty of circular needles, but not one long enough to cope with 240 stitches. Of course, 4.5mm is the most popular size and I had to order it from interstate, which meant it took about 10 days to arrive. 

Meanwhile, Wes needed a new whipper-snipper and went to the local Stihl premises to get some advice. He was successful in getting the advice, but decided $500+ was too much to pay, and found a similar article online for $390. It should arrive in a couple of weeks.

We were shocked to read of the death of another Daylesford friend - Brian Smith. He went into hospital for treatment and didn't come out. We have spent some happy times in the past with Brian and his wife, Liz, and were very sorry he has died. He was a lovely man and will be missed.

Great photo of Brian

On Tuesday, after chats with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, and my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, I visited Springs Medical to catch up with our GP, Dr James, and find out what the report from the specialist said after my spirometry test. We were both annoyed to discover that no report had been sent in the month since I was tested. James prescribed another course of antibiotics to clear up the bronchial issues, and was on the phone to Manse Medical as I left his room. 

We were able to walk Morse again on Wednesday morning before I visited Muffins & More to play Mah Jong with Judi. We had a fun time, with honours even at the end. I managed to play a hand I had never tried before - Robin - it is in the book, but without a picture to guide you, and I was quite pleased to master it. 

Meanwhile, Mick, the air-conditioner specialist, visited us to see if he could work out what was causing water to drip from the unit. He tried a couple of things, but no water has been dripping - isn't it always the way! We'll wait until it gets hot and we need to use the unit for a few hours and see what happens.

I cancelled both my usual chats on Thursday morning, as I was still coughing (caused no doubt by the sputum test I did on Tuesday). At 9am I joined other hopeful MCC members in the online queue to purchase reserved seats that had been returned. There were 2,000 ahead of me, and I didn't hold out much hope. However, I was lucky enough to snare a seat in the front row on Level 4, which means I didn't have to queue yesterday morning in the hope of getting a seat.

Morse wondering where I am!

On Friday, after a walk & a chat with Leanne, I packed for my two nights in Melbourne, and was driven by Wes & Morse to Ballan to catch the train. It wasn't packed and I had a most enjoyable trip, which culminated in checking in to Citadines on Bourke, an apartment hotel, which I have been using in the past on Grand Final weekend, as The Windsor is too expensive. The staff are friendly, and the room is clean & well-equipped. It's a slightly longer walk to the ground, which is fine.

Around 5.30pm, I went to Red Emperor in Little Bourke Street, for a very early dinner. I was greeted warmly, given a good table, and enjoyed steamed dumplings, followed by salt & pepper squid with rice, accompanied by a glass of Sangiovese. The couple at the next table had come from Torquay to go to the game, so we chatted while we were eating. 

Beautifully presented yummy meal

Yesterday morning, I met Kathy & Gerard Lazzaro at Dame, in Collins Place, for a yummy breakfast. We enjoyed a good catch up in spite of the rain, and had an excellent view of all the Freo & Brisbane supporters wandering around Melbourne before heading to the ground. 

Meanwhile, back in Daylesford, Wes walked Morse, got some Grand Final provisions and settled in at home to watch the game. He's had a busy week - WhatsApp, Zoom & phone chats with Barbara, Helen & Denise & messages to Wendy, as well as lots of Ancestry work. He's also given the backyard a good haircut, and filled a couple of green bins with weeds & clippings. Our neighbour, Glen, had a large pine tree cut down this week, and we've all got an improved view with extra light since it went. Her garden will appreciate some new natives in its place, and some of our roses & vegetable beds won't know themselves.

Thanks to Glen for this lovely photo of the first ducklings of the season

The Grand Final yesterday was incredible with lots of highlights in front of 100,023. With 4 minutes to go, Freo was ahead by 17 points, but were beaten by Brisbane, who slammed on 4 goals in that time to register an incredible 7 point win. The loss of their Captain, Alex Pearce, with a ruptured achilles didn't help & he will miss much of 2027 as he recovers. Brisbane has now won three premierships in a row, which is an amazing feat. I must confess I felt quite flat after the game, as I thought Freo deserved to win, but they let it slip.

Jubilant Lions players with their amazing coach on the left

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 20th September 2026

Poor Sally!

After our busy morning last Sunday, I was pleased to be able to finish refreshing the herb pots on the decking, and planted some curly-leafed parsley in a very accessible garden bed. While I was turning the soil in that bed, I found Morse's name & Council tags, which had gone missing a couple of years ago and had to be replaced. Now we've got spares in case that happens again.

We woke to misty rain on Monday - too wet to walk, but muggy. I did the supermarket shop, visited the pharmacy and got the welcome news we had reached our thresh-hold and prescriptions would be free from now until 31st December. I also delivered newspapers to Spring Park Nursery, which is still selling bare-rooted roses and needs the papers to wrap the roses, especially those going by post. There were still balloons & streamers around town and signs everywhere celebrating Daylesford's big win in the CHFL Grand Final. 

Our hellebores are flowering beautifully out the front - thanks to Judi for the baby plants she gave us some years ago

We had a fun walk on Tuesday - our current obsession is finding particular graves, and we stumble upon other, much more interesting ones during our search. Sometimes it is sad to see the number of friends and acquaintances who have been buried over the 28 years since we first started meeting those fascinating people who call Daylesford home. 

We were in no hurry to return to our house, as our dishwasher had ceased operating overnight, which meant a thorough clean of the filters, which I did, before Wes had to unscrew the hose pipe, where he found a small sliver of glass, which was the cause of the trouble. It must be a safety issue, but it is very frustrating. We were delighted when the dishwasher went through its cycle successfully again. Then I went to Hepburn for a manicure with old friend, Juls, and Wes cleaned the downstairs bathroom. 

On Wednesday we started our walk in light rain & wind, which steadily got heavier, and when we found a dead rabbit in our path, we decided it was time to go back, after taking care of him. Afterwards I had a haircut with Kirsty, bought some chilli plants from Jeff at Wombat Hill Nursery, and found my way to Muffins & More to play Mah Jong with Judi. We had our usual good morning, with me winning early before Judi caught up. Michael, the local parcel man, was there, along with a few other friends sheltering from the cold wind. 

That afternoon, Karen from Barclays came to fix the clothes dryer. The problem was a bearing, but there were also heaps of dog hair everywhere inside the machine, which she vacuumed out, before putting it back on the wall. She also tightened the screw that connected the dishwasher hose pipe and we sent her away with a box of chocolate biscuits we had been given - they were far too rich, even for a chocoholic like Wes!

We woke to a cool but sunny day on Thursday, walked Morse, and then Wes had an excellent Zoom session with the Jackson Group discussing family violence, something that has impacted most people at some stage in their lives. Meanwhile I was able to change our sheets & towels and dry them successfully in the dryer. Then I joined an Old Friends WhatsApp catch up, where we spent most of our time reminiscing, which was very enjoyable.

Old friends - Manny, Joyce, Kathy, Ged, Wes & Karen last year 

Then we drove to Springs Medical Centre for our 6-monthly COVID boosters. It is always such a pleasure to go there - the receptionists are friendly and helpful, and Dr Patrick, who gave us the OK to have the injections, came up with another breakfast spot for next time we are in Adelaide. Neither of us had any reaction and were able to do a few chores and enjoy a normal day.

There was frost on the ground on Friday morning, but it ushered in a beautiful day, hitting 17℃ in the afternoon. Morse had a bath after his walk, and then Wes got stuck into the backyard, mowing & tidying up, while I went into Vincent Street looking to replace my shoe horn, which had broken that morning. No luck - will have to find a footwear place when I am in Melbourne for the Grand Final next weekend. 

a section of the huge crowd

We watched a wonderful Preliminary Final that night, where Freo came back after being held by Sydney for three quarters. And last night, we saw an even better game, which Brisbane won in the dying seconds by 9 points in front of nearly 98,000 fans. 

Yesterday we drove to Strathmore for our monthly visit with Leanne. She was in good spirits and pleased to see us. She has been taking an interest in gardening again, specifically growing vegetables from seed, and has spinach galore, with carrots & zucchini on the way, and tomatoes waiting to be planted.

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 13th September 2026

 
Reality sinks in for Peppermint Patty

We had a great trip to the Market last Sunday - as it was Fathers' Day, there were quite a few extra stalls & everyone was set up early. I was able to get eggs & dog bones from Jeff, and Yvonne had everything ready for us as usual. Morse gobbled up his apple, and all the talk was about the success of the Daylesford Seniors in playing in the Grand Final yesterday. 

I had offered to make special fried rice for lunch - Wes wanted to learn how to do it, and I wanted to give him a day off cooking. It was a big success. In the afternoon the Carlton & Collingwood AFLW teams met at Princes Park, where the Blues recorded an easy victory. Wes was delighted and very happy to see the Maloney Cup on display with the navy blue ribbon in the ascendance. I was rather embarrassed by the state of this 90-year-old Cup and polished it up the next morning.

After & before!

Great photo of Wes & Morse taken by Ged Lazzaro 

Stunning photo of Lake Daylesford taken by Ged Lazzaro

We learned last week that another old Daylesford friend, Andrew Brownell, had died 4 years ago. We spent many happy times with Andrew and his partner, Teck, at their beautiful 1864 B&B Holyrood House, which is being fully renovated by the new owners. 

Before the renovations

We woke on Monday to light rain, so Morse & Wes headed off where they had lots to contend with at Daylesford Cemetery. A B-double had broken down and there were repair crews, and other utes, with dogs, parked outside the fence. Fortunately Morse was able to have a good run and polished off his breakfast on his return. Meanwhile, I had been watched by three beautiful King Parrots as I worked in the kitchen, and rewarded them with cashews, which they love.

Our clothes dryer decided to make a worrying squeaky noise, so I turned it off and dried everything in the laundry cupboard, which as a heating duct in it, and racks to hang things. We had a look at the dryer later in the morning, cleaned the filter, lifted it up and back into position, and were pleased to discover the squeak had disappeared. Sadly that didn't last & we are waiting for Karen from Barclays in Ballarat to come on Wednesday & replace a bearing.

Latest items to be donated to the Salvos

It was a busy morning on Tuesday - Wes & Morse walked very early, and I had three catch up chats. The first was with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, and I was delighted to see her looking well and happy in bright yellow. Next was my sister, Leanne, who was also looking good, and hoping to have a coffee in the sun with her support worker, Bec. Finally I caught up with friend, Jan, in Maleny, and we shared our news, which mostly consisted of health issues!

While Wes cleaned my bathroom - washed down walls, scrubbed tiles and polished mirrors, I got cracking with planting punnets of parsley and spinach, and purple bean seeds. I also prepared a tub to take chilis when we can get the seedlings. I feel as though I am on top of the herb pots, but still have about 6 on the decking to refresh. 

Floating pink camellias

Judi & I shared honours again on Wednesday at Muffins & More café, where we fitted in quite a few games of Mah Jong. The sun was shining, but the wind was cold, which kept a few people at home I'm sure. Wes vacuumed the floors, but didn't wash them as it would take too long for them to dry. 

We had a big day on Thursday. I fitted in a quick WhatsApp chat with Terry Borg in Balwyn, before we drove to Wallington, near Geelong, which is 125kms away. We broke our journey at Ballan, where we dropped in 4 boxes of jars to Rob & Dene. Rob was home and we had time to admire their beautiful garden, which is looking very healthy & happy. 

We met our friend, Wendy Owen, at Van Loon's Nursery & Café, in Wallington. This is one of her favourite spots and we could easily see why. The nursery is huge, full of wonderful plants and staffed by very friendly people. We had brunch and chose well from their interesting menu. The food was yummy, service excellent, and best of all, we were provided with serrated-edged knives to cut through our toast! Wendy's husband, Roberto, is in care as she can no longer look after him at home, and she needed to spend time with old friends and talk through some of the many issues facing her daily. 

We spent 90 minutes there sitting outside in the sun, and are so pleased we made the trip. Fingers crossed we have helped her navigate some difficulties, and given her confidence to proceed.

Needless to say we were quite tired when we arrived back here and spent some quiet time with Morse, who had been sleeping while we were away. 

More daffs & erlicheer at the front door

On Friday we woke to a cool morning, which quickly turned into the best day we've enjoyed in ages, reaching 19℃ in the afternoon. Morse spotted a bunny at the Cemetery and they chased each other very happily. Then I had a Zoom with Leanne, who had enjoyed a good week with her various NDIS supporters, before heading to Pete the podiatrist for my bi-monthly appointment. I came home with a library book, punnets of parsley & coriander, and a new pair of winter weight trousers as I was down to one pair!

In Melbourne, 100,021 packed the MCG to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams, the first time a regular NFL game has been played here. We didn't watch the game, but were pleased that the 49ers, who arrived 8 days before the match and were guests at the MCG the previous Friday, won easily. The Rams arrived less than 48 hours before the start & looked as jet-lagged as they no doubt felt.

 

Yesterday was another beautiful day after a cool start. We woke to discover Fremantle had defeated Geelong by 14 points in a very high quality game in Perth. This means they progress to a Preliminary Final against Sydney at the SCG on Friday night. Wes & I both worked in the garden, which is looking lovely with all the colour and perfume of bulbs in every nook and cranny. 

The afternoon was spent watching AFLW matches and keeping an eye on the scores at the Central Highland Football League Grand Final, where Daylesford won easily over Dunnstown by 47 points. We were so thrilled for the team which included 6 players who had moved up from the Under 18s this year - one of them is Matt Hunt, son of Sarah, and grandson of Glen. 

Daylesford Spring Dispatch - Sunday, 6th September 2026

 
Love Peppermint Patty's optimism

Last Sunday was a beautiful sunny one and we enjoyed our walk around Daylesford cemetery before heading to the Market & getting our weekly supply of fruit & vegetables for us & Morse. We were both tired, of course, after two late nights in a row, so took it easy, before Wes headed out into the garden, which is a delight at the moment with all the daffs, tête-à-têtes, jonquils & hyacinths in bloom. 

The next morning was another lovely one. After the walk, I went to Coles for the supermarket shop, and, after breakfast, went back into Vincent Street for further chores. Meanwhile, Wes mowed the embankment at the end of our street - a job that is shared by him, James@#80, and Dan@#77. I picked more daphne, hellebores and daffs and noticed that our tête bouclé bulbs were now flowering.

Me admiring some of the many daffodils in our back garden

ABC Radio National is holding a best 100 Australian books competition and I found it very hard to narrow my choices down to 10. I reluctantly omitted some earlier classics to include more modern ones, and will be very interested to find out the results in October. These are my choices in no particular order:

• A Fortunate Life (1981) - A.B. Facey
• I Can Jump Puddles (1955) - Alan Marshall
• My Brother Jack (1964) - George Johnston
• The Rosie Project (2013) - Graeme Simsion
• The Season (2024) - Helen Garner
• The Getting of Wisdom (1910) - Henry Handel Richardson
• Picnic at Hanging Rock (1967) - Joan Lindsay
• A Town Like Alice (1950) - Nevil Shute
• The Dictionary of Lost Words (2020) - Pip Williams
• Shadowboxing (2006) - Tony Birch

On Tuesday, Morse chased two bunnies on our walk, and was delighted with seeing them both. Afterwards I had a long overdue Zoom with Leanne, who filled me in on her past 10 days, which had been busy. Her support worker, Bec, is an excellent companion and they enjoy each other's company for two hours, three times a fortnight. 

Lovely shades of pink, lilac & purple hyacinths

Then Wes & I drove through the worst potholes in the Shire to Trentham Golf Course, where we used to be members and played regularly. Wes tells me it is at least 10 years since we played there, and we thought we would head to the practice green and try hitting a few balls. We were both delighted to discover we could and that matters of direction could be sorted out! I even had a few practice putts, before we agreed that golf could be on the agenda again. Then came the hard part - we'd brought Wes's bag & buggy and when we got to the car, realised we had no idea how to collapse it back again. It took 10 minutes before we finally worked it out. Fortunately, no-one was around to witness our humiliation, although they could perhaps have solved the problem easily for us!

On Wednesday, after our walk, I went to Muffins & More for Mah Jong with Judi. We had a lot to catch up on, so chatted before playing quite a few games. I was the early winner, but Judi matched me at the finish. Meanwhile, Wes did a lovely job of vacuuming & washing floors, and the sunshine helped them dry quickly.

We managed a walk before the rain on Thursday, and Wes had an interesting Zoom chat with the Jackson Group, where they covered a few topics. Meanwhile I hosted the Old Friends WhatsApp catch up, as Kathy had an appointment with her eye specialist, who was very pleased with her progress. She has had the most amazing experience getting her cataracts done, and is enjoying life without glasses. 

Morse in one of those contortions that dogs seem to enjoy 🤣

Among the morning's chores I visited Wombat Hill Nursery, and picked up some punnets of herbs as the heavy Winter rains have done damage to some of our existing pots, which need TLC. I ran out of energy to do anything that day, but will refresh the pots & plant when I can.  

It was frosty on Friday morning when we walked with Morse, but turned into a cool, sunny day. I chatted with Leanne again and we solved some issues, before I did a few chores in Vincent Street, and returned to find Wes cleaning our ceiling & exhaust fans. It's amazing the amount of stuff that collects in exhaust fans!

That night Carlton played Geelong in an Elimination Final in front of nearly 97,000. They started the game well, but were eventually overrun by the more experienced Cats. Wes was philosophical - he knows they wouldn't have progressed any further, and is grateful for an exciting second half to their season.

Geelong's amazing Captain, 36 year old Patrick Dangerfield kicked 5 goals in a stunning performance

We allowed ourselves a sleep in yesterday morning, and set the alarm for 7am. It rained all night and we couldn't walk Morse. He was perfectly happy to stay in bed after the late night watching the footy. We had planned to go out for lunch, but the rain and strong winds made staying at home very attractive and we enjoyed reading the Saturday Age before watching the remaining two AFL Finals of the weekend. 

Sydney unexpectedly trounced Brisbane at the SCG on a hot, wet day, and later, Adelaide were too good for the Western Bulldogs in an exciting match as Adelaide Oval. As well, our Daylesford Doggies won a hard-fought Preliminary Final against Bungaree to progress into next Saturday's Grand Final. Wes served steamed prawn & ginger dumplings with steamed broccolini for dinner, which was a most enjoyable meal, and we demolished some of his Father's Day chocolate honeycomb afterwards. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 30th August 2026

Poor Peppermint Patty - the world's against her

We enjoyed a very lazy Sunday - after the Market, Wes & I went to breakfast at Larder to celebrate both our teams being in the Wildcard round and living to fight another day. While there, we made plans for the AFL Gather Round, held in South Australia, which is on 8-11th April 2027. We're booked into Athelney Cottage in Hackney from 7th-13th April, and will make our way home via Portland, collecting Morse from Eureka Kennels on 15th April. Wes has booked him into a suite, and paid extra for daily walks. He found lovely accommodation in Portland for us and we look forward to enjoying water views. 

The rest of the day was taken up with watching the second Test against Bangladesh, which was played in Mackay. The previous day, the visitors had tumbled to be all out for 64. In reply we made 210 on the back of excellent innings by Cam Green & Nathan Lyon. Bangladesh struggled to make enough runs to force us to bat again and were all out for 95, with Mitch Starc taking 10 wickets for the match.

Morse enjoying the cricket!

Of course, there was footy as well - local footy plus AFLM & AFLW games with mixed results. I had been hoping that Essendon would have another win playing against Port Adelaide - they came close but couldn't quite finish it. Nearly 30,000 fans turned up to the dead rubber, which was wonderful support. Daylesford Seniors were beaten in their first Qualifying final, so play again this afternoon against Buninyong - fingers crossed. 

Stunning sunset photo taken by our neighbour, Glen

On Monday, I joined Wes & Morse for a delightfully dry walk around Daylesford Cemetery. I spotted a bunny as we walked in, but it soon disappeared and Morse had to go home without a good chase under his belt. I did the supermarket shopping and brought home feta & spinach Danish for breakfast, before heading back out to do a few local chores. Meanwhile, Wes gardened out the front before washing & vacuuming Snoopy.

The next morning we left early in pouring rain for my lung function test in Ballarat. The young woman testing me was very clear in her instructions and it was a much better experience than some years ago at the Ballarat Base Hospital. Wes was able to accompany me and was helpful with information that was needed. I did well in the test and the results are being forwarded to my GP, Dr James Smith, and we'll see what happens next, if anything!

Beautiful hellebores

After the appointment we went to the Ballarat shopping hub, where Wes bought up big on flake, Atlantic salmon, prawn & ginger dumplings & King prawns. The freezer is groaning with all this produce, which should keep us going until Christmas! Then we walked across the road to our favourite café, Wen & Ware, and enjoyed our usual hot drinks with cheese & tomato toasties. 

There was no Mah Jong this week as Judi was unavailable, but we were able to walk on Wednesday morning before I had a fringe cut at Daylesford Hair & Beauty with Kirsty. She is a lovely person and an excellent hairdresser and I feel very lucky to have found her. Wes did the vacuuming & washing of floors, so we were confined to the downstairs study for most of the morning while everywhere else dried. 

First daffodils

After the walk on Thursday, I had two chats - the first with Terry Borg, and her daughter, Laura, where we chatted about Laura's recent purchase of a unit for her & her two daughters. Then with Joyce, who was looking very well, and had plenty of news. 

We had booked lunch at the Pig & Whistle in Trentham East, where we were meeting Kathy & Gerard Lazzaro, who had stayed the night at Holgate Brewery in Woodend before moving to Daylesford for two nights. We enjoyed a lovely long lunch - good food & conversation, and excellent wines. 

Kathy, Ged & Wes enjoying the chat

We left Kathy & Ged alone on Friday and invited them for fish & chips and the footy - the first Wildcard match ever in the AFL. It was a beautiful day, and we both spent some time in the garden - Wes weeding & trimming, and me weeding & picking daphne, daffodils and hellebores.

That afternoon, we had an unexpected visit from the electrician, Colin Johns, who came to install our new oven. He comes from a long line of Johns, and had lots of wonderful stories to tell, while he removed our old oven, and did a few things to make sure the new one fitted and was working properly. We asked him to check our laundry ceiling fan which had stopped working. It had died, so he hopped into his van and re-appeared with a new one within minutes. Then we asked him to check a decking light, which turned out to have been disconnected by a possum. He reconnected it easily and finally, I showed him a small screw that had suddenly appeared on the sink that morning. He worked out where it had come from in the mixer tap and fixed that as well. What a star. He didn't want or need tea, coffee or water, and was very happy to pat Morse as often as he could. What a find!

Kathy & Ged arrived at 6pm bearing a beautiful sparkling red, chocolates for afters and three bags of wool for me. We enjoyed a good chat before Wes & Morse went to get the fish & chips. After dinner I went to bed, and Kathy joined me in the bedroom, sitting in the comfortable chair and watching the footy. 

It wasn't a particularly skilful game, but very close and exciting and decided by a kick after the siren, when Tim Membrey kicked a point instead of a goal and the Doggies won by 3 points in front of over 80,000. They had been the better team during the night and deserved to progress to an Elimination Final, while we looked spent and wouldn't have gone any further.

The Ecstasy & Agony at the end

We had a very quiet day yesterday after our busy couple of days socialising. We worked out how to use our new oven, and Wes successfully heated a pie & pastie for us for dinner before the footy started. Carlton were slow to hit their straps, but outscored the Demons by 9 goals to 3 after quarter time, and won by 19 points in front of nearly 92,000 at the MCG. What an amazing turn around this season for the Blues, who now face Geelong on Friday in an Elimination Final.

 

The Blues prevail over a disappointed Melbourne side

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 23rd August 2026

Not an auspicious start!

I spent last Sunday glued to the cricket - catching up on footy games & minis during the breaks. Cameron Green scored a gritty 104 to help Australia to a 56 run lead, which the Bangladeshis reached with the loss of 1 wicket. Such a stunning coup for that team. 

In the afternoon, Carlton & the Western Bulldogs played a nerve-wracking draw, which was a win/win, as both teams have now qualified for the Wildcard round being played between 7th & 10th on the ladder.

It was a lovely dry morning on Monday, so I joined the boys for the walk around Daylesford Cemetery before doing the weekly supermarket shop and bringing home Feta & Spinach Danish for breakfast. Then back into Vincent Street for the pharmacy and various other chores. Wes spent the time in the back garden, trimming & weeding. Everywhere is looking very colourful with camellias about to flower & daffodils opening their happy faces.

We celebrated 28 years since we bought Holly Cottage in Daylesford - a purchase that changed our lives as you know. We are so pleased it did - we've met so many interesting friends to add to the wonderful groups we had in Melbourne. And our quality of life has been excellent with cleaner air and excellent medical care. 

Beautiful sunrise over Lake Daylesford

Tuesday was dry, so after the walk, I Zoomed with my sister, Leanne, who was in good spirits, before driving to Hepburn for a manicure with our friend, Juls. When I came home, Wes had cleaned the main decking, including the windows, which was a big job. The sun was shining & everywhere dried nicely. 

Of course the rain came down in buckets on Wednesday. Judi drove through it from Ballarat to play Mah Jong, and there were very few of us in Muffins & More because of the weather. Wes vacuumed the floors, before going to Springs Medical for a follow up heart test - can't believe it is 12 months since his last one. Later he chatted with his sister, Denise, catching up on her news.

On Thursday it was still too wet underfoot to walk, but Morse was happy with his early breakfast, before Wes participated in a serious Jackson Group discussion of Iran & Ukraine. I caught up with Old Friends - Kathy & Karen - Joyce was helping her daughter, Jessica, take her 6 year old twins to see the school they will be attending next year. 

We are all shocked with the revelations that five Sydney Swans players had been out drinking until 2am after playing Essendon on Sunday night. The sexual assault complaint from one of the women they were with in one of their hotel rooms is very serious, as is the presence of cocaine. Sydney has reacted promptly in banning them for the rest of the season.

Wes & Morse braved the light rain on Friday morning and were rewarded with the sight of a bunny! Meanwhile I did a few chores and prepared for my next trip to Melbourne to see Collingwood play Brisbane at the MCG. I caught the Bendigo train at Woodend, and checked into The Windsor for a couple of hours rest before walking to the MCG. David Lazzaro & I met up for a lovely long chat in The Stumps Tavern before the game. This turned out to be the highlight of the night as the Lions were far too good for the Pies and won easily.

Colourful garden bed in the Fitzroy Gardens

Yesterday, Wes picked me up at Strathmore Station and we had a good visit with Leanne. She needed help with a few things, but we also shared news and amusing Morse stories, which is the way to her heart. We arrived back home in time to see Carlton have an unexpected huge win over ladder leaders, Freo, at the Docklands. This morning we discovered that the results of the night games mean Carlton will play Melbourne at the MCG, and Collingwood will play the Western Bulldogs, also at the MCG next weekend.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday 16th August 2026

 
Great intro!

Last Sunday stayed wet & foggy - we visited the Daylesford Market in pouring rain and spent up big with Yvonne & then with Jeff, the dog treat man - much to their delight, as it wasn't the sort of weather to attract visitors to our lovely Sunday market. 

We watched the footy - firstly the Gold Coast Suns had an unexpected 2 point win over Greater Western Sydney at Manuka Oval in Canberra, where the rain was falling too. Then Collingwood played West Coast over in Perth in perfect conditions, and were lucky to run out 19 point winners. Finally Carlton played St Kilda - it was a double header with the AFLW leading off, and the Blues were too good winning by 26 points. Then, after a moving tribute to Danny Frawley, and a plea to check on everyone's mental healthy, the Blues were able to record an easy win over a depleted St Kilda side to the tune of 44 points. 

The view from our lounge all day - wet & grey

We woke to more rain on Monday and the ground was very slushy and slippery with lots of puddles on the roads as well. Visibility was slightly better than the day before, but not ideal. I did my usual shopping chores before spending time with Wes discussing our replacement oven, which he ordered from the very helpful Paris at Daylesford Bi-Rite. 

Last week, while Wes was delving into Ancestry.com, he discovered that I have a forebear who was a famed Archbishop of Salisbury (Nicholas Longespee (1227-1297) . His mother, Ela of Salisbury (1187-1261) was Countess of Salisbury III in her own right and married William Longespee, the illegitimate but recognised son of Henry II. 

We didn't know about this heritage back in 1976 when we travelled around England in a Volkswagen with dear friend, Squiz Murray - here we are outside Salisbury Cathedral, rugged up as it is January & freezing

Salisbury Cathedral on a beautiful day

We've enjoyed another busy week of catching up with family & friends. Wes had chats with Barbara Simpson in New Zealand; old schoolfriend, Gerard Weston; our long-time friend, Helen Hanrahan; Shaun Standfield in Sydney, who we met many years ago when we were insurance brokers and have kept in touch; another schoolmate, Dave Carey; and finally, exchanged messages with another long-time friend, Wendy Owen, whose husband, Roberto, is very unwell.

Lovely photo of Shaun Standfield with Wes in 1996

Meanwhile, I caught up with my sister, Leanne; with my aunt, Jeff, in dry, parched Lincolnshire, and with Old Friends including Libby Edgoose & her daughter, Becky Turner. We hadn't chatted with Lib & Becky for some months and it was so good to see them again. They were both in good form and we enjoyed sharing stories. As well, Terry Borg & I updated each other on 4 weeks' activity as we had missed our usual fortnightly chat at the end of July.

I was finally contacted by Manse Medical, Ballarat, where I was referred to a respiratory specialist, and have an appointment on 25th August for a lung function test. I'll then need a spirometry test and finally hope to see the specialist to find out what can be done to manage the cavities in my lungs which are busily collecting germs and causing me to cough more than usual. 

Judi was unavailable for Mah Jong this week, so I had an appointment for a facial with Emma Ford instead. It was months since I'd been able to do this, because of the coughing, and I was overdue for TLC with her. As usual, we had so much to talk about that the hour flew by. My skin is very grateful for the care and we both enjoyed the catch up.

Lovely photo of Emma in her glad rags

We had planned a quiet day on Thursday, which was a wet, grey day - perfect to watch Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, where it was warm enough for the summer game to be played in August. The Aussies have had a rude shock with the much improved Bangladesh Test Team, now coached by Phil Simmons of Trinidad. We were bowled out for 198, and by Friday night, we still hadn't taken all their wickets and they were looking good at 6/351. 

Our first daffodils - we also have a couple of tête-à-têtes

Yesterday was dry, and I  was finally able to join Wes & Morse for a walk around Daylesford Cemetery. No bunnies, but it was so good to be up & out early with no need for the phone torch. We spent the morning watching the cricket and the afternoon switching channels between cricket & footy. Australia was 4/161 at stumps, still trailing by 67 runs. Meanwhile the Collingwood AFLW team played their first match against Richmond, and with 10 changes to the team, not surprisingly fell short against a more accomplished side.

That night Collingwood & Hawthorn played their second draw for the year in a thrilling game in front of over 76,000 fans. It's the first time ever that two teams have played a draw twice in the same season, but it felt like a win to me, as I really thought our side wasn't experienced enough to withstand the Hawks onslaught. 

Dylan Moore being comforted by Billy Frampton after his kick failed to score and win the game