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

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 9th August 2026

 
Love it!

We had a wonderful Sunday - after the boys walked, we went to the Daylesford Market, where Yvonne & Ken were ready for us & keen to talk. I stole some of Sue Longley's lemons on the way (with her permission of course) and we pumped water at Leitches Creek on the way back. I shared the lemons with neighbour, Glen, who was very happy to have booty delivered to her door. 

Then off to local café, Larder, for chilli scrambled eggs & hot drinks to celebrate Carlton's amazing win of the night before. As we left, a chap wearing a Geelong beanie stopped us to congratulate Wes on Carlton's performance, which was really astonishing - it's a while since they kicked 24 goals, let alone beat Brisbane that easily. 

Very happy Blue Boy

When we arrived home, there were magpies & currawongs waiting for me on the dog decking. One even flew up to the small window in the north wall of our lounge & eyeballed me until I went out with cashews for them all! It's lovely to be so popular.

Wes & Morse walked on Monday - it was dry, but very foggy, which didn't lift until mid-morning. I had a busy time - filled the car with petrol; did the Coles'  supermarket shopping & Baker's Delight. Came home to unpack & demolish our spinach & feta Danish, before heading back into town. First stop was Springs Medical to see if Peter the podiatrist had remembered to leave my new orthotics for me (no, he hadn't); then to the optician to make my annual check-up appointment; to Tonna's for Dutch Cream potatoes, tomatoes on the vine & parsley, and finally to That Bargain Shop to check if the litre glass bottles I had ordered had arrived (another no).

10 years ago this weekend - Leigh Murrin visiting Leanne Saundry

As soon as I came home, Wes went out to wash Snoopy, which was desperately in need of TLC after all the rain we'd had. Magpies were gathered on both deckings, protesting that they hadn't been fed, so I sorted them out, and then sat down with a pot of tea to catch up on The Age. 

No walk again on Tuesday with persistent rain - we both had chores - I wanted to complete the 2026 Census online, and Wes wanted to clean our oven. We did both these things before suddenly the glass door shattered. There are 4 panes of glass, which was quite a lot to clean up. Fortunately no-one was hurt, just shocked. I guess after 22 years, the oven was entitled to feel it had done its duty, but we weren't expecting it to need replacement ever!

Another wet morning on Wednesday turned into a sunny day. While Judi & I played Mah Jong, sharing the wins - Wes did the floors & no doubt found a few more slivers of glass that escaped the first vacuum in the kitchen. 

The next day was dry - at last - and my boys enjoyed a frosty stroll around Daylesford Cemetery. Pete the podiatrist sent me a message to say he had my refurbished orthotics at Springs Medical, so I drove there, had a catch up with Tania Bull, a passionate Collingwood supporter, and receptionist, before Peter was free to fit the new orthotics and take the other old pair away for refurbishment. I can really notice the difference and am walking much more comfortably. 

Beautiful daphne at the front door

Another dry morning on Friday and more sunshine, which we all appreciated. After the early walk, Wes donned his wellies and tackled the pond, which needed cleaning. The frogs don't seem to object - they go very quiet, but the croaking starts up again the minute he finishes the job. 

We've both been busy with catching up with various members of our family and friends - especially Wes. He spoke with Barbara in NZ twice; with Danny in Brisbane; with Denise here in Daylesford; unexpectedly with old school mate, Geoff Underwood in Port Douglas; with Paul Jackson in the UK, and Rod McDonald in Melbourne; with Maureen Dean in Hepburn Springs, and with the Jackson Group world-wide discussing terrorism issues and the concept of happiness. Meanwhile I chatted with my sister, Leanne, in Strathmore, Old Friends in Melbourne, and Jan Pengilley in Maleny. I also keep in touch with lots of other friends during the footy season, when we wish each other well for upcoming matches via WhatsApp or SMS.

Another memory from 2016 - Snoopy, Woodstock & Potter the Panda went to live with Greta & Harry

Yesterday was a red-letter day - Morse spotted his first bunny in weeks, and came home exhausted from the game of chasey. He needed a bath after all that excitement and spent the morning hogging the downstairs heater until he dried off. In the afternoon, Wes & I went to Victoria Park to barrack for the Daylesford Doggies against the Buninyong Bombers. We saw the last quarter of the Under 18s and all of the Reserves match, before squibbing it when the rain started and coming home. We're so pleased we did, as we caught the second half of a stunning match between Melbourne & Freo at the MCG, which saw the Dees pull off an upset win by 4 points. 

As well as being Respect Round, it was Ladies Day at the footy, so we were treated to bubbles and Campari spritz

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 2nd August 2026

 
This looks like a very young Snoopy - the more mature version wouldn't dream of catching bubbles & bringing them back to Rerun!

We had a wet trip to the Market last Sunday, but Yvonne had everything ready for us, and Morse wolfed down his cut up pear pieces. Jeff, the dog treat man, was around, so we got some eggs from him as well. Then back home to put everything away and have a quiet day.

On Monday, Wes & Morse were finally able to have a run around Daylesford Cemetery, much to their excitement. I did the early shopping trip to Coles and later to the pharmacy & PO. It stayed dry enough for Wes to spend a couple of hours in the front garden, filling our green bin with trimmed branches & leaves. In the afternoon he chatted with Barbara in New Zealand, and Helen in Lower Plenty.

Lovely photo of our friends, Pauline & Paul Jackson in Salisbury

It was too wet to walk on Tuesday morning, but I was able to have my fortnightly WhatsApp chat with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire. She was looking good, but not enjoying the heatwave that is currently causing so much damage in Europe. Then it was time for a Zoom catch up with Leanne, who always enjoys seeing me & Morse. We chatted about her week and my trip to the footy on Thursday.

We turned the alarm off on Wednesday morning & slept in until 7am - luxury! Even Morse stayed in bed as he had been out earlier and realised it was too wet for a walk. It fined up enough for Wes to do the floors, and for me to do a few chores before playing Mah Jong with Judi. I dropped some more beanies & a beret at Vinnies, where the manager was thrilled and thought they would be gone by day's end as it was so cold & windy. I love the term, Opportunity Shop, so much kinder than Charity Shop, and we have four of them here, all with their own niche in the market. 

At Muffins & More, we were approached by a local who is half-Chinese and said his mother wanted to play Mah Jong with her sister. He took a photo of the two books we use, and listened to our advice about buying a set with numbers on it, and getting the Men's Shed to make racks for the tiles. It was by far the most satisfying enquiry we have ever received and I hope he comes back & tells us how his mother & aunt are getting on. 

I headed back to Melbourne on Thursday for the big game - Collingwood vs Geelong. Wes & Morse drove me to Ballan Station, and everything went smoothly, including a the lovely experience of a young man offering to lift my suitcase up for me, and bringing it back down again at Southern Cross Station. I checked into The Hotel Windsor and was given what has become my usual room on the 4th floor. 

When I got to the MCG, Danny was there waiting for me outside the 50-year Member entrance, where there was no queue. We headed straight to the Hugh Trumble café, where we sat next to a couple from Warrnambool, who knew Danny's sister, Pat, who has lived there for many years. 

Danny & I in position before the game

Sadly, the Pies gave the Cats a huge 8-goal start and never really recovered, although we did get within 16 points, before Geelong kicked away and won by 25 points in front of 60,000+.

The next morning I woke when my 6am alarm went off - forgot to silence it before I went to bed, so had packed, breakfasted and checked out quite early. When I got to Southern Cross, I was in time to catch the 9.01 Bendigo train, which is a much prettier route. Wes & Morse were there to greet me at Woodend Station, where the sun was shining brightly for a change.

Yummy & beautiful quinoa porridge at the Windsor

We've been inundated with hungry birds lately - magpies, currawongs, rosellas & numerous pretty little birds. I've finally persuaded a couple of the more persistent magpies to take cashews from my hand, which is wonderful - but they keep coming back for more!

Yesterday we had a quiet day. It was -2℃ early, but Wes & Morse were able to walk, before we all settled down to tea & toast and Saturday's Age newspaper. And an unexpected visitor when I opened the sliding door to the decking! 

The afternoon was filled with footy matches, including the first Australia vs Ireland AFLW game, played at a sold-out North Sydney oval. The Aussies won well, which was appropriate as it is our game, and the game was played in great spirit, with an all female umpiring contingent, and commentary team on Foxtel. 

Last night Carlton staged an incredible win over the reigning Premiers, beating Brisbane by 76 points in a dominant display. They kicked 12 goals to 2 in the second half, including an unlikely goal from their young back pocket player, Harry Dean. Wes is absolutely delighted as you can imagine. 

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 26th July 2026

 

Belle's teenage son does resemble the Pink Panther!

Last Sunday, Wes & Morse picked me up at Ballan Station at 10.15am. I'd had the excitement of getting into the wrong train at Southern Cross - it was at the platform and said it was going to Wendouree, but a helpful couple walking past told me that the right train was way in the distance, beyond the covered platform, so I hot-footed it there and was very grateful to them. 

We had a quiet day - Wes had been so busy doing the walk & Daylesford Market on his own, and then driving to Ballan, and I was tired from my late night. I went to bed at lunchtime, which was a good move, and was very excited to see Essendon hang on for a three-point win against GWS, to record their second victory for the season. 

On Monday, I had the energy to join Wes & Morse on the early morning walk, which was done in thick fog at Daylesford Cemetery. Then off to Coles for the supermarket shopping, followed by Baker's Delight, where I bought feta & spinach Danish for breakfast. Later I went back into Vincent Street to see if I could replace our glass litre bottles, which are starting to break after 28 years of holding Leitches Creek mineral water. I found one, and there will be more in a fortnight. 

Our neighbour, Glen, sent us this stunning photo of sunrise in Portland, where she was staying - quite different from here, where there was no moon or stars let alone a sunrise

The weather was similar on Tuesday, but the fog lifted a little earlier, which enabled Wes to mow everywhere, and me to have a manicure with Juls in Hepburn Springs. No walk on Wednesday, but Wes did the floors, while Judi & I enjoyed quite a few games of Mah Jong at Muffins & More, where we had a few enquiries from visitors about the game. 

On Thursday morning, it was too wet to walk yet again, and snow was forecast. Wes enjoyed an excellent Jackson Group Zoom, and I led the Old Friends WhatsApp catch up. Karen S, Joyce & I were all thrilled to see Kathy, who was recovering from her first cataract op, but all envious when she told us she didn't need to go through 4 weeks of drops every 4 hours, as the specialist had inserted a pouch under her eye, which delivered the drops as needed. Wow! That is amazing. 

Wes then drove to Hawthorn East, where Graham Hubbard was hosting a lunch for the Victorian members of the Jackson Group. He took flowers for Graham & his wife, Judy, and gave me a beautiful bunch of Oriental lilies, which started to open when the sun shone briefly & unexpectedly.

Lunch went well and Wes enjoyed it very much, arriving back home just after 5pm. We debriefed about all the wonderful conversations & yummy meal before having fish & chips & preparing to watch Collingwood tackle Adelaide over there. After being down by 27 points in the second quarter, we found our mojo and won by 34 points in a skilful, entertaining match. I fell asleep at half-time, and had to watch the second half the next morning.

I had two appointments on Friday - one at Daylesford with Peter, my podiatrist. I had hoped he would have new orthotics for me, but they hadn't arrived. He promised to let me know when they were available at Springs Medical. After a short break, Wes drove me to see Dr James at Kyneton for a skin check and to discuss Trelegy, my latest asthma medication. The skin check went well with no worrying marks anywhere, and we agreed to ditch Trelegy and go back to the combination of Seretide & Spiriva Respimat. He also referred me to a respiratory specialist in Ballarat and I'm waiting for an appointment. 

We were very sad to read of Greg Sewell's death this week. He was an influential figure in Brunswick Rotary, and we spent many happy times with him, his wife, Glenyce, and son, Mark. He was 93, which is a good innings! Greg was well known as an  Essendon footballer, who played 171 games, before joining the committee and later becoming President of the Club. 

L-R Greg Sewell, Les Gordon, Ian Kift, Bill Sharpe & Peter Johnstone - Brunswick Rotary power-breakers!

Yesterday we drove to Strathmore early to visit Leanne. It was an excellent catch up and we chatted for about 90 minutes over hot drinks & apple log. We bought a spinach quiche from Gusto on our way home - they are always yummy, and handy to have in the freezer. We arrived back home in time for the Carlton vs Gold Coast game at the Docklands. This was an close game, with the lead changing often, and Wes was thrilled when the Blues were able to hold for a 13 point win.