.JPG)
Dear Friends, we
had a lovely visit with Leanne last Sunday and did lots of reminiscing which seemed
to be in order. We arrived with fresh vegetables and roses from our garden and
left with a jar of home-made biscuits and a box of mince pies. As we drove into
Daylesford we decided to stop for a drink at the Farmers Arms Hotel, where Wes
enjoyed a Guinness and I had a Smith & Show sauvignon blanc. Suzanne, one
of the two proprietors, came to chat and told us that her partner, Claire, was
heading off to Israel for three weeks to catch up with family and friends.
On Monday it was
cool early when I walked Bilbo and at 7am Wes and I headed off to Trentham for
a game of golf. We had our share of good and bad shots, didn’t lose any balls
and between us nearly had 4 par holes. Afterwards we went to Chaplins in High
Street, Trentham, where Bob White joined us for coffee and croissants.
Back home and while
Wes made a yummy fish pie, I visited Dot and John Smith, with a beautiful rose
called ‘Remember Me’. Ken Rae from Spring Park Nursery had chosen it for me as
Dot’s sister, Ann, lost her battle against cancer on Boxing Day, after seeming
to be getting better. John had spent Christmas in hospital after complaining of
pain the week before Christmas Day and is slowly coming good.
Finally the 4th
Test in Sydney started on Tuesday and I enjoyed watching Australia bat so well
on a very emotional day, where so much was dedicated to Phil Hughes once again.
This was the first Anniversary of Viva’s death and I received lots of lovely
messages and even some flowers. We had gone to breakfast at The Boathouse Café,
which still doesn’t quite have things right, and afterwards bought some
beautiful Oriental Lilies for the hall table. Leanne received lots of phone
calls, and we both agreed that we found our thoughts were peaceful and content.
Viva had lived a good long life and she died at the right time.
Our view of the Lake from the
decking of the Boathouse & my breakfast eggs, which looked wonderful, but
were barely cooked and already cool when I received them
In the afternoon,
Wes went off for his first training session as a volunteer with the Daylesford
Community Theatre. He had offered to be a projectionist, but was told he would
have to learn front of house first. He came home with lots of stories to tell,
and is waiting to be posted to a regular shift. Back in the ‘70s I was a
licensed projectionist with the Productivity Promotion Council, but things have
changed just a little since then!
On Wednesday we
received the sad news that Maureen Dubock, wife of Mal, had died of a massive
heart attack unexpectedly in Sydney, where they were attending a wedding. Mal
Dubock has been a good friend since Brunswick Rotary Club days and in his
capacity as a funeral director was prepared to indulge Warren in his wish to
have a Viking Funeral.
On the walk around
the Lake, I was disappointed to find heaps of tinsel, bottles and bags, as well
as a tipped over bin. I was able to pick up some of the rubbish, but Bilbo can
be an inhibiting factor, so when I came back home, Wes put the information up
on the Friends of Lake Daylesford FB site, encouraging walkers to take a
plastic bag and help clean up, and when I went around the next day there wasn’t
a sign of any of the rubbish.
Sandra came back to
work and did a lovely job of getting Maloney Folly back up to scratch. Bilbo
was particularly pleased to see her, as he likes the routine of her weekly
visits and especially the apple she gives him before she leaves. Wes spent the
morning in the garden, both here and at Barbara’s home, before chairing a
meeting there of Hepburn Voices. I made special fried rice for lunch and we
watched cricket for most of the day.
Jane & David Knox getting
into the spirit of the Pink Test in Sydney
We had hoped to get
in another game of golf, but the mornings were just too muggy, so we settled
for computer work and gardening, although on Friday Wes took me to breakfast at
Gracenotes Café, where we enjoyed much better food and service than earlier in the
week. We caught up with Annie Smith, who had been trying to walk Rosie in
between showers and was laughing at herself as that was impossible to achieve.
I had been to Coles supermarket and had spent some time in the car until the
rain eased before I could get out. Everyone we met had a smile on his/her face
as the rain is so very welcome.
Judi had given us
some cuttlefish ink and Wes finally found a pasta recipe that suited us and
made the meal you can see using spiral pasta, prawns, salmon, celery and
chillies. It was very yummy indeed and we look forward to experimenting some
more with the ink.
Yesterday it was
raining at 5am, so Bilbo got a bone and no walk, and I went back to bed for an
extra hour’s sleep, which was very welcome. We had 20mls on Friday and a
similar amount yesterday and the effect on the garden is wonderful – roses
blooming, seeds sprouting and grass poking up everywhere.
Wes did some weeding as it is so much
easier to do after rain and I persuaded some of my bush bean seedlings out of
the seed tray and into individual pots. Meanwhile the other seeds are taking
their time – we are waiting for cucumbers, spring onions, bok choi &
chillies and this morning I can see the first signs of little shoots.
Hot cocoa rose, seaside daisies
and the greenhouse
During the week I reread Ruth Park’s autobiography A Fence Around the Cuckoo and followed
it up with D’arcy Niland’s The Shiralee.
These two books are so very powerful – Ruth Park describes her childhood in New
Zealand, that is such a foreign experience compared to here and D’arcy shows
incredible compassion and understanding of the foibles of man, set in the more
familar and understandable landscape of the Australia bush. I wasn’t sure what
should be my next book, but Michael Ivanchenko kindly found and bought me a
recent novel by Arnuldur Indridason, the Icelandic crime writer, and I think it
will fit the bill.
The Indians managed to bat all day and force a draw at
the Sydney Test, and I think, under their new captain, they will become a force
away from home. He is a superb batsman and competitor and like Michael Clarke
& Steve Smith, leads by example. It was so cool here when we were watching
the last day that I even did some knitting! Some friends put photos of
themselves sitting in front of an open fire, but we didn’t quite have to go
that far, although we did need the heater going most of the day.
This morning I walked Bilbo in the dark, while the rain
held off. It does look and feel as though we will get more rain, which should
fill the tanks and encourage the grass some more. As soon as I finish this
Dispatch he and I will go to Hepburn Springs to pump water from the Sulphur
Spring before heading to the Sunday Market to stock up on fruit &
vegetables from John & Yvonne, bones from Geoff, and perhaps a rose from
Ken. We are hoping to see Margo at breakfast – she has been away on a cruise
since before Christmas and it will be good to catch up with her and hear about
her travels.
This afternoon Wes and I have seats in Gold Class in
Ballarat to see The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies. We could see it
locally, but 2.5 hours is a long time in those seats and we really enjoy the GC
experience in Ballarat, where there will only be about 28 of us watching the
film.
Lovely photo of my sister-in-law, Mary aka Mimi, with her two
daughters, Jessie & Michelle
No comments:
Post a Comment