Morse

Morse
Morse & friend

Sunday, 25 December 2016

Daylesford Christmas Dispatch - Sunday, 25th December 2016



Dear Friends, Happy Christmas to you all and the very best wishes for a wonderful, healthy & happy 2017.

We had a great time at breakfast last Sunday, giving each other gifts for our pets. Judi was thrilled to have found a new friend for Bilbo & he just loves the pink bunny that was in his Christmas bag.



Judi, Wes & Barbara surrounded by gifts for our lucky dogs & cats

Danny Millman sent me this lovely photo of him & Jon Stevens – they met at a mutual friend’s drinks party – small world indeed!



Wes and Bilbo had a good walk around the Lake on Monday and Wes came home inspired by a new vision for Opera by the Lake, which he proceeded to turn into a submission. Meanwhile I drove to Ballarat for my annual dental check-up. Christmas week is not the ideal time to do this, but I was coughing too much to go any sooner.

We were glued to the TV & radio for the exciting conclusion to the 1st Test – the Pakistanis really deserved to win & were very unlucky that the last wicket was an accurate throw from Steve Smith to find the non-striker out of his crease & his stumps broken. Afterwards I took Bilbo for a walk around the Botanic Gardens where the local U3A choir was practising in the rotunda. Bilbo had a dip in the rockpool in the fernery & refused to do another lap after that!



  Beautiful roses from our front garden

We had hoped to walk together on Tuesday but there was thunder, lightning & rain from 4am onwards, so the walk was cancelled and we had a sleep in instead.

Wes went off to show the film, Fantastic Beasts, which I was very keen to see, but I had an appointment at EKO for a facial & manicure. I had postponed my previous time as I was too asthmatic, so was very lucky to get a spot in Christmas week at all.

In the afternoon, I took Bilbo to the Gardens again & he really enjoyed his dip in the pool.

On Wednesday, we three got up early for a walk around the Lake & to look at the new suggested site for Opera by the Lake, which is the old Daylesford Caravan Park off Fulcher Street. There is a lot of unused land there, with plenty of access & the possibility of stunning views. It was a perfect morning for a walk & we were lucky enough to meet only two people during the hour we were out.


Finished boardwalk replacing the lovely old bridge that was wrecked in the latest storms. Trees have been taken out and it is a very different vista.

Wes spent the morning with Barbara, mowing her lawns, tidying up & helping her pack her suitcase for her Christmas trip to New Zealand. While Sandra was cleaning our home, I walked Bilbo up to the Post Office to collect mail and then to Muffins & More for a pot of tea, while I opened our cards & my parcel from Collingwood. Bilbo had a wonderful time – there were endless small children wanting to pat him and some adults who didn’t mind having to clamber over him to get in or out of the Café.


Wes spent the rest of the day mowing our neighbours’ lawns, while I planted pak choy & cucumber in our special boxes on the decking.

We were able to walk again early on Thursday and afterwards Wes & I went to a newish café, Awkward Jeffrey, for breakfast. They have an interesting and different menu, offering a range of dishes available from 8am to 4pm daily. Wes enjoyed granola with poached apple & fresh strawberries, while I tucked into poached egg on rosti with lettuce, green beans, feta & avocado.


Afterwards, while Wes worked in the garden I walked Bilbo to the Post Office and then through town. We met some friendly dogs & people, but he was very ready to come home and sleep the rest of the day. Our day had started beautifully when I went outside to pick some roses and discovered a bunch of Christmas lilies courtesy of Glenn Mack.

Wes was up at 3.30am on Friday to shower, dress & go across the road to help Barbara get ready for her trip to New Zealand. They got on the road early and everything went swimmingly, with Qantas staff very focused and helpful. While Wes was sitting in PJ O’Brien’s in the airport having a coffee & bite to eat, John Macaulay popped in to say hello, which was a very lovely surprise. We first met John over 20 years ago when he was a Brunswick Rotary Exchange student & it has been wonderful to keep in touch.

Meanwhile Bilbo & I did the Lake Daylesford walk early and didn’t meet another soul, before coming home to do shopping at Coles, as well as some chores and then head off for a shorter walk into town to visit the Post Office & have a pot of Jasmine tea at The Food Gallery. I was lucky enough to catch up with quite a few friends as we sat outside – Maureen & Graham, Fran & Barry & their friend, Mike to name a few.



Wes arrived home in time for lunch & had a rest before tackling some more gardening.

Yesterday we walked to Twin Bridges & back early, worked in the garden & house and then indulged in a lovely late lunch at Boathouse Daylesford, where Susanne & Claire looked after us very well as usual.


We had Christmas pudding & brandy butter for sweets back here a couple of hours later & were in bed & asleep early after our busy day – which was nothing compared to years of preparing for Christmas Day visitors. 


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