Karen Maloney's Dispatch: Daylesford Summer Dispatch

Our start to 2019 has been good. We decided to break with tradition & got up just before midnight to sit on the decking & watch the fireworks from Lake House across the road. They were spectacular & went for 10 minutes, which is rather special for a small country town. We did spare a thought for all the pet owners who were busy pacifying their animals. This is the first year in ages that we didn’t have to cuddle Labradors!

We walked around Lake Daylesford early on New Year’s Day equipped with large bags which we filled three times with all the cans, bottles, poppers, food wrappings & other general mess left from the night before. At least the next groups of walkers would be able to enjoy their stroll without thinking that we were a thoughtless, lazy bunch here in Daylesford.

Someone dubbed me ‘Mother Goose’ when Wes put this photo up on Facebook – the geese were thrilled with the rice & you can see those in the background racing to catch up, including two parents with a small gosling, which loved the rice as well.

We decided to go out at 9am after I had pumped water at Leitches Creek & found Jackie’s on Vincent open & serving breakfast. Jackie makes wonderful omelettes & is always happy to add chilli to them! We sat outside & the next three people to join us also ordered the omelettes. Jackie & Lisa work very hard both in their restaurant & promoting it on Facebook. We are only sorry we don’t get there as often as we would like. On New Year’s Day at 9am, they were one of only 4 places open where you could get hot drinks & breakfast. They have 4 small children, who are all in China with their grand-parents so Jackie & Lisa can concentrate on being open & looking after their customers through busy January.

Jackie’s yummy omelettes

New Year’s Day was official Start Looking for Lewis & Morse Day, and after breakfast we came home to do just that. We emailed about 6 breeders who had at least 2 yellow males. That night we received one reply but no way of contacting the breeder other than email.

Our Lake Daylesford walk was much easier the next morning, as there were only some towels, shorts & the odd bit of rubbish to remove. We usually hang towels & clothes up at the bridge in case someone comes back to collect them. If they are still unclaimed after three days, we put them in the bin.

Wes spent the morning shopping for Barbara, watering her garden & making sure everything was looking good for her return from New Zealand, as he was collecting her from Melbourne Airport that night. Nick Massaro returned to finish waterproofing our downstairs shower & it looks fantastic. He is such a good friend. He didn’t want any payment, so we had to put money in his bank account instead! I did a walk into Vincent Street to do some shopping & enjoyed being out & about early before it got too hot & too busy.

We received another reply from a couple in Nathalia with two 9-week-old yellow males and made arrangements to visit them yesterday to see if we were a good fit.

Wes’s turn to feed the geese

On Thursday, I went Coles shopping early and Wes went over to see if Barbara was OK. He discovered that she had no ADSL & no Foxtel, so spent the morning helping her get some action on both fronts. I watched Day 1 of the Sydney New Year Test, where the Indians showed us again just how well they can bat against our bowling attack.

On Friday, while Wes drove to Ballarat to collect Barbara’s cat, Bobby, I went to our local pet shop & bought new beds, collars, chokers & food, just in case we brought home Lewis & Morse yesterday.

The cricket was more of the same – Indian batsmen making mincemeat of our bowlers – very frustrating for the Aussies & their supporters & absolute delight for millions of Indians.

On Saturday, I drove to Strathmore to spend time with Leanne. It was a good visit & we achieved a lot together. The Aussies were looking good when Marcus Harris & Marnus Labuschagne were together at the crease, but the wickets fells after Harris went out. I enjoyed seeing Peter Handscomb & Pat Cummins batting well together.

Yesterday we had breakfast for 10 at Glenlyon General Store. I had rung to let them know we were coming & they told me they didn’t take reservations, which I knew. I explained I was letting them know as a courtesy & that Barbara would be in her wheelchair. When we arrived, we had been put at two tables (we can’t possibly put a table of 10 together & no provision had been made for Barbara). I was so disappointed. Our waitress was good, but the owner & the waiter were both rude & most of us felt the meals were overpriced & there wasn’t much choice on the menu.

Wes told everyone what we were doing & we set off for Nathalia with good wishes ringing in our ears. 10 minutes down the track I realised I had left the envelope with the cash for Lewis & Morse at home in a safe place, so we drove back to collect it. Wes told me he had paid for the breakfasts by credit card as the cost was more than the cash he had collected from everyone. When I looked at the receipt, we had only been charged $75, so we went back to the Glenlyon General Store, where they apologised, thanked me & deducted a further $175! We won’t be going back there in a hurry.

We finally got to Nathalia at 2pm & fell in love with Morse & Lewis, who are quite a dark colour & very different from Bilbo & Frodo. We arrived back here at 5pm, everyone exhausted, and took them outside where they had their first encounter with grass. They immediately toileted madly & chased each other around the back yard.

Amazingly they slept through the night, except for a high-pitched squeal at 4am when they woke & didn’t know where they were! Wes took them outside at 6am & they toileted again. Now we are watching them chase each other around the lounge, play briefly with their toys & learn their names, as well as manage stairs. We can’t wait to show them off & are looking forward to visitors.