Daylesford Autumn Dispatch - Sunday, 15th March 2015

Dear Friends, I ended up missing all the Chillout celebrations last Sunday as I wasn’t able to get up until lunchtime Monday. There was a good turnout for the Parade and some wonderful costumes – none better than our friend, Max Primmer, in a gorgeous gown.

On Monday morning Wes got up early, gave Bilbo a bone and came back to bed. Bilbo wasn’t far behind him and we three slept happily until 8.15am, which was much needed obviously. Wes spent most of the day on the computer and I rose very late and spent about 5 hours up, which was all I could manage

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The next day Wes was projectionist at the Daylesford Community Theatre, showing ‘Pride’ at the 10am session, so I dropped him off early and then joined a few others to see the film. I was thrilled to see Bob White there and we sat together. The film was wonderful and we three are all pleased we saw it, although I think there was more crying up in the projection room than anywhere else! Afterwards we had time for a quick hot drink with Bob before Wes and I walked to Verey’s Funeral Parlour for John McParland’s farewell.

John was a long-time Treasurer of the local ALP Branch and always gave the shortest report on record – his reply when asked to give a report was always ‘no change’. After the family and John’s best friend had spoken, both Wes and Catherine King MP walked to the front to give a joint tribute to John’s commitment to the ALP and everyone appreciated this story and Catherine’s presence as well.

We were both quite tired after the emotion of the day and pleased to come home for a rest before Wes had an appointment with the local optician, where his eyesight was found to have changed very little and his only need was for new frames.

On Wednesday I went to gym where I took things easily, before heading to spend a couple of fun hours with Dot & Valerie playing Mah Jong. We were easily the centre of attention at ‘Muffins & More’, with one woman asking if she could join in and another man looking longingly at the tiles, but not daring to ask. It was also the day that Jane & David Knox said goodbye to their only offspring, Emily, who has spent the last fortnight in Australia, mostly in Sydney, introducing her Scottish partner, Alan Kinnear to her friends and relatives. I imagine Emily & Alan will be delighted to get back home and have a break from warm weather, fine dining and wining and non-stop chatting!

Lovely photo of Alan & Emily at the Melbourne Immigration Museum where Alan found some of his forebears in the tribute to 200 years of Scottish influence on Australian life. We discovered when we were in Scotland last year that most Scots have no idea how much we owe them – the vote for women, medical & dental advances, farming methods & newspapers to name but a few.

In the afternoon, after a big morning in the garden, Wes went for a physio appointment to see how his ankle was progressing and I made a date to catch up with Leanne in Strathmore early on Saturday morning. Later Wes, Barbara & Eddie all visited Ian Rogers to interview him for Hepburn Voices. Meanwhile I picked the first of our bush beans as well as some more tomatoes which are ripening nicely. We have heaps of tiny chillies which I am hoping to pick soon.

Thursday saw me back walking Bilbo around town – I am waiting until daylight saving finishes on 5^th April before walking around the Lake again at 5.30am. Wes spent time in the garden mowing, watering and pruning. I drove to Ballarat to collect a new bedside control for our Sunbeam electric blanket – Wes’s side died during one of our more severe power surges and we have had to wait a fortnight for it to arrive. It was my first drive through Eganstown since the big storm and it is very obvious where the wind tore through and felled so many trees, mostly gums and pines.

Lovely photo of Travis & Lauren Kennedy, 8 years married, with Rosie & Myles

When Wes did the shopping at the Sunday Market, he was to pick up a ‘Robin Hood’ rose from Ken Rae, Spring Park Nursery, to fill in the last spot on Wes’s rose borders in the back yard. However the rose Ken brought turned out to be ‘Red Riding Hood’ so we are making do with it and I suspect it is a more suitable rose than the other, which I wanted because of its name more than anything else.

Another lovely family photo – Matthew Spiteri, Sara Lacey & their girls, Genevieve & Ava all dressed up for the Roaring Twenties

Meanwhile Wes took Bilbo to the vet for his annual check up and injections and apart from carrying a little too much weight, Bilbo is doing very well indeed.

On Friday we played golf early at Trentham and I put in my best round in years, mainly due to some good putting and strong driving. Afterwards we met Greta Millman and her daughter, Penny, at ‘Chaplin’s at the Muse’ in Trentham, where it was croissants and hot drinks all round. Harry had been coming as well, but had to work late the night before. We spent a lovely couple of hours with Greta and Penny before coming back here.

In the afternoon we decided to see ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, as we hadn’t seen a film together at the Daylesford Community Cinema. We both enjoyed it very much, but agree with the reviews that suggest it is not as good as the first. However, we talked about the film for an hour afterwards, and we both spent time thinking about it during the night, so it obviously had an effect!

Yesterday morning I slept through Bilbo’s walk and couldn’t take him later as I was off to visit Leanne in Strathmore, due at 9am. We had a most enjoyable time together and I arrived back home in time for a very yummy herb-encrusted ocean trout which Wes served with our first crop of home-grown bush beans and bok choi. Leanne had sent home an orange cake, which was the perfect afters.

Congratulations to Angela Skewes, daughter of our dear friend, Glenda Rozen, who gave birth to a miracle baby on Thursday. I saw Angela on Wednesday and she was looking wonderful and would no doubt be relieved to have a happy healthy, albeit early daughter, Maya. We are all thrilled for Ange & Nathan, and Glenda & Joe, as is everyone who knows them here.