I
left at 10am to drive to the MCG to see Collingwood completely fail to turn up
against the highly skilled and very keen Port Adelaide side. David Lazzaro
& I got great seats out of the rain, but with a good view and plenty of
legroom on the wing...catching up with him was easily the highlight of the
afternoon!
Wes & Bilbo
outside the Food Gallery upstairs
Monday
was grey and wet, which didn’t stop me going to gym or Wes taking Bilbo early
for a walk, before turning into a Scottish gardener and pruning the fruit trees
in the rain. After gym, Nick Massaro arrived to give me a massage, and after
that, I made a big pot on spicy minestrone soup, which lasted us for quite a
few days.
At
lunchtime, we watched the new Australian series, ‘The Secret City’, set in
Canberra, and were most impressed. We have not enjoyed the latest offerings of
‘Janet King’ & ‘Rake’. The storyline in the former is excellent and
gripping, but the show is full of inconsistencies and unbelievable actions;
while the latter is just plain silly and completely unbelievable on every
level.
Wes
showed the film, ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ on Tuesday morning, and we were
joined by a few others to watch some fine acting and a good story. We saw Jeremy
Irons on stage some years ago in London & were so impressed by his skills,
which came to the fore again in this film. We arrived home to no internet, and
eventually discovered some of Daylesford was in the same boat. Wes spent some
time on the phone trying to find out when connections would be restored and we
were told that 3pm on Wednesday was the magic hour.
On
Wednesday, after gym, I played Mah Jong with Dot & Valerie at Muffins &
More. The café was full – there was a thick fog everywhere and the Hepburn Golf
Club ladies decided to have hot drinks & scones in lieu of a game, and we
regulars were lucky to find a table. We could barely hear ourselves speak for
the first hour, but after the women left, we were back to normal.
Meanwhile
Wes drove Judi & Michael to the airport to catch a flight to Hobart as the
start of an 8-day holiday in Tassie. I was worried about them in the fog, but
it disappeared at Woodend, only to reappear on his journey back home. I visited
Judi & Michael’s home to collect goodies that had been left in the fridge,
but arrived at the front door to discover I had put their PO Box key on the
key-ring containing Glenn’s PO Box key, instead of the key ring with their home
key!
Of
course, there was no internet at 3pm, so Wes got back on the phone and was told
that Telstra was still working on it. I lit a fire and relaxed for the
afternoon with Bilbo by my side. We were thrilled to see the news that South
Africa has agreed to a pink ball Test in Adelaide in November, as we have booked
our accommodation and are looking forward to it very much indeed. Now for the
tickets!
I
had an amusing experience before the footy last Sunday – Judi had asked me if I
still knitted at the footy and I said I hadn’t liked to take steel knitting
needles since the increased security. So when I was queued up outside Gate 2, I
asked the gentleman responsible for checking our bags & person, whether I
could bring steel knitting needles into the MCG. He replied – we wouldn’t worry
about someone your age at all....someone young with a couple in their pocket
would be a concern. So it’s official – I’ve reached the benign age where I am
not considered a threat any longer to Australia’s security!
On
Thursday, we decided to spend the day in Maldon – somewhere we haven’t been in
ages. Back in the 70s, it was the place to go, but we didn’t like it or those
we met living there. What a lovely surprise it was to find welcoming friendly
people everywhere we went, starting with the Information Centre. We decided to
do the hour walk around the town, looking at buildings of interest and
discovering on the way that Maldon was the birthplace of the famous Australian
cricketer & Test Captain, Bill Woodfull, who was also Headmaster at
Melbourne High.
We
enjoyed a very French experience at Le Cel, where Wes had cauliflower soup with
prosciutto, and I had a small baguette with cheese, salad & quince paste.
We parked in a quiet little corner table for two and spent the whole time
feeling we were sitting in someone else’s table and that our hosts were keen
for us to vacate it!
It
was my turn to lead a walk, this time along both sides of Main Street &
High Street, where there is a wealth of history known about the origins of most
of the buildings.
After
that, we drove to the Maldon General Cemetery, which is huge, and well laid
out, with the front section devoted to pioneers. We drove along the Back
Cemetery Road and disturbed about 50 young kangaroos playing in the bush –
wonderful sight.
Wes standing by the
Chinese Burning Tower, where food & offerings were prepared to put by the
graves
Our
final stop was Mount Tarrengower Lookout, which offers 360° views of the Wombat
State Forest, the Grampians, the Goldfields and more. We climbed as far as we
were allowed and had fun getting our bearings.
We
arrived back home at 3.30pm, six hours after we left, having enjoyed our visit
and promising to go back soon – perhaps with Kathy & Ged when they visit
next, or with Tom & Deb, as Tom has ancestors buried in the cemetery there.
Of
course, there was still no internet, but about an hour later, we were rung by
Telstra to see if we had service and our helpful phone technician managed to
reconnect us before nightfall. I am still without my phone, and using Wes’s,
which means he is without a mobile at all.
After
early shopping on Friday, I took Bilbo to the Gardens for a couple of laps on
our own in peace and quiet before checking Judi & Michael’s PO Box &
home. Around 11am, Ian Robinson arrived, having dropped Robyn off for a facial
at EKO.
We
enjoyed a solid hour chatting about footy, before it was time for him to
collect Robyn and meet us at the Boathouse Daylesford, for lunch. Both Susanne
& Claire were working and it was delightful to see them again and enjoy
their hospitality. They ran the Farmers Arms for many years, selling it about
12 months ago, and after a good break, they were ready to return to the
industry they know best and they are doing wonders at the Boathouse.
Robyn, Karen & Ian
on a wintry day with Lake Daylesford in the background
The
Robinsons have a wonderful holiday planned, so we spent lunchtime finding out
about it and also discovering what sliders are!!
Yesterday
we were both up early – Wes to walk Bilbo and me to prepare for a trip to
Strathmore to visit Leanne. Although it was cold, there was no fog, so I was
very happy to set off early laden with goodies. Apart from being passed by a P-plater
going at 120kms in the emergency lane on my left, I had an uneventful drive to
Melbourne through the rain and back again.
In
the afternoon, I was happy to sit reading The Age and watching footy, including
a stunning game between the Doggies & Port, that went down to the last
seconds and resulted in a win to the Doggies.
Bilbo getting warm
& comfy with his friends by his side.
This
morning is crisp & clear & dry, so Bilbo & I will head out to the
Sunday Market shortly before catching up with Barbara, Janine, Margot, David
& Sandy & Bam Bam & perhaps, Aileen. Then I am going to visit the
Daylesford Spa Quilters Biennial Exhibition at the Daylesford Primary School, before
coming home to finish the washing & ironing & watch Carlton play St
Kilda.
Tomorrow
Collingwood plays Melbourne in the traditional Queen’s Birthday Weekend game,
but it doesn’t start until 3.20pm, which means a drive home in the dark, so I
am going to stay put and watch it on TV.
Tonight
we are off to Mercato’s for an early dinner to celebrate our 46th Anniversary
– we don’t often go out at night, so this will be a treat.
The ‘just married’
kiss on a lovely wet Friday evening at Newman Chapel
We
are very supportive of the ‘Freeze MND’ event, which is occurring tomorrow at
the MCG before the match. Neale Daniher, a much-loved member of that famous
sporting family, is into his 3rd year of motor neurone disease, and
went very public 12 months ago with the aim of raising awareness and funds for
research. 11 well-known personalities, mostly sporting, will slide down into a
pool of iced water. When this was done last year, the response was amazing ($2.2
million) and some breakthroughs have been made in MND research – this won’t
help Neale, but it will help people who are diagnosed today and in the future.
We are particularly looking forward to seeing my favourite sports commentator,
Gerard Whateley, who will be wearing jockey Luke Nolen’s Black Caviar kit
including whip & helmet.
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