Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 27th July 2014

 

Dear Everyone, I left you early last Sunday as Bilbo and I were setting out on our busy morning and Wes was about to drive to Melbourne to create mischief at the ALP Country delegates meeting. As all the delegates live in and around Ballarat, it seemed insane that they all had to drive to Melbourne, and when there was no Agenda, and when no-one was allowed to see previous Minutes of Meetings, I suspect Wes was in his element.

Meanwhile we had a lovely breakfast at The Food Gallery, although we did miss our usual waitress, Kerry, whose mother had died suddenly in Melbourne the previous Monday. I had invited Janine Hawker to join us and I think she will return – she really enjoyed listening to Gail’s stories about her Japanese cruise, and she and Gillie seemed to hit it off well also. We discussed the Daylesford Cinema and the range of films it is offering, and were well-fed and watered, although not with the same care and attention to detail that Kerry gives us. Toni & Pasquale, the owners, had thoughtfully put down scoria at the back entrance to the café, never considering for a second, just how difficult that would make it for Barbara in her wheelchair. We can only hope they have fixed it in time for this morning.

I had some energy when we arrived back home, so made a big quantity of minestrone soup and cleaned a few cupboards, as well as tidying up the parsley bed as the plants are finally going to seed. I planted flat leaf Italian parsley and it has been generously abundant for months. The rest of the day was spent sitting quietly watching the footy and knitting squares. Wes arrived home with some funny stories; we ate our soup and were in bed early.

We had hoped to play golf on Monday morning, but it was -1° and frosty, so decided that would be postponed yet again. Wes did some gardening, planting yet another lovely, fragrant, yellow rose from Ken Rae at Spring Park Nursery.

Gene Tierney rose

I took Bilbo for a mid-morning walk and we bumped into lots of friends and acquaintances, primarily Annie Smith with her golden retriever, Rosie. Bilbo was so excited to see her and they played happily together on their leads while Annie went to the butcher & I visited the chemist next door.

Lunch was a very exciting meal of baked fish with orange & rhubarb sauce. Amazingly, although it was just for the two of us, it took just about every pot, pan and implement we own to make. I’m not sure Wes is prepared to expend that much energy again, but he did make double the sauce, so we can have an easier version at a later date. During the afternoon we had an unexpected, but very welcome visit from Brian Nash, and settled down to a long chat mostly about footy and cricket!

Beautiful recent photo of our sister-in-law, Mary Saundry, with her grandchildren –

Michael, Chiara, Mikaela & Dante

Wes had another Asylum Seekers Forum working group here that night and there was much hilarity, which I discovered came from the home-brewed whisky that Peter Symons arrived with. Apparently Jameson’s has nothing to fear. Bilbo and I retreated to the bedroom to catch up on episodes of Lewis.

We woke on Tuesday to find it was -3° and very frosty. Wes and Bilbo walked early before it got too heavy and dangerous. Around 8am Wes tried gardening but had to retire defeated as he was too cold to feel his fingers. Once the frost had melted I took Bilbo for another walk into town, much to his delight. Sadly we didn’t see Annie & Rosie again, but we chatted to a few friends and did some chores along the way.

Wes has put in a lot of work on the computer and has a nearly empty in-tray (a very rare occurrence). So when the sun was shining brightly during the afternoon, he got out the mower and made everywhere look neat and tidy again. Meanwhile I relaxed and knitted more squares!

It was similar weather on Wednesday – very icy early and no Age to boot. While Sandra was cleaning, Bilbo & I had another walk into town, collecting mail from the PO Box etc. Then I met up with Trish Goullet at Gracenotes Café to catch up on all her news. Wes spent a few hours with Barbara as usual, gardening, helping her put things away up high and being the passenger when her car was taken for a run.

That afternoon Ann Holden suggested a catch-up, so I went back to Gracenotes Café with Bilbo in tow and enjoyed some time talking to her and hearing about what she has been doing since she retired from massaging us. Meanwhile Wes had a very busy afternoon – he had been threatened with expulsion from the ALP because of his vehement opposition to the imposition of Mary Anne Thomas as the ALP candidate for the State seat of Macedon. Wes doesn’t take these things lying down, so promptly sent a copy of this letter to all his trusted ALP allies and the emails and phone calls haven’t stopped.

I got back from seeing Ann to find him about to go out to see Candy Broad, former MLC, who retired in May this year. His next appointment was with Glenn Mack, who needed help with a matter they had both worked on some years ago, and finally he collected his sister, Denise Anderson, and took her to the Daylesford Hotel for a drink to remember their father, Ray, who died 13 years ago that day. Denise had never been into that hotel and enjoyed the experience.

Perc, Viva, Dot & Ray outside the Bullboar & Yabbie, Castlemaine, 1977

We had a big day on Thursday after waking early to watch the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony. I was worried when it started as it looked fairly amateurish, but once the night took over, the quality of the presentation improved enormously and it was a most enjoyable event. We were very taken with the UNICEF tie-up and duly donated, as would most others I suspect.

We set off in pouring rain to drive to Melbourne at 9.30, where our first stop was Poynton’s Nursery in Essendon, where we spent over an hour with Leanne, having a good chat and exchanging gifts. We had bought her some local honey and she had bones for Bilbo. Leanne had been invited by St Monica’s Church to attend a special Mass for recently bereaved families and she had attended that the night before and was very pleased she had. As we were leaving there we decided to buy a gardenia for Tom & Deb, who had invited us to lunch at their home in Carlton.

They had gone to a lot of trouble and had put themselves out of their comfort zone by each attempting a dish they hadn’t cooked before. Deb produced a very yummy seafood risotto with a colourful and equally enjoyable salad, while Tom was in charge of sweets. We did have a lovely relaxed time with them both and it was my first visit since they did major renovations, and my first meeting with their dogs, Mintie & Jaffa. We didn’t leave until after 4pm, which meant we caught a bit of traffic trying to get onto the freeway, but were home by 5.45pm and greeted by a very sleepy, tubby Bilbo, who had spent the day demolishing a large marrow bone, courtesy of Leanne.

Friday morning we were up again early – Wes and Bilbo walked in light rain, which steadily turned into heavy and Brigadoon and by 8.30am we couldn’t see past our back yard. I turned on the radio and TV to catch up on the Commonwealth Games and was thrilled to hear that Anna Meares had won a Gold Medal. We then watched the women swimmers break the World Record in the 4 x 100m relay, which was most exhilarating. Sadly the fog didn’t lift until the afternoon, and I couldn’t breathe, so I had to postpone a meeting with Rhonda and opt out of the U3A Flicks on Friday @ Barcaldine House.

Aged 3....not sure that dresses and I have ever been a good fit!

I lit the fire and spent a very relaxing day knitting, while the phone rang furiously for Wes. He had decided to take advice to apologise to Noah Carroll, Asst State Secretary of the ALP, who made the front page of The Age, where he was nominated as one of the people behind the leaking of a dictaphone recording of Ted Bailleu. His letter was brilliant and his fiercest supporters were thrilled with the latest developments.

Yesterday Wes was up early to walk Bilbo, clean out the fireplace and then just catch the 7.27am Ballan train to the State Library in Melbourne where he had enrolled in an all-day seminar on Ancestry. I did some early shopping as it was a much better day than Friday, then walked Bilbo up to Tonna’s to get muesli ingredients. I made a big batch of spicy pumpkin soup and baked a fruit cake before having a breather and listening to the Coodabeen Champions.

Our friend, Carol Bruce, had let us know that she had decided to sell her home and move to Ballarat to be closer to her two daughters, and her grand-daughter. The For Sale sign is now up, so I am allowed to share this news. We will miss her, but know it is the right decision and she is promising to return to Daylesford each Wednesday to play Mah Jong and catch up with her other friends.

Wes arrived home very happy with his experience and especially pleased that he didn’t have to turn around and provide a meal! We fell asleep at half-time in the big clash between Hawthorn & Sydney and missed the Hawks stunning 3^rd quarter which won them the game.

This morning it was too icy for a walk, so we watched the Commonwealth Games swimming before getting up to pursue our usual Sunday activities. Bilbo and I are heading out to the Sunday Market, and then we three will go to breakfast, before Wes heads off to the Glenlyon Food & Wine Fayre. I was hoping to get there, but I have very little energy today so will conserve it to help get the Pies across the line against the Crows later today!

1990 Cox Plate – a very memorable afternoon with Jan McClean, Wes, Danny Millman & Karen in the Silks Lounge, Moonee Valley

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 20th July 2014

Dear Everyone, after breakfast last Sunday, Wes and I drove to Dot & John Smith’s home in Western Avenue, to present John with the Fair Isle jumper I have been knitting him and finally finished. He was tickled pink and showed Wes the new dining-room table he has been making, while I spent time with Dot, who is recovering from a particularly nasty operation on her left foot. She is in a lot of pain and getting around in a wheelchair. It will be some time before she is able to play Mah Jong, even if we come to her home to play.

After some time at home, where everything had thawed out after 0° and frost, we set off for Melbourne, where Wes dropped me at the MCG and drove on to visit Joan Testro, who is back home after rehab. He had a much better time than I did, although it is always a special treat to spend time with David Lazzaro. Collingwood didn’t really turn up to play Essendon and it made me realise just how lucky we supporters are, as that very rarely happens to us. By ¾ time I couldn’t watch any more, so walked to the pick-up spot where Wes arrived about 5 minutes later.

We had hoped to play golf on Monday, but we were both tired from the previous day, so I opted for a lazy start to the day, while Wes got up early to walk Bilbo. I did get energised once I was up, and made some Thai pumpkin soup before walking Bilbo into town for an hour’s stroll. We had to deliver things to Judi, and as it was a dry day with some blue sky, there was no excuse not to get out in it. Meanwhile Wes drove to Trentham anyway to have morning tea and celebrate Bastille Day with Bob White at Chaplins. They had a good catch-up and Wes arrived back with a boot full of manure for the garden.

That night he chaired a well-attended ALP Meeting at Daylesford Tarot Readers, which is a very inviting environment and is attracting good numbers and stimulating discussions. Bilbo and I were in our beds by the time he arrived home!

Tuesday reverted to type with incessant rain and a dull grey sky. I had to scrap plans for a walk to EKO, where I was booked in for an overdue facial etc. Wes very kindly dropped me off and picked me up.

Jane Knox & Terry McDonald selfie at the SCG last Saturday night

That afternoon I received lovely phone calls from Jane Knox (on her way back home after a short trip to the snow) and Gayle Gibson (who also left the footy at ¾ time).

I had offered to drive to Castlemaine on Wednesday to help Valerie with her computer, and even though it was Brigadoon here, I knew the weather would be better there, and I felt well enough, so off I went in the mist and rain. As soon as I left the Hepburn Shire, the temperature soared up, visibility improved and I arrived much earlier than expected, which gave me time to go to the IGA there and get some boxes of starch (unavailable in Daylesford). Valerie and I had a very productive morning and hopefully I solved some of her issues.

Meanwhile Wes was able to spend some time gardening under cover at Barbara’s place. He filled her new pots with soil and manure and they planted climbers etc. Then he cooked her a roast chicken lunch.

On Thursday I went shopping at Tonna’s early – they open at 7am and I want to encourage them to continue doing it, and then had a haircut with Morgan at Spice. I had a long chat with Leanne during the morning before preparing a basket of goodies to take to Gillie who had invited us to lunch. Gillie is the most generous person you could wish to meet, so we bought a bottle of Pimms No 1 (her favourite tipple) added a bottle of Angove grenache, a couple of cheeses, some quince paste and oatcakes all the way from Nairn in Scotland, where Wes has forebears.

While we were there at lunch Daylesford enjoyed some snow. It started as a flurry, and then quickly turned into serious snow, but sadly it didn’t last long enough to be a nuisance on the roads! Our time with Gillie was wonderful, as always, and she fed us well with a fish pie, beans & carrots and anchovy toast.

Gillie & Karen enjoying the snow

We came home and lit the fire and enjoyed a restful afternoon reading (him) and knitting (me). I was keen to do some mindless knitting after the Fair Isle jumper, so posted on Daylesford Community Noticeboard on Facebook and was contacted immediately by Keep Daylesford Warm, who want me to knit 20cm x 20cm squares. This is perfect and I can start to use the many balls of bright colourful acrylic 8ply that Viva gave me last year.

It was freezing again on Friday morning, but Wes bravely took Bilbo out for a brisk walk before he and I headed off to Trentham to welcome Glenn Testro to the area. I had managed to get both DA crosswords out before I got up at 7am, so was feeling very pleased with myself. We filled a box with fresh fruit and vegetables from Tonna’s, picked up a bag of spuds on the way and arrived at Newbury (Trentham South) to find the sun shining in through the windows of Glenn & Marilyn’s new home. Glenn took us for a walk around some of the property and it really is a delight. The main house is beautiful with vaulted ceilings and plenty of windows, the bungalow is perfect for their son, Tyson, and there is a big garage, a proper potting shed, a wood shed and a couple of follies in the garden.

We dropped in on Bob White as we were leaving to see how he was feeling, but no-one was at home, so perhaps he was enjoying a coffee at Chaplins. 

Wes made a beautiful mushroom & pumpkin risotto for lunch and just as I was cleaning up, John Smith arrived at the front door with a beautiful bouquet of flowers to thank me for knitting his jumper. What a lovely surprise that was! Dot was in the car and looking better than she had on Sunday morning.

The sun finally emerged that afternoon, so Wes got into the garden and did wonders as usual. He had invited Barbara to dinner to watch the footy with him and made them both chicken pasta, while I ate leftover risotto. I gave the Blues a chance as North Melbourne often drop the games they should win, especially after beating teams above them on the ladder. And so it came to pass – Carlton put in a good, four-quarter display of tackling, running, good kicking and high marking and won easily in the end.

1974 and Wes is wearing his kaftan while sitting on the front steps of 12 Scott Street, Essendon – as you can see our first home needed some work done to it!

On Saturday we awoke to that unusual feeling – Carlton had won and all was right with the world. Wes got stuck into the front garden and I had planned to join him but it was too cold and I couldn’t breathe properly so decided to have an indoor day and salved my conscience by cleaning cupboards while listening to the Coodabeen Champions. After a particularly yummy fish dish lunch, I spent the afternoon barracking for St Kilda as they totally demolished Fremantle in the upset of the season. It was most exciting and we were thinking of all our St Kilda friends and how chuffed they would be.

This morning Wes is off to the ALP Country Conference in Melbourne with the branch Treasurer, Peter Symons, while Bilbo and I are going to Coles, the Sunday Market and breakfast at The Food Gallery.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 13th July 2014

Dear Everyone, Carlton finally did the right thing by Wes last Sunday afternoon and convincingly beat St Kilda to record a long overdue victory. It had been another cold, wet day, so we stayed warm inside after our brief sorties to the Market and Breakfast.

The sun came out on Monday, but the ground was still too wet to play golf or even garden, so I did some early shopping and collected boxes of wine from the Post Office was well as the new (old) Sunbeam. It works well and my only complaint was that it was poorly packed which meant the bowl was broken on arrival. Fortunately I still have both original bowls, but I am disappointed with the careless packaging and am awaiting a reply to my email to the vendor. Wes made fish and chips for lunch which was very yummy – a Jamie Oliver recipe that doesn’t involve deep frying. I went to bed mid-afternoon and felt much better for lying down.

I wasn’t the only one lying down – Bilbo and his friend were tired as well!

On Tuesday I was too tired and asthmatic for gym so got up late and did some chores. I had planned to join Judi for the monthly U3A lunch at The Food Gallery, but I couldn’t breathe and decided it would be best not to go. After lunch we finally had a visit from an electrician. We had hoped he might have been able to come before Lib visited, as we wanted to put some extra power points in the Guest Bedroom, which we have now done. They are at the right height for guests to charge their laptops and phones and should make life a little easier for me when I use the sewing machine there. We also had a light put over the phone in the kitchen, which has been very hard to see, and finally we had a power-point under the house replaced as it was damaged.

Wednesday was very wet and grey, so I cancelled plans to drive to Castlemaine to help Valerie with her computer, but Wes and Barbara drove to Ballarat as she needed pots from Bunnings. Sandra did a wonderful job cleaning everywhere, which must be very dispiriting as she knows that we are going to track wet footprints over everything very soon after she leaves!

We discovered that our God-daughter and cousin, Leigh Murrin, had been promoted when our inboxes and Facebook were full of congratulations. Leigh will become the Chief Legal Operations Counsel reporting directly to the Chief Legal Counsel of GE International, where she has been working for the last 10 years. She will be based in London, which is good, as she and Simon have spent the last 12 months renovating their home. We are so proud of her and all she has achieved so far in her life. And we’ll get the chance to congratulate her in person as she and Simon are going to join us for a weekend when we are in Scotland in October this year.

Lib and Karen in Trentham outside Chaplins on a very cold day

We had invited old friends, Bill & Sue Longley, and Ian & Josie McKenzie, to have lunch with us on Thursday. Bill doesn’t enjoy good health these days, so we were pleased he was well enough to be part of what turned out to be a 4.5 hour lunch! The open fire was very welcoming and we had a couple of flurries of snow during the afternoon, which was most exciting.

Wes surpassed himself with celery & potato soup with pumpkin & polenta bread; pumpkin & mushroom risotto with freshly grated parmesan cheese; steamed long green beans; spicy crusted chicken pieces; Eton mess; three cheeses with crackers, and finally, plunger coffee and chocolates. We all had a wonderful time and Bilbo enjoyed all the extra pats and kisses he got to say nothing of leftovers for dinner for the next three nights. Wes has two secret ingredients that go in many of his dishes – fennel is often substituted for onion as he prefers its crunchiness and flavour, and French tarragon finds its way into just about every main course. Ian & Josie are vegetarian and we think they were very pleasantly surprised at the interesting dishes they were served.

We were exhausted by the time we had cleaned up and it was a very early night. Wes had suggested lunch out on Friday but we opted to stay inside where we had plenty to eat and it was toasty warm with the fire going and Bilbo snoring. The fog didn’t lift all day and the rain was persistent, so after some computer work, I attacked DA in The Age and we caught up on programmes we had recorded and not yet watched.

Yesterday we awoke to cold, but very little rain and we even saw the sunshine for a while which was wonderful. I spent the morning cleaning the fridge and pantry as visibility in the kitchen was excellent! Wes was busy on the computer doing ALP work, Ancestry and Asylum Seekers Forum preparation. He cooked Brussels sprouts and mashed pumpkin for lunch which was very yummy.

Karen showing an early love of car washing, aged 3 in Balloan Street, Coburg – helping Perc with the black Ford Consul

We sat down that night to watch Carlton play the Swans at the SCG – a game that Wes gave the Blues no hope at all of winning. They played very well in the first half but were overrun after half-time. Our next-door neighbour, Rob, arrived with rhubarb tarts for us, so we invited him in for a glass of red wine while his partner, Dene, was cooking the roast chook for dinner.

Daylesford Winter Dispatch - Sunday, 6th July 2014

Dear Everyone, I left you last Sunday with the wet weather and a trip to Melbourne coming up. I did take Bilbo to the Sunday Market, but we left him at home with lots of celery during Breakfast as he would have been cold and miserable sitting outside. We had just come back home when the Telstra man arrived to fix the phone and 30 minutes later we were back on air.

I drove to see Leanne and spent a lovely afternoon catching up with her and Smokey before driving to Northcote to check in at Danny’s home away from home. We drove to the MCG enjoying a belated birthday drink on the way as Danny had been in Warrnambool on the actual day. Then fish & chips in our seats right on the wing and under cover. We enjoyed the game, which was very exciting and close after the first quarter, and the Pies were lucky to kick a late goal which put us in a winning position.

On Monday morning I drove back here after deviating to Strathmore to collect my mobile phone, which I had inadvertently left at Leanne’s place. It was a much easier drive than the day before as there was no rain or wind. However gentle rain started falling mid-morning and continued through the day with a soft grey mist for company.

Wes and Bilbo spending quality time together!

Shortly after lunch I succumbed to tiredness and Bilbo and I retired to the bedroom, where I caught up on Lewis, including the first episode which I had never seen, and Miss Marple. Wes had a meeting with Cr Kate Redwood, who was an apology for his later meeting and then met with members of his ALP Executive and Barbara.

On Tuesday we awoke to a dry morning, so Wes and Bilbo walked happily while I changed sheets and towels and got ready for gym. Highlight of my day was finding the exact model of my old Sunbeam Mixmaster on e-Bay and buying it. Can’t wait for it to arrive now!

Wes had a lovely time with his old friend, Terry Larkins – they met for lunch at a pub in Gisborne, where Terry lives and spent three hours or so catching up. They had tried to find somewhere halfway in-between, but nowhere in Woodend or Trentham was open on a Tuesday, so Wes was happy to do the driving. Terry doesn’t drink, so Wes was more than ready for his 5pm whisky when he arrived back home.

Latest photo from Berkshire of Amelia & Archie Hoolihan

We couldn’t believe the news on Wednesday morning that the young Aussie, Nick Krygios, had beaten Nadal overnight. I had prayed he would win a game or even a set, never dreaming he could win the match. I did some early morning shopping in preparation for Lib’s visit and then headed off to Mah Jong. Wes worked on the computer, and then spent time with Barbara as he does most Wednesdays.

Later that afternoon Lib arrived safely with bubbles for us and a big bone for Bilbo. She was very popular indeed, but we made him wait until the next morning. Wes made his famous fish pie and we enjoyed a quiet night sitting, chatting & some of us knitting.

We awoke to discover that Nick Krygios had been unable to beat Milos Raonic, but we are very excited for his future. It was a freezing morning and I went to gym leaving Wes and Lib to share breakfast. Then we drove to The Chocolate Mill, where Lib chose some yummy chocs and she and Wes indulged in decadent hot chocolates. Lib had seen Peppers Springs Retreat on TV, so we came back via Hepburn to show her what it looked like. We had decided to take her to Trentham where it was even colder than Daylesford and fairly quiet, although The Plough & The Cosmopolitan Hotels were doing a good trade. We enjoyed soup at Chaplins, drove to Newbury to show Lib where Glenn Testro will be living soon and came home in time for Lib’s massage at EKO, which she loved.

We lit the fire, put on David Suchet’s Tribute to Hercule Poirot and relaxed with our knitting and drinks. Later Wes made a wonderful mushroom & pumpkin risotto for dinner.

On Friday, it wasn’t quite as cold as the day before, and the fire was still burning in the grate when we got up. Wes and Bilbo walked early, while I started on DA’s Friday Cryptic Crossword in The Age. Lib spent some time accepting birthday wishes and messages then we two walked into Vincent Street to check out the shops. About 10 minutes into our walk the rain started to come down and it didn’t let up. I missed a call from Wes offering to pick us up, but Gillie took pity on us and brought us home instead.

Danny arrived at midday from Melbourne, then Judi came over and we four drove to Mercato for lunch, where we met Wes and Barbara, and later John & Jan Smith who had come up from Sandhurst the night before. Barbara & Lib were very generous in sharing their special days and we had a most enjoyable time together. We had decided to shout the birthday girls their lunch, but everyone else had brought gifts and cards for them, which really made it special.

Barbara, Jan, Judi, Danny, Lib, Karen, John & Wes @ Mercato

John & Jan had to leave early as they had an appointment at 3pm, but everyone else came back to our place, we lit the fire, Judi & Danny collected Michael, we opened some bottles and around 7pm Wes produced a huge dish of roast vegetables, a yummy pasta and some risotto to feed us all.

Barbara went home as she wasn’t hungry, but the rest of us had been drinking and needed solid food in our tummies. Eventually Wes threw our guests out around 8.15pm as we were all tired!

Yesterday we awoke to constant drizzle, so the early walk was abandoned and we all had hot drinks and a quick read of Saturday’s Age before heading to Gracenotes Café, for a lovely breakfast in front of their open fire. Everyone turned up, which was especially lovely for Lib.....we’re not sure when we will see her again as she is shifting to Tannum Sands, a Queensland town of about 5,000 people within cooee of Gladstone. Lib will be within 20 minutes drive of her daughter, Becky, who, with her husband, Adam, and children, Emily, David & Nathan, has just built a new home in Calliope, a satellite town of Gladstone.

1998 – Becky, Adam, Lib, Emily & Tom

Thanks Lib for spending these three days and nights with us – it was wonderful to catch up, hear your news, say goodbye and wish you well in your new life starting this September. Lib has bought a new two-bedroom fully-furnished apartment overlooking the beach and can’t wait to move in.

We decided to spend a very quiet Saturday in front of the fire listening to the Coodabeen Champions and watching the various games of footy that were being played. Collingwood had travelled to the Gold Coast to play the Suns and it was a very entertaining match that the Suns won by 5 points in spite of losing their inspirational Captain, Gary Ablett, in the 3^rd quarter and then having 3 more injuries which meant there were no rotations in the whole of the last quarter. It was a brave and gutsy win in front of the best crowd ever at Carrara – 24,000+.

This morning Wes walked Bilbo in the drizzle and I’m about to take him out to pump mineral water at Leitches Creek, then visit the Sunday Market and if it isn’t too wet, we’ll take him to Sunday Breakfast at The Food Gallery as well. Then another quiet day beckons – Wes will be hoping that Carlton can beat St Kilda!

It’s six months today since Viva died – can’t believe how quickly the time has flown by!