Daylesford Sunday Dispatch - Sunday, 31st January 2021

                 

        Another great cartoon from FB Off the Leash & so true!

We started last Sunday with a good walk around Lake Daylesford, followed by a fun visit to the Market and then breakfast with friends @ Food Gallery. David Castles was there for the first time this year & we enjoyed catching up with his, and everyone else's news, before hurrying into our cars to get home & into the air-conditioning before the heat settled in.

I forgot to mention last week that Daylesford Rotary has revived the monthly Farmers' Market, which is now held on the 4th Saturday each month. I went along to support their first one, which had chooks, eggs, fruit & vegetables, crepes, a sausage sizzle, mushrooms, plants & some clothing. They are hoping to get back the numbers of stalls that used to attend, but some of those small businesses didn't survive COVID-19. There was a good turn up of Rotarians doing their best to make the Market a fun experience. 

On Monday morning, we decided that School would be dedicated to sorting out our time without Lewis & Morse. They are going into Eureka Kennels three days before we drive to Melbourne, which will give us a chance to do a few jobs like - getting a skip, restaining the decking, staining the legs (of inside furniture) that are scuffed, and putting Ratsak around to get rid of the rats that have set up home under our house. Wes also took the boys to the vet so that their boosters were all up to date. They got a clean bill of health & managed to sit on the knees of Shelley, Andrew's assistant, who no doubt had treats for them. 

Yet another interesting sleeping position - Lewis has his back leg around Morse's neck, but they both seem very happy with the arrangement!

Dot, Judi & I had been eagerly awaiting the start of Mah Jong on Wednesday, but the fates were not kind. Dot wasn't well & couldn't join us, then the power went out in Daylesford & Hepburn, so all the cafés had to close. By the time the power was restored it was too late to play, but Judi suggested she & I meet up for lunch anyway, which we did. Hopefully all three of us will be able to get together this Wednesday, as it will have been nearly 11 months since we last had a game.

On Thursday we had a much busier day than expected. After our usual walk, I did the Coles shopping & chatted to Kathy Lazzaro via Zoom, while Wes had a marathon with his Pommy & Yank mates, also on Zoom. After we had both finished, we noticed that our TV was in Safe Mode and it was impossible to get ABC Classic FM to work. 

We consulted the manual, after we had turned everything off & on again, restarted Foxtel, checked every available setting & were defeated. The manual was no help, so Wes rang the help number on the screen & waited about 30 minutes before someone came on line to assist. Wes was very patient (not always the case) and after obeying various instructions and getting nowhere, he asked what else could be done. The male on the other end of the phone offered to send an email with an update that could be downloaded & transferred to a USB port. We did all that, followed the instructions to the letter & nothing changed. We turned everything off & on again & tried again & this time, finally, the TV was out of Safe Mode. 

We want those 90 minutes of our lives back - Wes missed a webinar he had been looking forward to seeing, and we both had wanted to enrol in our Hepburn Shire U3A courses. We eventually did the latter, and were relieved to sit down to a very late lunch.

This wonderful photo shows former Collingwood Captain, Gavin Brown with his three kids - Tyler, Callum & Tarni. Tarni debuted for Collingwood in the AFL Women's competition which started on Thursday night, and became the last of that threesome to join the Magpies. 

We were both very excited to see the start of footy again, and thoroughly enjoyed the opening game, even though our teams were playing each other. Collingwood won narrowly, and unexpectedly, and we thought we could see a huge leap in skills from last year. They tired in the last quarter, which was to be expected, as there has been no Victorian women's footy for months, which would usually keep them fully fit. 

On Friday, we hosted lunch at our place. Br Doug Walsh, an old friend, from Brunswick Rotary days, had rung & suggested he drive to Daylesford to catch up with us, and we agreed. We had then included Bob White, who lives in Trentham, and also knows Doug from Rotary, and Glenda & Joe Rozen. Glenda Rozen went to Manila with Wes in 2008, when he spoke at Daylesford Rotary, asking who would like to go with him to see what could be done for the tip site that was Bagong Barrio. Doug had been playing a pivotal role in Manila, and Glenda was thrilled to catch up with him & hear about the improvements that have been made to date. Joe hasn't been well and spent Christmas in hospital in Ballarat, but he was excited with the invitation, and we enjoyed his company. 

Glenda, Joe, Karen, Bob & Doug with his back to the camera - Wes took the photo from our kitchen, where Lewis & Morse had joined him in their roles as sous-chefs.

That this lunch took place at all was a matter of amazement - it was raining all over Victoria & we had 102mls in 24 hours. We were delighted that everyone was able to get here - especially Doug who drove from Heidelberg, and Bob from Trentham. 

Yesterday we took it quietly - the garden was still coming to terms with the quantity of rain, but the vegetables were very grateful & the cucumbers & zucchini doubled in size overnight. Even the tomatoes were looking promising. 

I've been enjoying watching the AFLW games, and the BBL cricket finals. Both codes have been blooding young players to go with the more experienced team members & it has been exciting to see a few debutants make their mark, especially in the women's footy. This wonderful photo shows the current Western Bulldogs coach (and St Kilda champion), Nathan Burke, embracing his daughter, Alice, after her winning first game (wearing his old number 3), which was against his team.

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 24th January 2021

 

This wonderful cartoon was on FB last week - it is certainly true at our place!

We started our week with a fun visit to the Sunday Market after our walk. We left home a little earlier than usual, so that we would have time for Wes to walk me around to see all the other stalls - something I haven't been able to do for the past 10 months. It wasn't the most exciting outing I've been on, but I did enjoy seeing old friends in unfamiliar places!

We met up with Judi, Janine & Glen for a most enjoyable breakfast & catch up at the Food Gallery, where we heard all about Janine's trip up North; were in agreement that the Australian Open shouldn't be happening next month, and Wes disclosed the frightful information that I had opened a can of Brown Bros prosecco (but poured it into a flute before drinking it).

We had an interesting School session on Monday - watched Steve Dotto @ Dottotech discussing Google Photos. We decided that saving our photos to Google before editing them was a timesaver, but that we required more sophisticated editing & storage than Google Photos offers. Afterwards we got stuck into re-arranging the lounge/dining area again, as well as removing, cleaning & swapping the shelves in half of the pantry & finished up by a small shift of the trouser press in our bedroom from one side of the room to the other. 

Wes enjoying a cuddle with Morse & Lewis

By the end of all that I was more than ready to settle down to watch the final two days of one of the bests Tests I have ever seen, to finish off an enthralling series - not quite Ashes intensity, but not far from it. The Indians were decimated, bruised & battered, yet still managed to beat Australia in the final session with three overs to go & retained the Border/Gavaskar Trophy. Thanks to all the friends who emailed & texted during that nerve-wracking time - I think most of us found ourselves hoping the Indians would win - they were so brave, especially Pujara, who was hit at least 11 times & Pant, who came out swinging & destroyed the confidence of our full-strength Australian team. 

Quite a few chores had built up while we were devoting our days to Test Cricket & nights to BigBash10, so it was lovely to have a perfect day on Wednesday to get stuck back into things. Wes had a haircut & I had a fringe trim, then we met for a cuppa & chat at Muffins & More, before heading back here armed with seeds & seedlings to plant. While Wes was tidying up in the backyard, I put some dwarf green beans into the big planter box in the greenhouse, along with a very healthy Jalapeno chili plant. Some of our boxes along the fence were in need of new punnets, so I put some pigface of various colours in, and inserted a few nasturtiums among the tomato plants in the front. 

Clockwise from left - Little Red Riding Hood roses, zucchini plants & lemon tree, mint & rhubarb

When I was shopping at Coles early on Thursday morning, I walked past the seafood section, even though we didn't need any fresh fish, only to discover a handful of cooked Western Australian Rock Lobsters @ $22 each. This was the first time I had seen these inexpensive delicacies, so bought a couple & crossed my fingers that Wes would be delighted. He was and found a perfect recipe to dress them up. We ate them that night with steamed Dutch Cream potatoes, sweet corn & spring onions. 😘

I've had another busy week mostly on Zoom - spoke with Leanne three times; chatted to old friends, Kathy & Karen; caught up with aunt, Jeff, via Messenger, and enjoyed an old-fashioned talk on the phone with local friend, Sue. 

On Friday, Lewis & Morse had another exciting day - we met Tracye & Leo as we were walking around Lake Daylesford, and when we sat outside Food Gallery, socialising, we were greeted by quite a few friends. Lewis & Morse are there for the toast & the cuddles, in that order!

Back in 2014 - Wes with Glenn Mack in our backyard, when they finally put together the green-house. It has served us well & was worth that day of blood, sweat & tears

We are so lucky that our hot days are being followed by cooler nights, which makes our early walks very manageable. Yesterday was another day in the 30s, but was brightened considerably by a gift of a box of strawberries from Rob & Dene, who had been to Harcourt to collect cherries & came back with strawberries instead. They are beautiful to eat straight from the farm. We decided it was time for fish & chips - our first for the year - and were they yummy. Wes went early and came back with butter fish, (always a treat), potato cakes, scallops & chips galore!

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 17th January 2021

                         
We had another lovely breakfast last Sunday catching up on everyone's week & enjoying good meals. Pasquale & Toni have decided to sell The Food Gallery, after 9 years in business - partly because of the effect of COVID-19 last year & partly because they are tired. It must be very exhausting being on your feet all day, 5 days a week, and dealing with all of us customers & our foibles.

The Sydney Test was a rivetting draw - can't believe how brave the Indian batsmen were to last a day against our bowlers, especially the injured Vihari, who couldn't run. After Pant's 97 (he deserved  a century), Vihari & Pujara survived nearly 44 overs. If they were Poms, I suspect the Queen would have knighted them!

With only three days between Tests, I was hoping for some cooler weather to get a few chores done, but it has mostly been too hot for me in the first part of the week, and Wes has done the lion's share of cooking, gardening & watering. We've been able to walk the boys each morning in lower temperatures before they & I seek the air-conditioner.

Morse & Lewis socialising outside The Food Gallery with Wes

It's been another busy week with Zoom chats - I've had three with Leanne, one with Terry Borg & one with Kathy Lazzaro, while Wes has had a long one with Paul, Mike, & new member, Bill, discussing the current state of play in the UK & whether it will stay together post Brexit. He also Skypes twice a week with Barbara in NZ & we both enjoy the occasional phone call with friends & family. 

My new favourite photo of roses - starring Hot Cocoa, Big Purple, Ashram & Bradman

I try to visit the Post Office & do any small shopping required early in the day before all the visitors head out. Most locals are the same & we all greet each other before scurrying home to the safety of inside. Very few visitors realise they are not socially distancing & lots are carrying their masks in their pockets & only wearing them when requested. The mask-wearing is being eased overnight, but I think we will still continue to wear them indoors, as it is such a simple but effective safety measure. 

On Friday morning we took Lewis & Morse along the track towards Twin Bridges, which meant that we walked over the main Lake Daylesford bridge in the opposite direction as we were coming back home. This was serendipitous, as it enabled us to meet up with Tracye & Leo, the first time we have been able to catch up in 10 months. Lewis & Morse were so excited & recognised them from a distance, pulling Wes towards them in their haste. Tracye said later in a message how grown up they now were & how thrilled she & Leo were that the boys recognised them. 

We started watching the 4th Test and were thrilled for Labuschagne with his century. Considering the number of changes the Indian team has had to make on this Australian tour, they did very well to get 5 of us out by the end of play.

We had invited Rob, Dene & Glen for a catch-up drink that afternoon. Glen was unwell & couldn't join us, but we did have a couple of very relaxing hours with Rob & Dene, hearing about their trip to South Australia for New Year and catching up on how work is going for them both. Lewis & Morse were delighted to have company and monstered them both for a few minutes before settling down at their feet. We had rearranged our living area, yet again, and were able to sit up at the small Tasmanian Oak table. There is no chance of relaxing in the couches as owners & guests spend their time watching out for their drinks & nibbles when Labrador tails get going!

Yesterday was spent watching the end of the Aussie's 1st Innings & the start of the Indian's first dig, which was entertaining before rain stopped play. Wes cooked a mushroom risotto which we enjoyed while watching the Big Bash - for which I have renewed interest now the Melbourne Stars have had a big win & are back in Finals contention. 

My aunt, Jeff, sent us this wonderful photo of the kookaburra & magpie metal sculptures we gave them when we last visited - they look rather forlorn in the deep snow.

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 10th January 2021

 

What an interesting week we've had - started with a lovely breakfast catch up on Sunday morning at The Food Gallery with Judi, Rhonda & Sue. We swapped Christmas & New Year stories sitting at Pasquale's lovely oval table at the back of the café, where we feel safe during this worrying time. 

I had declared 2nd January the day to take down the Christmas decorations & duly did it, over about 3 hours, needing to sit down with a pot of tea in-between. Our tree has been a big success - lasted almost 4 weeks and brought us much joy. 

We have planned a holiday in Melbourne next month - our first visit since mid March 2020, and are hopeful that COVID will be under control again by the time we are set to catch up with friends & family. Our main priority is to see Leanne, and we have two visits booked with her, as well as trying to see as many friends as we can. We will be staying in Moonee Ponds, which will be very nostalgic, as we both went to school in Essendon, and Puckle Street, Moonee Ponds was our Big Smoke. 

This week, we tackled cleaning up downstairs underneath the main decking & are very pleased with the result. We were particularly keen to get some order into what was there - pots, manure, potting mix, more pots, lawn mowers, wheelbarrow, dog kennel (unused by these dogs) & working area. We feel very happy with all we did and are waiting with bated breath to see if Lewis & Morse will venture into the kennel to retrieve their toys.

A big plus in this re-organisation is that the view from the Guest Bedroom is mightily improved - red geraniums galore is much better than piled up pots

On Tuesday, we both had lovely catch-ups - I started at 7.30am with my aunt, Jeff, in Lincolnshire, and she introduced me to Messenger chats, which I hadn't experienced before. I thought the quality of the picture & sound was superior to Skype, so if I can't persuade her to Zoom, we will continue with Messenger.

Next was my regular Zoom with Leanne - she loves to see Lewis & Morse, but they gave her short shrift having already performed for Jeff! And finally at 9.30am, I enjoyed a lovely long Zoom chat with Jan in Maleny, Qld. Meanwhile Wes & his friend, Tom Tyrrell, had a great time chatting over Zoom & sharing stories. 

Lewis & Morse filling in time before dinner perhaps or ignoring the cricket, or maybe just dreaming...

The weather in the early part of the week was most unusual - quite cool when we were walking around Lake Daylesford and temperatures getting up to 18° or 19° during the day. It has been raining as well, but not too heavily, so we've been able to get at least one lap of the Lake before coming home to feed the boys breakfast. On Wednesday we celebrated the second Anniversary of their adoption by us & treated them to bones & extra cuddles in celebration. 

I got organised on Thursday to watch the first ball of the Sydney Test, feeling very nervous for Will Pucovski, and hoping we could put on a better show than the Melbourne Test. Sadly David Warner was out cheaply and then the rain came down. 

The latter part of this week has been hot & we thought it was time to bring out the boys' Christmas present, which is a pool. They were quite inquisitive about it, reluctant to get in and then reluctant to stay in. However, we are persevering & by putting only a small amount of water in, we hope they will learn to love it as a wading pool & eventually get used to being able to cool down. Like us, they both suffer in the heat. 

The Test has been engrossing and I am optimistic we can win, if for no other reason than our vastly superior fielding & the debilitating injuries suffered by important members of the Indian team. After Thursday's rain, the game has been starting at 10am which doesn't leave much free time to get chores done. Yesterday I managed to clean the silver, and cook up our rhubarb with one eye on the screen. 

Daylesford Summer Dispatch - Sunday, 3rd January 2021

 

What a lovely week we've had. Started our Sunday with a good visit to the Market, followed by breakfast with Judi & Janine at Larder. There weren't many options available, and although this cafe does the COVID distancing well, it is an extremely noisy venue, pitched at a much younger clientele than us!

I've been overdosing on cricket, which is very indulgent, while Wes has done the cooking, looked after the garden & kept up to date on the computer. The Indians played so much better than they did in Adelaide and fully deserved their win in the 2nd Test.

We also visited the area's newest cafe, Virgin, which is part of the renovated & rejuvenated Bellinzona. Judi & Glen joined us & we were all impressed by our meals. The first menu developed when the cafe opened in early December was very basic, but we were able to choose from an omelette, pumpkin pancakes, Canadian, Pepperonata eggs & simple eggs with side serves. We were pleased we visited early as it quickly filled. On a sunny day it would be beautiful to sit outside in the garden.

Wes & Glen had the pancakes & Judi enjoyed the Pepperonata eggs, while I loved my omelette

Wes and I had breakfast also at Harvest Cafe on Tuesday morning after a lovely long Zoom chat with my cousin, Leigh, and her husband, Simon, in Luxembourg, where she is working from home, and will be until September 2021 at least, according to her employer, PayPal. It was so good to see them both and to chat about some serious issues affecting people like them who usually live & work in England. Brexit is having lots of run-off effects that many of its supporters didn't consider - Leigh says Vodaphone has upped its phone charges as they are no longer bound by EU regulations; it is hard for British citizens to travel to EU nations for any length of time, and getting back to England is no longer possible for so many people stranded in European countries (and vice versa).

Leigh with her bottle of 1947 Para Port, given to her many years ago by her dear father, Kevin, who died 12 months ago. 

We had our last School session for the year on Wednesday morning, instead of Monday, because of the Test. We decided to finish off the Art Inventory, which still needed some labels, some re-thinking and some photos to be taken. We completed that successfully and will start 2021 by tackling the area under the main decking, which has grown like Topsy over the years!

As the week went on, we weren't surprised that Victoria had some COVID cases. Some of us seemed to think that the danger had passed, even though so many travelled interstate to spend Christmas with family & friends. We were especially vulnerable to those from New South Wales and so it panned out. In Daylesford many of the visitors were unmasked; walked spread out over the footpath, and seemed to be taking very little care of those who live here. Fortunately the Victorian Government immediately cut down numbers & made mask-wearing compulsory inside again. 

After our most peaceful New Year's Eve in ages, we woke early & took the boys for a long walk - a circuit of Lake Daylesford followed by the Twin Bridges walk. They spent much of the rest of the day sleeping & had to be bribed to get out of bed to greet Leanne on Zoom. The mess around Lake Daylesford had continued to increase, however, it did not culminate in a dreadful amount of rubbish on New Year's Day, as is usually the case - probably because fireworks & large groups were banned. 

Lewis & Morse posing for the camera on Christmas morning

When we were debriefing that night, Wes told me about a wonderful simple mobile phone, KISA for Seniors, which I knew nothing about. It would have been brilliant for Viva towards the end of her life, when our phone number was the only one she could remember. If you have older parents or friends, and haven't heard of it, check out the website https://www.kisaphone.com.au

Yesterday morning Wes spent watering our back & front gardens in the hope it would bring the rain we have been promised all week. The boys had a bath, which meant three loads of washing - towels & bedding, and I was very relieved to be able to sit and watch T20 cricket that afternoon. 

Sadly, we now have a COVID case in our Shire in the Blampied to Allendale area. Hopefully the person is self-isolating & hasn't travelled too far outside of their postcode. We'll have to be extra vigilant, after 10 months of no cases here.