Once again there were only 6 of us
at breakfast last Sunday – David & Sandy joined us, Barbara & Jan
Pengilley. The Food Gallery continues to be full with people
queued outside the door most Sunday mornings. We stayed on until 10.30am as we
had a late start & our breakfasts took a while to come. Toni & Anthony
were so busy in the kitchen that Andrew had to join them, which left only two
waiting staff & Pasquale flat out making teas & coffees.
Something very special for all the Sally fans
We’ve had a busy and quite hot
week here in Daylesford. Wes & I left the boys with bones & headed to
the Regent Cinema in Ballarat to see the Australian film, Ride
Like a Girl, which is the story of Michelle Payne’s life up until her
triumph as the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in the 160 years it
has been running. She was riding an outsider, Prince of Penzance,
but rode him to perfection & was delighted to outclass the overseas horses
& jockeys. The Payne family are Ballarat-based & their story is
well-known. Michelle’s mother, Mary, died in 1986 when Michelle was 6 months
old, the youngest of 10 siblings, eight of whom became jockeys. The next
youngest, Stevie, who has Down syndrome, is her best friend & he was the
strapper for the Prince on Cup Day. Stevie played himself in the film &
obviously enjoyed the experience immensely.
Michelle &
Stevie with the 2015 Melbourne Cup
As well, I spent some time in Strathmore with Leanne. It
was a hot day, so I left here at 6.20am & was able to get back to
Daylesford before the temperature reached the mid-thirties. It was a successful
visit & we achieved heaps together.
Wes drove Barbara to Yandoit on
their morning out together, while Dot Smith & I played Mah Jong for the first time in ages. It was great to catch
up on each other’s news & to play a few games again. Nick Massaro came to
give me a massage one afternoon, bearing the large jar of his own honey. It has
a lovely taste & is extra special because it comes from Nick’s own hives.
Our roses have finally started to
bloom & I picked the first handful, which welcome us home as we walk in the
front door.
Freesia, Peace
& Blue Moon roses
On Friday morning I met up with
Wes, Lewis & Morse after I had been to gym. We had tea & toast outside The
Food Gallery, where we were joined firstly by Trish Dunlop, who helped
us train the boys when they were young; next by Shelley Sandow, who works at
the Daylesford Vet, and had to apologise as she had no treats on her, and
lastly by Jan Pengilley, who saw us sitting in the street, and stopped the car
to spend time being licked & kissed. Jan was able to drink her coffee
eventually! It was perfect for socialising & we all enjoyed the time out.
Yesterday, we were most
unsuccessful with our trifectas on Derby Day, so it is back to Win & Place
bets on Cup Day, with a box quinella & box trifecta on the Cup itself. In
spite of terrible weather everywhere in Victoria, (but we are grateful for the
25mls of rain), over 80,000 attended Flemington’s best & most elegant day
of racing. Men were sporting blue cornflowers, black & white are the
colours of the day & Channel 10 did a wonderful job with its coverage. They
focussed on the racecourse, the characters, the horses & the racegoers,
with very little panel discussion.
The three-handled
loving Cup that is the Melbourne Cup trophy
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