Dear Everyone, last
Sunday I set off early with Bilbo and we drove to Leitches Creek to pump water,
but it was closed, as it has been for about 6 weeks. We arrived at the Sunday
Market quite early, but Yvonne & John were organised and happy to look
after us. One advantage of arriving early is that you get the pick of
everything and can snap up the rare items such as fennel, coriander and chilis.
John & Yvonne sell lots of produce that come from individual small gardens
or properties and I love to buy these very fresh foods. Bilbo ate his cabbage
leaves with gusto, and we headed off at 8am to Hepburn Springs, parked in the
Mineral Springs Reserve and walked to Sulphur Spring to pump that water. It was
also closed and so were many of the other springs there, but I finally found
one down low and had to kneel to pump the water.
Breakfast was fun –
our friend, Janine Hawker, has joined us over recent weeks and we are enjoying
spending time with her. Her husband, David, doesn’t enjoy good health and has
had to move into Lumeah Lodge, which is attached to Daylesford Hospital. Aileen
regaled us with wonderful stories about her family, as usual – we are all in
awe of her people skills and her ability to get the best possible outcome from
whatever life tosses up. She has recently moved her 100-year old mother over
from Adelaide to live with her and each week there is a new instalment in
Aileen’s life, which she generously and amusingly shares with us. Barbara had
been into Melbourne shopping during the week with Ann Holden and told us of her
difficulties using a Myki card from the height of her wheelchair.
Queuing up for Fawlty Towers
As the sun was
shining, Wes bought some straw and spent the morning mulching most of the front
garden, while I washed the cars. I visited our next door neighbours, Rob &
Dene, to see what we could do for them, while they are away overseas for the
next three weeks and discovered they have introduced a flourishing worm farm,
which we are under instructions to feed.
That night Wes made
very yummy pizzas with roast vegetables and we watched the first episode of the
Shetland series. As I have read the
books, I was very keen to see how well the casting and adaptation went and I
can report I am very satisfied with both, although the actor playing Jimmy
Perez (Douglas Henshall) isn’t anything like I imagined.
On Monday I drove
to Strathmore to visit Leanne, as it is a while since I have been to her unit.
It was raining, foggy and cold here, but I knew that it would be warmer and
sunnier when I arrived bearing produce from yesterday’s market for her. We had
a good visit and Leanne had very kindly made a cake, which I brought home and
which has disappeared rapidly. Peter and Anka had been in Melbourne last week
and also visited her bearing a beautiful bunch of long-stemmed tulips, which
looked stunning. I drove back home out of the sun and into driving rain and was
very pleased to spend a quiet afternoon. Wes had taken Barbara to lunch at Gracenotes Café and enjoyed the usual
fine food that Chris serves.
It was cold again on
Tuesday morning before the day turned into one of those perfect late
Winter/early Spring days, where the sun shines, the wind forgets to blow, the
birds chirp and all seems right with the world. I went to gym while Wes did
more gardening. Just after midday, when we were sitting down waiting for lunch
to cook, we received a visit from David Hall, who was delivering a thank you
card from his daughter and couldn’t find our letterbox (because we don’t have
one). Wes persuaded him to have a small whisky, and then to share our prawn
risotto lunch, which he did reluctantly, but enjoyed very much. We were thrilled
to be able to spend time with him again so soon as he is a thoughtful and
interesting conversationalist.
Later in the
afternoon Nick Massaro came to give me a long overdue massage and we spent the
time catching up on each other’s news. He is an Essendon supporter and couldn’t
wait to remind that Essendon had decimated Collingwood some weeks ago. He and
Robyn had been on holidays to Auburn
in South Australia, where they house-sat for a couple with a dog and enjoyed
their fortnight or so very much.
Tuesday was also
the day that Jane Knox returned home after being fitted with a pacemaker. She
said the doctors were thrilled with her recovery and she can now turn her head
without feeling giddy for the first time in 2 years. We are very relieved that
she is so much better, as it was quite frightening last week when she was
rushed to hospital. I have been exchanging early morning/late night messages
with her daughter, Emily, who is in London and not due to return to Australia
until next February.
On Wednesday we were
up bright and early and headed off to Melbourne Airport to collect our other
Sydney cricket/footy friend, Terry McDonald, who was arriving for his first
visit to Daylesford. I had bought tickets for the three of us to attend the Bradman Lunch at the MCC, as Terry
hadn’t visited the MCG before. We had time to kill before the lunch, so Wes
took us on a bit of a cook’s tour of inner Melbourne, including Brunswick,
Carlton, Parkville, Fitzroy and Collingwood.
Terry and I in our glad rags at
lunch at the MCC
We were able to
park under the MCG for the lunch, caught the lift to the second floor and Terry
was very excited to be in the Melbourne Cricket Club area looking out onto the
hallowed turf. As we walked into the Percy
Beames bar for pre-lunch drinks, we were greeted by Paul Sheahan, who is
the Chairman, and Terry promptly asked him about Hans Ebling and when he played
cricket. Paul didn’t know the answer, so went off to find it for him. Very
impressive stuff indeed.
The Bradman lunch
lived up to all the hype – packed Members’ Dining room, friendly welcome from
Paul Sheahan; Gerard Whateley talking about the Don’s trip to America with a
ragbag of cricketers; Greta Bradman singing;
an interview with Damien Fleming,
and a delightful speech by Mike Hussey. Our meal and wines were first
class and our table companions were OK without being memorable!
We finally arrived
back in Daylesford around 5.30pm after collecting horse manure from the side of
the road in Tylden, much to Terry’s delight. Bilbo was thrilled to see us and
quite hungry as it was past his dinnertime. I fed him and then we settled down
to chat about our day and managed to polish off a light pasta meal that Wes
cooked. It wasn’t a late night!
On Thursday we took
Terry for a tour of Eganstown, Blampied, Smeaton & Clunes before driving to
Tuki Trout Farm for a spot of fishing and lunch. Rob & Jan Jones were their
usual hospitable selves and left us to try our luck at the ponds. Terry had no
sooner put his fishing line into the water than a fish obligingly jumped on the
end of it and he won bragging rights for the afternoon. We all caught a fish or
two and then repaired to the best seats in the house for a tasting platter of
Tuki smoked sausage, Tuki smoked trout, Tuki trout pâté, olives and horseradish
sauce. This was followed by the whole trout, Tuki lamb straps and Tuki beef
steaks accompanied by roast spuds and a green salad with oranges. Terry
polished off a huge slice of apple pie as well.
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Catching fish &
admiring the view all the way to the Grampians
We arrived
back home here and the blokes decided it was time for a little rest. So I sat
quietly with Bilbo catching up on The Age, and when Wes and Terry emerged
again, I went to bed and watched the ABC news and 360° from a prone position.
Neither Wes nor I was hungry after our lunch, but Terry was pleased to be
served bacon and cheese on toast.
Friday was
another perfect day after a cold morning and Wes got up early to walk Bilbo,
while I had a very early shower and delivered Glenn Mack’s mail to him as he
had arrived home early and unexpectedly from South Australia the previous
night. Then I did some supermarket shopping, bought potting mix, said goodbye
to Wes and Terry and took Bilbo with me to Gracenotes
Café for a quick cuppa and catch up with Glenn. Afterwards Bilbo & I
walked into Vincent Street where Keith fixed my phone which had unexpectedly
started turning itself off, and I ordered a new fridge as bits and pieces of our
16 year old Fisher & Paykel are
starting to break or wear out.
Back home
to have a lovely long chat with Leanne, before Bilbo and I sat in the sun
catching up on emails and letters, while Wes and Terry drove to Melbourne to
Jimmy Watson’s Wine Bar for a Boys’ lunch with Tom Tyrrell, Danny Millman,
Robert Preston & surprise guest, Brendan Kierce. What went on at the lunch
stays at the lunch, but if I tell you
that Wes and Terry arrived back home at 7.30pm, you’ll get the message that
they enjoyed a very long lunch and that Terry is now even more knowledgeable
about Aussie Rules than he was before. We watched Collingwood be competitive
for the first half of the game against Hawthorn, but it was all over long
before the end of the match.
Yesterday
we all slept in and I took Bilbo for a long walk around 8.30am, where we met
lots of lovely friendly dogs and a toddler who squealed with delight and didn’t
want to stop playing with Bilbo. Wes took Terry on a tour of Hepburn Springs
and they sampled mineral water at the Reserve. We had decided on an afternoon
of footy and Wes cooked a very yummy pumpkin and mushroom risotto while we
tried to get Carlton over the line against Essendon. I am sure all supporters
were disappointed with the draw and especially the Blues’ fans as it was a
winnable game for them.
Then it was
time for the Sydney vs Richmond game and we apologised in advance to Terry that
we would be supporting Richmond in their quest to win 9 games in a row and play
finals footy this year. I suspect nearly everyone watching was barracking for
the Tigers and they held on to win a nail-biter of a game against a less than
full strength Swans side. Jane & David Knox were there at the Olympic
Stadium watching and Jane was very gracious in defeat, as she could see how
exciting it was for the Tiger fans.
This
morning I am about to take Bilbo to the Sunday Market as usual and then we will
be having breakfast at The Food Gallery,
where we will be joined by John & Jan Smith and will catch up on their news
since their return from the big trip to the Top End. Then I will take Terry for
a stroll along Vincent Street, before Wes collects him and they visit Cricket Willow in Shepherds Flat – a must
for any past, present or future cricketer who visits this area.
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