It was a lovely, cool
morning, when we walked around the Lake on Monday. Wes is shown here with Bilbo
looking back through the mist at the Boathouse Café, where the chef has just
turned on the lights.
I was very pleased to
receive the news that my blood tests results were excellent – great way to
start the new year. I celebrated by having a massage with Nick, making some
phone calls & catching up with Judi over Jasmine tea at The Food Gallery.
On Tuesday, I was able
to go back to gym for the first time in weeks and was greeted warmly by
everyone there doing Barry’s holiday programme. Later I went to EKO for a
facial & manicure – it was lovely & cool there, while the temperature
soared to 37˚ outside.
Wes continues to take
control of the garden, bit by bit. He has moved our fountain into the shade
& the birds are very grateful indeed. The roses are prolific, the fruit
trees are laden and there are lots of lavender & rosemary in bloom.
My uncle, Kev
Hoolihan, in Torksey Lock, Lincolnshire, hasn’t been in the best of health
recently, but he still manages to read my Dispatch every week, to keep abreast
of domestic & world events on Facebook, and to send through positive &
encouraging comments on a regular basis. I hope that his breathing improves as the
weather gets better over there. We are both so very pleased that Kev & Jeff
fitted in a stay at Daylesford when they were last in Australia about 12 years
ago - they can relate to our lives here and appreciate the beauty &
serenity of this special part of Victoria.
My favourite photo of Jeff & Kev in 2005,
dressed for lunch on the Orient Express
Dot & I met for
Mah Jong this week for the first time in 2017. The café was buzzing & it
was good to catch up with friends & the lovely staff. I brought home a pie
for Wes & a pastie for me for lunch, as Wes had spent a very busy morning in
Barbara’s garden & didn’t need to turn around & cook when he got home.
We had a lovely trip
to Ballarat on Thursday after I returned from gym. We started our day with
breakfast at Larder again, because we had enjoyed it so much the previous
Saturday & it was just as good!
In Ballarat, we parked
outside the Botanic Gardens & went for a long walk around, finding
interesting themed beds we had not spotted before. These Gardens are home to
many National Trust significant trees & also boast a beautiful
conservatory, an avenue of Prime Ministers, a glorious fountain, some
impressive statuary & much more.
We were very taken with this impressive entrance
& to the right you can just see the trout hatcheries
Our next stop was the
Ballarat Tramway Museum, which is at one end of the Gardens & is full of
interesting information & wonderfully restored trams of every style &
description, including Tram No 1, which is horse-drawn. This tram is going to
be in service today, which would be a wonderful treat.
However, we had an
unforgettable ride up & down Wendouree Parade on the tram on the far left
of this photo. Our driver had to do everything – put out the signs, take money
& issue tickets, drive the tram, change cabs when we reached the end of the
line etc etc. He was most entertaining, confessed to being a music teacher in
real life & managed to cut his hand putting out a sign. I came to the
rescue with a band-aid as his first aid kit appeared to have everything but!
That night Wes
attended a meeting of the Daylesford Cinema, where they discussed a number of
pressing issues, including a temporary home while the Rex Arcade is being
renovated to house Hepburn Shire Council.
Wes spent Friday
morning with Brian Nash in the Spring Hill & Little Hampton areas, where
they took lots of photos in the rain. We had 20 mls overnight & during the
morning, and everyone was smiling as we really needed it.
Kathy & Ged
Lazzaro arrived in time for lunch, which was open sandwiches of smoked salmon
or ham on Turkish rolls, with all sorts of other goodies included. We spent the
afternoon walking around Lake Daylesford and finished with a cuppa at the
Bookbarn, where Andrew, who is normally smiling & helpful, was amazed that
we wanted to sit outside and only relented when he recognised us!
Dinner that night was
barbecue lamb & chicken with poached Atlantic salmon & my potato salad.
We managed to get through more than enough red wine to make sure we all slept
well.
Yesterday Wes & I
took Bilbo around the Lake early, before joining Kathy & Ged for a simple
breakfast at our place. After relaxing with the Age for a couple of hours, we
headed to Maldon, where we enjoyed walking around the main streets, and ended
up having lunch at Le Sol, the tiny, but excellent French café there.
Back home, we did a
tour of the garden and settled down to relax until it was time to bring out the
Sparkling Shiraz!
This morning we’ve
walked around Jubilee Lake with Ged, who took some wonderful photos as the dawn
light broke. Just as we were leaving, a hot-air balloon was being prepared, so
Wes dropped me back here, while he & Ged went to the Cornish Hill Lookout
& captured the balloon in flight.
We’re all off to the
Sunday Market & then breakfast at the Food Gallery.
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